An Emergency Move

An Emergency Move
photo by David Schalliol
An Emergency Move
photo by David Schalliol

An Emergency Move

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Tenants in a South Side public housing development received relocation notices today. Critics say that is months earlier than they were supposed to move. Chicago Public Radio’s Natalie Moore has the story.

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There are 68 families who still live in the Ida B. Wells housing complex on King Drive.

CHA officials want them out in 30 days. They say low occupancy rates place the families at risk for crimes.

Tenant advocate Nicki Bazer is a lawyer with the Legal Assistance Foundation. Bazer sat in on the relocation meeting this morning.

BAZER: In this kind of situation it would have been much better if the CHA back in April or May made the decision to move residents giving them ample time to find places where they wanted to go, get their kids enrolled in school and really just plan this move in a better say.

Bazer says residents question the emergency nature of the move.

The CHA says it will provide leases at other public housing sites. Or residents can get vouchers to move to the private market.

The housing authority has a plan to build mixed-income communities on the Ida B. Wells site.

I’m Natalie Moore, Chicago Public Radio.