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Chicago neighborhood sees new homes rise on long-vacant lots
A Far South Side block is growing again, with more homes on the way.
CHICAGO - A ribbon cutting on Friday marked new home construction on East 118th Street in Roseland, where nonprofit groups and public agencies are building housing on land that sat vacant for years.
The Hope Center Foundation, Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives, and the Cook County Land Bank Authority lead the effort.
The project links new housing to the Red Line extension and aims to expand homeownership on the Far South Side after decades of disinvestment.
What is being built
One block on East 118th Street will include 11 homes. A nearby block on South Indiana Avenue will include seven.
Organizers report 21 homes completed in Roseland so far. Plans call for 20 more homes in fall 2026 and 50 more in 2027. That would bring the total to 91 homes in three years.
The work is part of the Reclaiming Chicago initiative, which targets 2,000 homes across the South and West sides.
From vacant land to housing
The Cook County Land Bank Authority says it acquired more than 40 parcels for the project, with another 15 lots assembled with Salem Baptist Church. About 50 vacant lots sit within a six-block area tied to the effort.
Jessica Caffrey leads the land bank.
"Now 10-fold the homes that you see today," Caffrey said. "These 44 opportunities could have stayed undeveloped. Instead, they’re becoming front porches, living rooms, backyards."
David Doig leads Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives.
"We have seen such a transformation of this particular block," Doig said. "You’ll see that existing homeowners are now fixing up their properties… we’re seeing vacant buildings that are being rehabbed."
Transit and timing
Leaders tie the housing push to the Red Line extension, which broke ground last week after decades of planning.
"We did the Red Line last week," U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Chicago) said. "It’s hard to have pursuit of happiness if there’s no train to get on… and no one can be happy if they don’t have a roof over their head."
Developers say homes near the future station list between $250,000 and $260,000.
Who this affects
Keshawna is a new homeowner in the project.
"Today isn’t just about cutting a ribbon," she said. "It marks the start of a future, the beginning of a community, and the promise that Roseland’s best days are yet to come."
Leaders say buyers receive about $50,000 in purchase assistance. Homes are priced under $400,000.
Addressing a wider gap
Hope Center Foundation Executive Director Shanita Muse points to city data on poverty and wealth.
She said about 17% of Chicago residents live in poverty. She said the rate for Black residents is near 28%, compared with under 10% for white residents.
Muse cited research showing the median net worth for Black families in Chicago is $0, compared with about $210,000 for white families.
"What happens to a dream deferred?" Muse said. "Today, we stand in the fulfillment of that question, not a dream deferred, but a dream realized."
What happens next
Developers plan more construction in Roseland over the next two years as part of the broader citywide housing effort.