(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — A study of the history of Cabrini-Green shows that city officials failed to follow through on big promises made to residents forced out of the Chicago Housing Authority project.
Investigative journalist Alejandra Cancino spearheaded an in-depth report for the Better Government Association. It recounts how residents of the Chicago Housing Authority community were told they would have the opportunity to move back to the area once it was redeveloped, but that hasn’t happened.
“ … of the thousands of families who were promised they could return, more than 80% never did — some were disqualified, relocated or simply overwhelmed with bureaucracy,” the BGA article says. “Many died waiting. Even today, 85 families who used to live in Cabrini-Green are still on decades-old waiting lists to move back.”
The once-notorious towers north of the Loop have been replaced with mixed-income residential developments, which includes units set aside for lower-income people.
“The last promise was construction: There were going to be construction jobs, and people from Cabrini-Green were going to be able to have those construction jobs,” Cancino told WBBM Newsradio Political Editor Craig Dellimore.
These 2,500 construction jobs did not materialize for the residents, she said.
Community activist J.R. Fleming said the Cabrini-Green residents who were moved out were not surprised.
“We knew from the beginning they were lying. We’re from Chicago, this isn’t our first go-round.”
This weekend’s “At Issue” looks at the broken promises behind the Cabrini-Green redevelopment and what they mean today. The show airs 9:30 a.m. and 9:30 p.m. Sunday.
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