From redlining to blacklining: Englewood organization to fix up abandoned home, sell to first-time homebuyers
CHICAGO (CBS) -- An Englewood organization is teaming up with the Cook County Land Bank to tackle decades of neglect and discriminatory practices that blocked Chicagoans from owning homes.
CBS 2's Shardaa Gray found out how one abandoned home will help first-time homebuyers.
"The reality is, the majority of our housing stock, unfortunately, looks like this," said Asiaha Butler, cofounder of R.A.G.E., as she stood in front of an old house in Englewood.
The house and others like it are rundown, abandoned, and falling apart.
"The majority of any block you go on in Englewood has a vacant home or vacant land," Butler said.
But the specific home at 66th Place and Normal Avenue that Butler showed us differs.
Earlier this month, the Residents Association of Greater Englewood launched Re-Up Homes in honor of Juneteenth. The Cook County Land Bank Authority donated the home at 66th Place and Normal Avenue to Butler, co-founder of R.A.G.E. Another organization, the Claretian Associates, also received property.
She said the renovation will take about nine to 12 months before it will be sold to a first-time homebuyer. But before it's sold, the organization wants to use it as a learning lab.
"Our first step is to talk people through: 'This is what you have to do even to close. You have to get a scope of work. You have to get somebody reliable,'" Butler said.
Redlining, a discriminatory practice, immediately denied or limited financial services to specific neighborhoods - generally because residents were people of color or poor. Englewood was one of those neighborhoods.
"Decade after decade, you just see the effects of some of these policies and many other policies just ruin the livelihood of people," Butler said.
Butler said that a different generation was forced into neighborhoods through redlining. Now, she wants to welcome homebuyers in Englewood through a blacklining grant.
"It really was to counteract the harm that has been done through redlining," Butler said. "This area that we're in - and the reason that we have homes like this that still exist - is really related to policies of redlining."
The grant aims to help 10 Black families in Englewood who are first-time homebuyers receive $1,000 to go towards their down payment.
"Where redlining was pushing you away, the blacklining grant is hopefully saying, 'Welcome, you are welcome here,'" Butler said.
The Cook County Land Bank has also awarded homes for free to other organizations - such as the No Matter What Foundation and the Greater Auburn Gresham Development Corporation – to transform other communities.
