HOUSING
IN OUR PALENQUE…
•We unapologetically advocate for our community, for BIPOC, and for our most vulnerable neighbors. • We build community to make change, getting to know our neighbors and creating powerful connections. • We provide a safe space Palenque. • We create opportunities to become a leader. • We put pressure on elected officials to provide resources and push for policies that meet needs of our communities, especially policies regarding immigration and affordable housing. • We educate our community by bridging information gaps. • We foster and provide mutual aid to give our people necessary resources. • We organize people and build community ownership.
The Housing Team at Palenque LSNA
Advocates for affordable housing policies to our elected officials
Bridges knowledge gaps
Organizes people to defend homeowner and renter rights
Fosters community ownership
Programs
The Northwest Side Housing Preservation Ordinance
The Northwest Side Housing Preservation Ordinance (NWHPO) emerged after years of rapid displacement and gentrification spreading across Chicago’s Northwest Side.
In 2015, a 2.7-mile elevated park on Chicago’s Northwest Side, the Bloomingdale Trail (also known as “The 606”) was completed. Its development attracted new investments and led to wealthier residents wanting to move into the community. As a result, housing prices in Logan Square and Humboldt Park rose by 48.2%, according to a 2016 DePaul Housing Studies report (Depaul Housing Report.) This rapid increase in costs displaced more than 20,000 working-class families, particularly Latino and immigrant households.
The rapid displacement that was created as the popularity of the Bloomingdale Trail rose led to a community-led movement to insist on safe, stable and affordable housing in the Northwest Side of Chicago. The parents and youth from the Northwest side community, worked around the clock to fight for the creation of the Northwest Side Housing Preservation Ordinance.
The Northwest Housing Preservation Ordinance consisted of two main parts:
Demolition Surcharge – Developers must pay a $60,000 fee per building, or $20,000 per unit when tearing down certain homes in the protected area. This discourages demolitions and funds
TOPA (Tenant Opportunity to Purchase) – Tenants get the first chance to buy their building if the landlord decides to sell. This gives renters more control and helps keep housing affordable
For more information on the Northwest Housing Preservation Ordinance:
Visit The City of Chicago's Housing Department NWHPO
For more information on tenants Opportunity to Purchase (TOPA)
Visit City of Chicago's Housing Department - TOPA
For more information on the Demolition Surcharge
Visit City of Chicago's Housing Department - Demolition Surcharge
Community Land Trust
In addition to advocating for the preservation of homes in Logan Square and encouraging homeownership, Palenque LSNA also promotes awareness and use of Community Land Trusts.
Four community organizations with a combined 175 years of housing experience have joined forces to launch a community land trust in Hermosa and West Logan Square called Here to Stay. The group buys properties through the community land trust and sells the buildings on those properties to moderate-income buyers from the community at a discounted rate, ensuring long-term affordability.
CNRP Assistance
We are part of the Chicago Neighborhood Recovery Program (CNRP) in the Hermosa neighborhood. Through this program, we can work with homeowners to help find ways to lower their housing and energy costs. We can also assist homeowners with housing court issues and apply for home repair grant programs. New homebuyers in the area may be eligible for a $15,000 down payment assistance grant.
