The Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago says it’s investing in affordable housing for some heavily Latino parts of the city. The announcement follows criticism that the church skimps on charity in those neighborhoods. We report from our West Side bureau.

The archdiocese says it’s setting up a $2.8 million loan fund for affordable housing in Chicago.

Cardinal Francis George says the first $500,000 will go to the Resurrection Project, a nonprofit group that works in Pilsen, Little Village and Back of the Yards.

GEORGE: There is, as you know also, dramatic necessity in our city neighborhoods for this kind of development.

In August, WBEZ revealed some internal records of the archdiocese human-services arm, Catholic Charities. Those records, and interviews with several priests and community leaders, suggest the services aren’t reaching many of the city’s Latinos.

Catholic Charities disputed the report.

Today the archdiocese says it’s funding the Resurrection Project not because of the group’s Latino focus but because of its credibility and its close relationship with the church.