Evanston’s program is aimed at addressing housing discrimination and segregation that took place in the northern suburb from 1919 to 1969.

ReNew Communities is on a mission to build 300 homes in North Chicago. The suburb has long struggled with low homeownership rates; the nonprofit says 33% of residents in the city own a home.

 Chicago native Sendy L. Soto became  the city’s first chief homelessness officer. Part of her new role will be to devise a five-year plan to end homelessness. 

A new study found that Black Americans are four times more likely to experience homelessness than their White counterparts. But in Illinois the situation is even worse, researchers found, with Black residents eight times more likely to become homeless at some point in their lives.

Banks, credit unions and mortgage companies will soon have to report to state regulators about how many loans they make in low-income, high-minority neighborhoods. That's the result of a state law passed in 2021 as part of the Legislative Black Caucus' social and economic reform agenda.

Author Benjamin Herold shares the story of five families, including the Adesina family in Evanston, in “Disillusioned: Five Families and the Unraveling of America’s Suburbs.”

The new docuseries uses firsthand accounts, archival footage and animation to better explain complex practices like redlining and blockbusting, and how Black families were systemically barred from homeownership.

“Like many cities, we are in the process of recovering from the impact of the pandemic, resulting in vacancies, particularly our storefronts and offices,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said. “We have to respond to these changes. As a city, we have to do it in a creative and collaborative way.”

Nearly 80% of voters in two precincts of the 7th Ward endorsed a referendum asking whether Ald. Greg Mitchell and Mayor Brandon Johnson should support “a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) ordinance to prevent the displacement of renters, condo & home owners in South Shore in light of the impact of the Obama Center and growing development in the area.”

The Obama Presidential Center, which broke ground in September 2021, had been slated to open in October 2025.

The exhibit at the National Public Housing Museum in River North is inspired by the Pulitzer Prize-winning book “Evicted” by Princeton sociologist Matthew Desmond.

The Chicago Coalition for the Homeless estimates more than 68,000 people in Chicago are experiencing homelessness. That higher number includes people who are doubled up, or temporarily living in someone else’s home.

Voters in two precincts of the 7th Ward will be asked whether Ald. Greg Mitchell (7th Ward) and Mayor Brandon Johnson should “support a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) ordinance to prevent the displacement of renters, condo & home owners in South Shore in light of the impact of the Obama Center and growing development in the area.”

With rising home prices, living costs and more, saving for that next step can be intimidating. It’s causing many young adults to delay their purchase. The average age of first-time homebuyers has reached 36, according to the National Association of Realtors.

Artist Tonika Lewis Johnson is highlighting historical injustices while working to revitalize vacant lots in Englewood. It’s part of her latest project, “unBlocked Englewood.”

Interest rates saw record highs last year, reaching almost 8% and raising concerns for first-time buyers looking to get into the market. This was until 2023 saw a slight decline beginning in November. The trend is expected to continue, sparking interest again for that group.