The Chicago Community Trust

Chicago Youth Centers, a Trust grant recipient with 21 centers on the city's South and West sides, has been changing lives in communities for 70 years.

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Chicago organization makes a difference for youth in underserved communities An incredible group is Making a Difference in Chicago's underserved communities. Matt Rodrigues shows how C*C has been changing lives for 70 years.

For Marc, financial health means stability, peace of mind, and the freedom that comes with owning a home. After working two jobs and navigating barriers to homeownership, he stayed focused on his goal—saving, planning, and doing the research to make it happen. Today, as a first-time homeowner, he’s not just creating stability for himself, but investing in generational wealth for the future.

Financial health is about whether people can meet every day needs, manage debt, handle unexpected challenges, and plan for the future. The Financial Health Pulse® 2025 Chicago Trends Report takes a closer look at how residents across Cook County are spending, saving, borrowing, and planning, revealing both progress and persistent disparities across communities. This research shows that financial health shapes the choices people have in their daily lives—from housing to education to long-term stability. These stories bring that data to life.

https://www.cct.org/research-and-reports/financial-health-pulse-2025-chicago-trends-report/

ICYMI: Big news for Illinois homeowners this weekend. The Illinois House and Senate passed House Bill 4537—a critical step toward bringing our state into compliance with the 2023 Tyler v. Hennepin U.S. Supreme Court ruling. The legislation establishes a public auction system and phases out the current tax deed and indemnity fund process, directly addressing the requirements set by that landmark case. But this is a step, not a finish line. More reforms are needed to truly protect homeowners from tax foreclosure and from losing what is often a family's most significant asset.

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Illinois lawmakers pass bill to help homeowners catch up with property taxes before losing their homes The legislation creates a payment plan option, expands the redemption period, and creates a surplus equity fund for homeowners at risk of losing their homes

Last week, staff at The Chicago Community Trust took a wonderful tour of the Pullman and Roseland neighborhoods in Chicago, led by Abraham Lacy and Katanya Raby from Far South CDC.

The tour began by passing new Habitat for Humanity Chicago townhomes, where crews were actively working on the property. After that, a stop by a former Jewel Osco & Halsted Mall that will soon turn into a vibrant mixed-use housing and retail development.

Staff then walked along POP! Heights Park—the first new park in Halsted in over 50 years—viewing the location for “The Rise,” which will be a mixed-use, multi-family transit-oriented development. Additional stops along the way also included the Pullman National Monument and National Historic Park, a new CTA Red line extension, and 1Fifteen Michigan—a mixed-use affordable housing and commercial development.

Lastly, staff visited the Hope Center Foundation’s modular homes to tour the interiors. The Hope Center and community partners developed 10 new homes, with broader plans to build 1,000 more on the South and West sides of Chicago.

Special thank you to our hosts and guests for guiding and joining us along the way!

• Florence Hardy (Far South CDC)
• Lesley Roth (LJC Design + Engineering)
• Mindy Reuden (Habitat for Humanity Chicago)
• David Doig (Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives)
• Shenita Muse (Hope Center Foundation of Chicago)

"Through UnBlocked Englewood, residents have received new roofs, back porches, furnaces, plumbing, and updated electrical. And the block itself has been transformed through murals, sculptures, and other public art installations. Johnson said she had to work to earn the trust of each resident she helped."

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Inside UnBlocked Englewood: Tonika Lewis Johnson’s vision for healing one South Side block • The TRiiBE The MacArthur Fellow is acquiring vacant lots and restoring homes on the 6500 block of S. Aberdeen Street in her effort to build a template for what reparations can look like for Black Chicagoans.

This morning, The Chicago Community Trust had the privilege of gathering members of our 1915 Society for a celebratory breakfast with the remarkable Geoffrey Baer—WTTW host, producer, and renowned storyteller of Chicago's architecture and history.

Baer led a captivating conversation tracing Chicago's architectural evolution from the Great Fire to today's skyline, noting how Chicago became "the first city of skyscrapers in the world” as well as the spirit of innovation and reinvention that has defined this city and its people ever since. Beyond the bricks and steel, it was a reminder that one of Chicago's greatest strengths has always been its willingness to build boldly and begin again.

That commitment to bold vision and building a stronger future is carried forward by Chicago's philanthropic community. Our 1915 Society honors our donors who have chosen to make the Trust and the Chicago region part of their lasting legacy.

1915 Society and Trust Executive Committee Member Anne Ladky captured it well: “As a longtime advocate, I was drawn to the ambition and this organization's willingness to strive for bigger impact. I have seen firsthand the strengths and authentic partnerships that make this organization a vital leader in our region. I have great confidence that the Trust will continue to meet the region’s greatest needs when the time comes.”

And as Chief Philanthropy Officer Sheila Cawley reminded us: "It's your generosity and your passion that make the legacy of the Trust what it is today.”

To every member of the 1915 Society, we thank you. Learn more about legacy giving at www.cct.org/philanthropy.

[Photo Credit: Jamel Williams/THREE20 Media]

In this episode of Trust Talks, we examine why improving the community college-to-four-year transfer process is a critical but often overlooked issue, what the research shows about challenges transfer students face, and how wraparound supports such as advising, financial assistance, and basic needs assistance can help keep students enrolled through graduation.

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Trust Talks, The Podcast – Episode 25: Transforming College Transfer Pathways in Illinois - The Chicago Community Trust In Illinois, nearly 80 percent of community college students say they plan to transfer and earn a bachelor’s degree, yet only about 35 percent actually…

According to a report from Elevated Chicago, a policy plan adopted by the city of Chicago five years ago has had some success in catalyzing more development near CTA stops in underinvested neighborhoods, but there’s still room for improvement.

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South, West sides gain more CTA-area development — but gaps persist An Elevated Chicago report shows a policy plan adopted by the city in 2021 helped spread development near CTA stops more broadly throughout Chicago.

ICYMI: As Chicago approaches the fifth anniversary of its landmark Equitable Transit-Oriented Development (ETOD) Policy Plan, this new report examines the city’s progress advancing equitable transit-oriented development over the past five years — and the work still ahead.

Developed by The City of Chicago in partnership with Elevated Chicago and more than 70 community, civic, and government partners, the ETOD Policy Plan established 42 recommendations focused on expanding affordable housing, preventing displacement, directing investment to historically underinvested communities, and creating more walkable, transit-connected neighborhoods.

View the full report: https://elevatedchicago.org/the-state-of-etod-in-chicago-2026/