We received a crowd of over 100 tenants, neighbors, and local housing advocates who braved the heat to rally outside the Leland for affordable housing!
How did we get here?
Since spring of 2023 the Leland Hotel at 1201-1213 W. Leland has been in a state of uncertainty. The building is one of the few single room occupancy buildings (SRO’s) left in Uptown, and is essential as an option for our most vulnerable neighbors who cannot access market rate housing. The area has already seen a loss of over 750 units of this deeply affordable model in the last ten years and can not afford to lose one more unit.
When Heartland Housing lost control of its 14 affordable housing properties, the Leland was one of the buildings that was put into receivership. Under receivership, the tenants continue to pay rent and the receiver is in charge of paying bills like insurance and utilities. The building is now in the process of foreclosure and tenants are feeling more anxious than ever.
We banded together to protect our neighbors.
At ONE Northside, we fought to protect this essential housing. Last Monday, July 15th, over 100 people came out to show their support for keeping the Leland affordable at a rally and press conference to “Raise the Alarm” for affordable housing.
As we danced to “Uptown Funk” and held signs reading “Honk for Affordable Housing,” we advocated for the Leland Hotel and the San Miguel Apartments, another crucial SRO. We are actively calling on the City and State to use every tool in their toolbox to make it possible for an affordable housing developer to secure the financing necessary to buy these buildings, keep them deeply affordable, and ensure their current tenants can stay in their homes!
Our rally speakers bravely came forward to emphasize what is at stake in this fight. “I ended up disabled after a stroke in 2018, which I was lucky to survive,” said Jeff Martin, a tenant of the Leland Building. “This building is my home. I’m friendly with my neighbors, and have built a life in this neighborhood. Affordable units are in short supply. I already pay over half my income for rent here– I can’t afford to lose my home.”
We were fortunate to have Representative Hoan Huynh of the 13th District attend, and he spoke about how personal the issue is to him. “When [my family] first came over here as refugees from the Vietnam War, we were put in a one-bedroom apartment that was subsidized,” he said. “I grew up in affordable housing, I understand how important it is. I’m committed to making sure this building is preserved, and also that we keep expanding affordable housing as well.”
Our partner, Voice of the People, a nonprofit housing and collaborative services provider based in Uptown, is working to buy the San Miguel Apartments with their partner the National Housing Partnership Foundation. Together we are pushing for assistance from the city and state. Our proposals include: investment from the city’s new bond initiative, TIF dollars, tax credits, rent subsidies, or funding through the Department of Housing and Illinois Housing Development Authority.
We know how vibrant this neighborhood is, and we also know that rents are going up. The City and State have indicated they will support an affordable developer who wants to purchase these buildings, and we will hold them accountable to that commitment. A huge thank you to everyone who came out to the rally, and shoutouts to everyone who put themselves out there to share their story. The fight is not over, and we will continue to show up, build power, and make our voices heard!