Six months ago a community meeting about affordable housing in Jefferson Park erupted in angry, racist protests. At issue was a seven-story, 100-unit building that would house low-income veterans, families, and people with disabilities going up on the corner of Northwest Highway and Milwaukee Avenue. The backlash against a development seen as a possible conduit for African-Americans into the predominately white neighborhood was nothing new for Chicago—and it turns out that the backlash to the backlash also has historical precedent.
Kryczka reassured the crowd: “This brand of politics is not destiny.” While 45th Ward alderman Edwin Fifielski backed the segregationists, powerful grassroots organizations sprung from that struggle to fight for inclusion. Chief among them was the Metropolitan Area Housing Alliance, led by legendary community organizer Gale Cincotta.
Some of the development’s detractors, organized in a Facebook group called Residents Against Upzoning at 5150 N Northwest Highway have now shifted their attention to protesting a controversial play at the upcoming Chicago Fringe Festival. Meanwhile NFAH is focused on holding more public events and demonstrations as well as mounting canvassing campaigns to build support for affordable housing development in Jefferson Park.
