Activists Vow To Continue Lathrop Fight

By Odette Yousef
Residents, faith leaders and housing activists say they want to see a specific plan on how the city will replace 525 public housing units at Lathrop Homes.
Residents, faith leaders and housing activists say they want to see a specific plan on how the city will replace 525 public housing units at Lathrop Homes. Odette Yousef / WBEZ
Residents, faith leaders and housing activists say they want to see a specific plan on how the city will replace 525 public housing units at Lathrop Homes.
Residents, faith leaders and housing activists say they want to see a specific plan on how the city will replace 525 public housing units at Lathrop Homes. Odette Yousef / WBEZ

Activists Vow To Continue Lathrop Fight

By Odette Yousef
WBEZ brings you fact-based news and information. Sign up for our newsletters to stay up to date on the stories that matter.

Public housing activists vow they will again occupy Lathrop Homes on Chicago’s North Side if the city doesn’t share how it’ll replace endangered public housing units.

The Chicago Housing Authority says it’s committed to replacing 525 public housing units that will be lost when Lathrop becomes a mixed-income development, but it has not shared any details with the public. A coalition of Lathrop residents, faith leaders and community activists say they don’t believe the CHA’s promise.

Sunday, several activists protested by attempting to occupy a vacant unit at Lathrop.

“What we want is an opportunity,” said J.L. Gross, a Lathrop resident of 26 years. “It seems to be the city is getting out of the low-income business and they want to make some profit off this land.”

Police arrested several protesters Sunday night and made the others leave.

Odette Yousef is a WBEZ reporter. Follow her @oyousef and @WBEZoutloud.