October 29th, 2012
Media Advisory
City’s Demolition Rampage Brings More Destruction To Hard-Hit Communities
As the Mayor announces the 200th vacant building to be demolished, Action Now members are concerned about the lack of accountability and oversight in the demolition process. As Action Now member Charles Brown said, “There is no community input or transparency. They are just coming in and creating more destruction in our neighborhoods. Vacant lots are just as dangerous as vacant buildings. We need to build communities back up instead of knocking them down.”
Michelle Young, President of Action Now, said, “How does tearing down these buildings help the community? I haven’t heard of any plan to build new homes in their place. This top-down approach to the vacant building problem is just wiping out our neighborhoods. We want to bring families back into these homes and have the city invest in long-term solutions instead of quick fixes that don’t work.”
Action Now members, in collaboration with Action Now Institute’s Neighborhood Revitalization Committee, have developed a campaign to make vacant buildings livable and occupied once again. The plan, called “Rebuild Chicago”, would establish a housing trust through a city ordinance where vacant homes could be donated, and then developers could rehab the buildings and rent them at an affordable rate. This would not only curb the violence and crime caused by vacant properties, but it would also create jobs and affordable housing in the community, which are sustainable solutions to revitalize neighborhoods.
For a more detailed summary of the plan, click here.
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