Advocates, residents demand action on vacant CHA properties during Las Posadas rally in Logan Square

More than 70 people marched through Logan Square on Saturday morning, demanding the Chicago Housing Authority follow through on promises to repair scattered site housing and keep low-income housing in the neighborhood.

The demonstration was part of a reenactment of Las Posadas, a 400-year-old Christian tradition of a days-long prayer that recreates the story of Mary and Joseph’s search for shelter before Jesus was born. The annual protests at Lathrop Homes started in 2013 but have extended over the years to other CHA properties like the one held Saturday in Logan Square.

Now in its 12th year, the Las Posadas gathering was led by members of the Logan Square Ecumenical Alliance and Palenque Liberating Spaces Through Neighborhood Action and highlighted the longstanding issue of vacant and deteriorating scattered site housing. Community members expressed frustration, viewing these neglected properties as a wasted resource and a point of contention, underscoring their belief that promises from the city and the CHA remain unfulfilled.

Attendees began the march at Grace Church of Logan Square and ended at a nearby scattered site at 2119 W. Spaulding Ave. Participants left signs for CHA at the house, asking the agency not to turn families away.

The name “scattered sites” dates from when the agency, for years accused of reinforcing racial segregation, was under legal pressure to expand holdings beyond Black neighborhoods.

Lindsey Joyce, pastor at Grace Church and a member of the Logan Square Ecumenical Alliance, said the alliance is urging the housing authority to reconsider its management of scattered site housing.

“Our ask for CHA is we don’t want them to sell the scattered site housing. We want it to be made warm, safe, dry and beautiful — houses people actually want to live in, and permanently for low-income families,” she said. “We don’t need less housing for low-income people in Chicago; we need more.”

She pointed to systemic neglect of affordable housing in areas like Logan Square, Avondale and Humboldt Park. “Housing, particularly in this area of the city, seems to never get any investment,” she said.

Of the 3,000 scattered site housing placements across Chicago, roughly 500 remain vacant, according to Joyce. “Specifically with scattered site housing, we’re seeing a disproportionate amount in this area being left unfilled,” she added.

Bruce Ray, pastor of Kimball Avenue United Church of Christ and a member of the Logan Square Ecumenical Alliance, noted that the Spaulding site has been empty and boarded up for years.

“We’ve heard from residents and community members that this is just unacceptable because not only is it housing that’s being wasted, but it also affects the rest of the community,” he said. “When there’s a boarded-up building like this, it can easily become a place where squatters show up, drug sales occur, and all sorts of activities detrimental to the community.”

Last November, CHA launched its Restore Home project to repair and in some cases gut 217 housing units in 77 buildings, including 36 small- to midsize apartment buildings, especially those with two to six flats.

The goal was to finish the work in 18 months, “an aggressive target,” the agency’s CEO, Tracey Scott, said at the time. Scott announced in October she was stepping down from the post. Current board chairperson Angela Hurlock will serve as interim boss as the agency conducts a search.

A spokesperson confirmed work at 2119 W. Spaulding Ave. would begin next year, but had no timeline for completion and didn’t say whether the agency was still on track to meet the 18-month deadline. Currently, 10 units and 13 homes are under construction and contracts were signed in September to renovate another 60 units by mid-2025.

“We are working through what can be a complicated construction process and pushing hard to achieve the timeline,” a spokesperson said in a statement to the Sun-Times on Friday.

Audrey Thomas, a housing advocate and an area resident of more than 30 years, said she has long been frustrated over the many vacant units in the area that remain in disrepair. "There are all these units sitting in this area, like 100 units, and people could be living in those," she said. "It seems like a really inefficient way of addressing housing."

Flor Mata, a 21-year-old Portage Park resident, attended Saturday’s event for the first time, motivated by her passion for affordable housing. Mata said she felt compelled to get involved after learning about housing issues during a summer internship with Palenque LSNA.

She emphasized the need for community awareness and action. "I definitely think it’s important for people to become more informed and learn about what they can do and what their actions can do to impact other people’s lives," she said. "These vacant houses could be used by people who really need them, especially during the winter and the holiday season."

Joyce emphasized the significance of the Holy Family’s story during Saturday’s call to action.

“The purpose of this is to commemorate the story of the Holy Family. For us, it’s Mary, Joseph and Jesus, who were turned away at all the inns. We remember that and remember how many other Holy Families we see on the streets right now,” Joyce said.