Pilsen’s struggle against gentrification is nothing new. Developers have been coming into working-class immigrant communities, placing fancy condos, and in the process displacing lifelong community members. Fears of rising rents and taxes, and evictions are more and more becoming a reality to Pilsen residents. Now that Danny Solis, Pilsen’s former alderman, is out of office, the corrupt Land Use Committee he founded is gone too and activists are beginning to fight for the rent control this committee turned a blind eye on. 

There is currently a statewide ban on rent control and the current Chicago Affordable Rights Ordinance (ARO) currently states that for every development with 10 or more units, 10% of them have to be affordable. This ordinance does not sit well with activists because it has failed to resist gentrification and low-income people of color continue to fall victim to developments aimed for richer white individuals. Students from Whitney M. Young Magnet High School were educated on the ARO and then asked if they believe 10% affordability is enough. Lu Diosdado ‘22 explains, “No, 10% affordability is not enough. Especially in low-income communities where people struggle to put food on the table or have access to basic resources. 1 out of 10 or 10 out of 100, whatever the case may be, isn’t enough space.” Whitney Young student and life-long Pilsen resident Anani Diaz ‘21 exclaims, “No, not at all!” Angela Xu ‘23 states, “No, it still puts economically disadvantaged people as a minority which will have many of the same effects as gentrification would without this law.” Overall, there seems to be a consensus in student opinion. 10% is simply not enough. 

This is why social justice organization, Pilsen Alliance, partnered up Chicago Lawyers for Civil Rights and hosted a Pilsen Community Teach-In on the ARO on Thursday, September 19th. They strive to educate community members on this ordinance, how to improve it and how to resist gentrification. Community members were also educated on how the ARO decides if something is affordable, another one of the ordinance’s flaws. When Caleb Dunson ‘20 was asked if he believed 10% affordability was enough he said no and continued to explain how, “the word affordability is subjective, and even if housing is made “affordable,” there is no guarantee that life long residents will get priority bids for those units.” At the Teach-In, a panel of Pilsen Alliance members, people who are familiar with policies, and aldermen Byron Sigcho-Lopez were able to speak and answer questions plus establish a call to action for the resistance of gentrification.