Housing Justice
The Pilsen Alliance holds true that housing is a human right. Our housing campaigns integrate the efforts of organized tenants, homeowners and small businesses in our community fighting against the forces of gentrification, displacement and government corruption. We organize in solidarity for housing justice for all.
Our housing justice principles and platform:
Our community has fallen prey to predatory land speculation and gentrification which has displaced many long time residents and triggered a spike in poverty and we are bringing forth to bear all of the organizing tools needed to wage a sustainable campaign for housing justice in Pilsen and the Southwest Side, including but not limited to: political education, youth organizing, direct actions, conducting accountability sessions with local officials and strategic partnership building.
Our Housing Justice issues and demands:
*Right for all tenants to be treated with dignity and respect and to live in secure, accessible and affordable housing.
* The right for all tenants to organize and to advocate for their self-determination and self-defense against eviction and displacement from their community.
* The need for Just Cause to Evict which will prevent developers and landlords from evicting tenants at no fault of their own and impose penalties and sanctions against violators of Just Cause Ordinance.
*Our small homeowners should not be priced out by unfair high property taxes which forces rents to go high and pressures longtime residents to sell their house to developers.
*The need to lift the state-wide ban on rent control and allow local municipalities to regulate high rents that will prevent further displacement in our communities.
*Developing a community driven affordable housing plan to counter the effects of gentrification and will ensure an ample supply of affordable housing for residents in our community.
The Pilsen Alliance is part of the following housing justice coalitions: