When an exciting and popular addition to the public realm becomes available, like it did in Chicago earlier this year with The 606 trail, concerns about gentrification and displacement are sure to follow.
"When The 606 was about to open in June, Mayor Rahm Emanuel tried to straddle both sides of the housing issue. The mayor called rising property values 'a good thing,' while at the same time pledging to protect longtime residents from getting priced out of their homes," reports John Byrne.
But Mayor Emanuel's plan to preserve affordable housing in parts of Humboldt Park and Logan Square has come under scrutiny. According to Byrne, "many of the affordable housing examples Emanuel offered are a mile or more from the trail, outside the area where community activists worry about gentrification….In addition, a large portion of the affordable units Emanuel pointed to are in the form of rent vouchers or subsidies for renovations that come with no guarantees of future affordability if landlords think they can charge more or sell the properties for a healthy profit."
The article includes more details of the comparison between the promises made by Mayor Emanuel and the reality of the city's efforts to protect affordable housing in the area.
FULL STORY: Mayor Emanuel's 606 affordable-housing plan draws doubts
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