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LOCAL News :: Housing

Woodlawn Residents Rally Against Gentrification

Woodlawn Residents hold press conference to stop gentrification
Approximately fifty people gathered Monday on the corner of 62nd and Kimbark, chanting “No More Condos! We Won’t Go!” Members of the recently formed organization “People of Woodlawn” (POW!) charged that the Woodlawn Community Development Corporation (WCDC), the development arm of The Woodlawn Organization (TWO), planned on converting five buildings with 200 units of subsidized housing into condos. Residents have until May 1st to move out.

Many tenants have lived there as long as thirty years and now have no place to go. Cynthia Walker told the crowd that their landlords acted dumb when she asked them if she would receive Section 8 vouchers for subsidized housing. “He doesn’t know about vouchers, and he doesn’t care,” she announced.

On November 30, 2004 tenants received a letter from that TWO and the WCDC “intend to prepay or terminate our mortgage” effective May 1, 2005. Two weeks later tenants learned at a meeting held at TWO that their buildings would be converted into condos and that they would have to vacate by May 1st.

One resident alleged that the WCDC has neglected needed repairs in order to save money and to provide an incentive for residents to leave. “Instead of putting us out in the street they should be fixing up the apartments,” she said.

Over the past ten years many market-rate condos and single family homes have been built in Woodlawn, but the neighborhood is losing housing units at a rate of close to 10% a year, as apartment buildings are converted into condos. Thirty nine percent of Woodlawn’s 27,086 residents live below the poverty line.

In the 1960’s The Woodlawn Organization fought the University of Chicago’s plans to expand into the neighborhood and to build upper-income housing in what was then called Urban Renewal. Members of POW! allege that TWO has sold out to the university and is assisting landlords in gentrifying the neighborhood.

Tenant Davy Marvey proudly looked on to the surrounding crowd assembled and spoke into the bullhorn. “We’re Here! We’re Strong in Numbers!” he declared. People of Woodlawn! Will be meeting again this Thursday March 31st at 6111 S. Kenwood at 6 pm to continue their campaign to stop displacement of Woodlawn residents.
 
 

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