Disabled Residents in Jefferson Park Hope Controversial Building Comes Through

Apartment building with subsidized units for the disabled has drawn protest and support, Alex Nitkin talked to some of the people hoping to move into the apartments.

1 minute read

March 24, 2017, 1:00 PM PDT

By Casey Brazeal @northandclark


Sandy Kleinhans was born with a joint disorder that makes it difficult for her to move. She worked as a bank teller for 36 years, until a health scare led her to take her doctor's advice and leave her job. Now Ms. Kleinhans is being evicted from her home in the Jefferson Park Neighborhood because her disability check is not enough to cover the costs of living in a neighborhood that's becoming more prosperous. "One of about 2,800 people with disabilities living in Jefferson Park according to U.S. Census data, Kleinhan got happier about the proposal the more she read about it, she said," Alex Nitkin reports for DNAInfo Chicago.

Not everyone is as excited about the proposal, which has faced protests from those who oppose low income housing in Jefferson Park. Ward meetings on the issue have been heated featuring "Chanting outside the building and opponents drowning out the program inside," Nitkin writes. When Sandy Kleinhan left a ward meeting she voiced frustration at not being able to get her story out over the shouting, asking police to escort her to her car. 

Wednesday, March 22, 2017 in DNAinfo Chicago

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Haussmann's redesign of Paris in the 1850s through 1870s under Napoleon III.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking

Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

June 30, 2025 - Tom Sanchez

Brutalist grey department of housing and urban development building in Washington DC.

How Trump's HUD Budget Proposal Would Harm Homelessness Response

Experts say the change to the HUD budget would make it more difficult to identify people who are homeless and connect them with services, and to prevent homelessness.

2 hours ago - Shelterforce Magazine

Lancaster Boulevard with tree-lined median and wide sidewalks in Lancaster, California.

The Vast Potential of the Right-of-Way

One writer argues that the space between two building faces is the most important element of the built environment.

2 hours ago - Streetsblog USA

Sign in front of building for seior services center in St. Petersburg, Fl.

Florida Seniors Face Rising Homelessness Risk

High housing costs are pushing more seniors, many of them on a fixed income, into homelessness.

4 hours ago - WESH

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Associate/Senior Planner

Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development

Senior Planner

Heyer Gruel & Associates PA