CHA’s Lathrop Homes rehabilitation: too little, too late

Twenty-five years ago, the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) announced an ambitious plan to rehabilitate or replace 25,000 units of public housing citywide, including 625 units at Lathrop Homes on the near Northwest side. It wasn’t until March 2024 that the CHA finally began rehabilitating the vacant properties at Lathrop, thanks to the tireless efforts of residents and organizations like Palenque LSNA.

However, this long-awaited progress falls short of addressing the true need. The CHA is reserving only 300 units for public housing residents, despite more than 12,000 people having placed their names on the waiting list for Lathrop housing over the past two decades.

The delay and reduction in public housing units raise serious questions about the CHA’s management and priorities. A recent Block Club Chicago article revealed that “by 2014, 780 of Lathrop’s 925 units were vacant, CHA records show. Yet that year alone HUD sent the agency $7.9 million for the site — meaning the CHA effectively received $6.6 million to operate and maintain homes that were boarded up.”

While we commend the CHA for finally providing some desperately needed housing amidst Chicago’s ongoing housing crisis, this situation exemplifies how the city has failed its public housing residents.

JCUA has advocated for housing for all since our founding 60 years ago. When the CHA announced plans in 1999 to demolish many public housing buildings due to the agency’s own history of neglect, JCUA recognized the potential impact on a significant portion of our city’s population.

In response to the city’s “Plan for Transformation,” JCUA helped create the Coalition to Protect Public Housing, comprising of partnering organizations and affected public housing residents. Our demand was simple: ensure one-for-one replacement of demolished units. People and families should not be uprooted because the city wanted to eliminate blight it had allowed to develop due to decades of neglect and poor policies.

A 2008 University of Chicago study found that more than 600 households were classified as “missing” by the CHA as a direct outcome of the Plan for Transformation. As with Lathrop, despite millions of dollars received to rehabilitate public housing, many families were displaced and left to find new housing on their own. The city failed these families, contributing to Chicago’s current homelessness crisis.

Today, JCUA continues to fight for housing as a human right. We will continue to speak out against ineffective policies like the Plan for Transformation. We will continue to support the creation and preservation of affordable housing development through our Community Ventures Program, which has provided more than $8 million in zero-interest loans for 65 projects across 29 neighborhoods, creating or preserving approximately 5,000 affordable housing units and 1,500 jobs. And we will continue to organize alongside our partners in powerful coalitions for long term, systemic solutions to Chicago’s housing and homelessness crisis.

Please join us by participating in our Housing and Economic Justice Committee and contributing to our Community Ventures Program. Together, we can make Chicago a city where everyone has adequate housing, safety, and the opportunity to flourish.

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Brian (he/him) previously worked for JCUA from 2000-2011 and rejoined the staff in 2020. Brian was previously the Executive Director of Common Cause Illinois where he helped advocate for democracy reforms in Illinois. Over his career, he’s successfully led campaigns for affordable housing, immigration justice, transportation, healthcare, environmental justice, and workers’ rights. Brian enjoys spending time with his family and spending time in Peloton classes with his wife.