Discovering TRP’s Community Development Impact: One Property at a Time
TRP Affordable Housing (From left to right: 2 unit Town Home in Douglas Park, 3 unit Condominium and Casa Puebla, both in Pilsen )
To give staff a fresh perspective on our work, Asset Manager Eleazar Vazquez organized a comprehensive tour of our properties for all staff. During staff meetings on 3 separate days, we experienced first hand the quality of our work reflected in our brick and mortar projects.
Our Western Endeavors
The first leg of the tour on Wednesday April 23rd took us to the Lower West Side of Chicago, specifically the Little Village and Douglas Park area. Throughout its history it has been defined as the area located southwest of 18th Street and Western Avenue to northeast of 26th Street and Cicero Avenue. La Villita, as locals refers to it, is also home to the largest Mexican-American population in the Midwest. This neighborhood is also home to one of the most thriving commercial strips in the city, boasting one of the second highest business revenue margins after the North Michigan Avenue - Magnificent Mile commercial district. As TRP started to work in the Latino community, we discovered the need for affordable housing beyond Pilsen and by 1996 we began our work with the local Parish of Our Lady of Tepeyac to advocate for affordable housing.
3016 W. Cullerton Street is one of our Affordable Single Family Homes
The first stop in our TRP tour of homes included a visit to our new single family unit located at 3016 W. Cullerton Street, one of our for sale opportunities. For some of the staff members this was the first time they had a direct glimpse of our Resurrection Homes. There, Rick Cordova highlighted the amenities of our Resurrection Homes, offering plenty of details about the construction timeline and options first time homeowners could chose from for the interiors such as flooring and cabinet finishes.
We also visited a two-unit home located in the corner of 19th Street and Albany. This spacious two unit model prompted TRP staff, awed by the quality of our homes, to engage in a healthy round of questions about the details and requirements considered to purchase a home. Finally, we visited 2 of our rental properties in Little Village: Casa Tabasco and Casa Sor Juana.
Southbound and Beyond the Tracks
Notoriously well-known for the gruesome depictions of its harsh working environments, juvenile delinquency, poor health, poor housing, and social disorganization as described in books like The Jungle by Upton Sinclair, Back of the Yards was the home to the largest meatpacking industry in the US. During the late 19th century and throughout the first half of last century, most of the meat produced in the United States was processed in this neighborhood, which was annexed to the City of Chicago in 1889. Because of the deplorable living conditions this community faced, concerned citizens founded the Back of the Yards Neighborhood Council, the oldest, non-profit community organization in the U.S., to organize residents of diverse backgrounds under the motto “We the people will work out our own destiny”. This local industry met its final demise when increasing technological advancements decentralized the economic engine which employed its residents, leading to the economic depression the area is recovering from since 1971.
TRP’s efforts in Back of the Yards began with Holy Cross/Immaculate Heart of Mary Church’s membership in the organization. Through these collaborations, TRP was able to leverage funding for the creation of the Paulo Freire Family Resource Center, which opened its doors in 2001 and currently serves as a daycare facility as well as a provider of the Head Start program.
Casa Hidalgo proves that through community reinvestment TRP is able to offer not only Affordable Housing but economic revitalization as well.
Another TRP accomplishment in this neighborhood is Casa Hidalgo, one of our rental facilities. It was completed in 2002 with 10 apartments and 1 commercial space and currently leased by Instituto Del Progreso Latino and housing the Center for Working Families, where one of our TRP Financial Counselors is located. The staff was able to walk around the property and visit one of its units as well.
Under Resurrection Homes, there are 15 sites in the Back of the Yards neighborhood on which single-family and 2-unit homes will be constructed.
It’s Pilsen Time!
The last leg of our tour took us to more familiar surroundings as we toured Pilsen’s single family homes, future home sites and some of our brick and mortar accomplishments located all around the Pilsen Area. During this tour, Raul Raymundo, TRP’s CEO, and other long-time staff shared many of the struggles the community went through during the revival of the Pilsen community. The community perseverance was evident in those stories shared as we remembered the difficulties in the acquisition of empty lots, the blight of deteriorated properties and the criminal gang activity this area faced during the latter part of last century.
Our tour took us through the Pilsen Industrial Corridor which expands past the Chicago River, includes the Chicago Sun-Times facility along several food warehouses and distributors who employee around 12,000 local residents. Then we visited TRP development’s created under the New Homes for Chicago Program and located at 19th Street & Oakley. These 5 contiguous new homes (with one across the street) were built on
TRP homes in Pilsen
the site of a burnt out casino/nightclub that stood as a derelict building for many years. Before the current Resurrection Homes project, TRP had built and sold 140 single-family and 2-unit homes similar to these. Then we went into a multi-family housing unit that is about to finish construction soon, this condominium is located at 2124 W. 19th Street.
During this visit TRP’s Marketing Coordinator talked about the process for buying a Resurrection Home. For starters, TRP recommends taking our ABC’s of Home Ownership Workshop for first time homebuyers. Our HUD-Certified Financial Services counselors help families understand the different types of mortgages available, how to manage credit and avoid all related pitfalls such as sub-prime mortgage loans or predatory lenders. The course is conveniently offered in English and Spanish twice a month and prepares families with all they need to know before making one the most important investments of their life.
Casa Puebla's Amenities (From top left Puebla's Courtyard, apartment's living room, elevators, kitchen)
During our tour we saw and visited many of our rental properties, among them Casa San Luis Potosi, Casa Guerrero and Casa Puebla. Those properties were rescued from the blight that was taking over different pockets of the neighborhood during the latter part of the 1990s. As they all went through a gut rehab, they have been updated to possess all the amenities a modern home should have. And with such conveniently located near trains and transportation, these rentals are viable solution for those hard working families who seek to find an affordable rental home. Once at Casa Puebla, our final stop, TRP’s Property Manager showed us a model unit and explained the process for applying to become a TRP tenant.
As our mission is to create healthy communities, TRP encourages the community it proudly serves - homeowners, tenants and local parishioners – to explore and promote the unique housing opportunities we have to offer. It brings peace of mind to know that when you are working with TRP, you are also investing to improve your community. Its such relationships allowing to start on new ventures.