West and near South Side residents celebrate HUD grant victory at historic press conference
On Sunday, December 21st, community members, advocates, and political leaders gathered at Bethel Mennonite Community Church to celebrate what many are calling a triumph of grassroots perseverance over political and economic power.
The announcement of a $2 million HUD grant to build new, family-sized affordable housing on Chicago’s West and near South Sides marks the culmination of a 25-year struggle that pitted community needs against the interests of the wealthy and politically connected.
The press conference, held at the church located at 1434 S. Laflin Street, brought together Congressman Danny K. Davis, Pastor Tony Bianchi, Dr. Inkululeko Dennis Garrett, Clarence Beal, Mary Rush, Dr. Zenobia Sowell and local community members to mark a victory that seemed impossible just years ago. For those who have fought this battle from the beginning, the announcement represents vindication of their belief that communities have the right to determine their own futures.
Dr. Garrett, a physician and executive director of CHAMPS (Creating Health and Medical Pathways for Scholars), described the event as informative to the public. Still, his words carried the weight of someone who had witnessed decades of struggle.
The achievement, he explained to 3:16 Magazine, was the result of 25 years of community organizing, advocacy, and protest against forces that sought to prioritize profit over people.
“The fight wasn’t always dignified or polite. It included protests against a previous administration that had denied the affordable housing project in favor of giving the land to a billionaire for a soccer field. The community refused to accept that their need for stable housing was less important than recreational space for the wealthy,” Dr Garrett said.
Congressman Davis framed the victory in terms that went beyond bricks and mortar, connecting stable housing directly to community health and economic prosperity.
“You can’t have wealth without any help, and your health is better if you don’t have to worry about housing,” Congressman Davis stated. “So housing is key to one’s health.”
Bethel Mennonite Community Church, under the leadership of Pastor Bianchi, has been more than just the venue for Sunday’s announcement. The church has been a consistent voice and organizing center for housing justice on the West Side, particularly in the fight for affordable housing on land adjacent to the church that was formerly part of the ABLA Homes project.
The church is known for its multicultural community and commitment to social justice, with housing advocacy at the forefront of its mission. For Pastor Bianchi and the congregation, the fight for affordable housing isn’t separate from their spiritual mission—it’s an expression of it.
The church’s location near the former ABLA Homes site has given it a front-row seat to the displacement and gentrification that have transformed much of Chicago’s West Side over the past two decades.
The $2 million HUD grant announced on Sunday represents the community’s success in transforming resistance into construction. The funds will be used to build new, family-sized affordable housing units on the West and near South Sides—housing that will serve the community’s actual needs rather than the development dreams of outside interests.
