Hispanic Housing Development Corporation (Chicago)

By Glory Turnbull

Forging a Place for Chicago’s Latinos explores the role of the Hispanic Housing Development Corp. (HHDC) in grappling with Chicago’s deeply racist and highly segregated past. HHDC’s services tackle diverse issues like Latino homeownership, homelessness in veterans and the elderly, climate change, and Latino employment. When HHDC was founded in 1975, a mere 1% of Chicago’s development was taking place in Latino neighborhoods. 45 years later, HHDC has created more than 4,400 affordable homes for Latinos and 80,000 sq. ft. of retail space despite the insidiously destructive effects of gentrification in Latino neighborhoods. Gentrification may look like renewal and refurbishment to outsiders, but unlike outside developers, HHDC is committed to maintaining the integrity of the neighborhoods it rebuilds at a price that will never force Latinos out of their homes.

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