Changing Chicagoland – CCLF Focuses on the future our region at our Annual Stakeholders Meeting
On June 6th, CCLF welcomed over 75 funders, investors, and community partners to its Annual Stakeholders Meeting held at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. This year’s meeting reviewed CCLF’s portfolio performance in 2016 and first quarter of 2017; informed partners about the future of CCLF and our strategic plan; highlighted our borrower, XS Tennis […]
Husband and Wife Team Builds Community Gems
Jason and Esther Williams have been rehabbing properties since 2006. While he initially started working on properties part-time, in 2009 Jason started rehabbing full time and formed Ultimate Real Estate group shortly thereafter. The goal of Ultimate Real Estate is to pursue the acquisition, development and rehab of small residential properties. Jason is also a […]
Housing Cooperative Combats Gentrification in Wicker Park
Wicker Park is known for its nightlife, food scene, boutique clothing stores, beer gardens and limited available affordable housing. Zillow currently list a 2 bedroom apartment in Wicker Park for $2,985 a month. Among the droves of hipsters and incoming crowds sits Woolman-Washington Cooperative Apartments where rent is based on your family income and residents […]
Dill Pickle Food Cooperative Breaks Ground on its Expansion
On April 17th, Dill Pickle Food Co-Op members and community members celebrated the groundbreaking of their new location. Off the blue line in Logan Square, the new location will expand Dill Pickle’s retail space from 1,100 square feet to 6,500 square feet. The long awaited location will be able to offer a greater array of […]
Bank of America: Investing in new food, new businesses and a new way of life
MacArthur Foundation: Uncle Remus Finds its Secret Sauce on the South Side
At the busy intersection of 47th Street and Cottage Grove Avenue sits the newest location of Uncle Remus Saucy Fried Chicken, a restaurant that serves up crispy fried chicken with a special secret sauce that its owner is betting will help create a new chicken empire in the Chicago area. Uncle Remus is a West Side institution. The new […]
Breaking Ground Building Homes and Transforming North Lawndale
In 1987, a man named Mark Ennis commuted through North Lawndale every day witnessing the devastating effects the abandoned properties was having on neighborhood youth and families. In an effort to help the neighborhood, he decided to buy a six-flat to create better housing for residents at affordable rates and using local youth as workers. […]
CCLF’s New Market Tax Credits Advance Affordable Housing, Health Services and Youth Development
In the summer of 2015, the Chicago Community Loan Fund received its first New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) Allocation from the Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) Fund. CCLF was awarded a $15 million allocation which it deployed in three diverse, transformative and exciting projects in three different Chicago neighborhoods. CCLF provided $5 million of NMTC […]
CCLF Customer Creates Affordable Housing in Chatham
Don Duszynski and Sean Connolly are founders of Strata Investments, a real estate development company that rehabilitates vacant properties and creates affordable housing for families in Chicago Housing Authority’s Housing Choice Voucher Program. The company also offers properties to first time homeowners and renters. Their mission is to provide excellent affordable housing options in thriving, […]
