The City Council on Wednesday approved a $4.5 million package designed to prevent the planned Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park from supercharging gentrification in Woodlawn.

Thousands of Chicagoans who lost their jobs or found their paychecks scaled back because of the coronavirus pandemic asked the city for help paying their rent or mortgages, officials said.

Even though the Obama Presidential Center has yet to receive final approval from the federal government to break ground, Woodlawn’s real estate market is already bubbling, with the median sale price rising 106% from 2016 to 2020.

The measure includes a ban on short-term rentals that last only one night in an effort to block huge parties that have become a regular nuisance in some neighborhoods.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker will extend Illinois’ ban on evictions for another month, as warnings of a tsunami of looming evictions grow louder. The ban is now set to expire Sept. 22, according to Pritzker spokesperson.

Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas talks about the disparities in delinquent houses and how she’s working to reduce the problem. 

City officials are putting the final touches on a plan to replace the lead service lines responsible for contaminating the tap water in thousands of Chicago homes, according to Department of Water Management Commissioner Randy Conner.

After last week’s powerful storms knocked out power for more than 750,000 residents, Illinoisans struggling pay their rent due to COVID-19 will now have until Aug. 28 to apply for state assistance. 

The state is providing $300 million in assistance to renters and homeowners struggling to meet ends meet during the coronavirus pandemic, but those funds won’t reach everyone who deserves help, Gov. J.B. Pritzker acknowledged.

With the state’s ban on evictions set to expire in two weeks, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle announced a $20 million rental assistance fund to help residents of suburban Cook County impacted by the pandemic.

Advocates hosted a virtual candlelight vigil Wednesday morning to honor Aaron Curry, who was killed last month while living in Grant Park, and to call on the city of Chicago to dedicate an additional $100 million annually to housing resources. 

A plan to transform a long-vacant lot in Jefferson Park into an apartment complex has reignited the furious debate surrounding Chicago’s massive affordable housing shortfall.

Last month, the Trump administration announced it would end an Obama-era housing rule meant to eliminate racial disparities in the suburbs. How that rollback could affect housing in the Chicago area.

Another month passes. The coronavirus pandemic marches on. And Americans struggling amid the economic fallout once again have to worry as their next rent checks come due Aug. 1.

Chicagoans who lost their jobs or found their paychecks scaled back because of the coronavirus pandemic can apply for a second round of grants of up to $3,000 to help them pay their rent or mortgages.

Even though the Obama Presidential Center has yet to receive final approval to break ground, Woodlawn’s real estate market is already bubbling, with the median sale price for single-family homes rising 90% from 2010 to 2019.