PILSEN — As battles over gentrification in Pilsen continue, one local group has drafted a new housing plan in an effort to stop displacement in the neighborhood.
The Pilsen Alliance will present its new housing plan at a 6 p.m. meeting Thursday at the Rudy Lozano Library, 1805 S. Loomis St. The plan aims to preserve affordable housing in the neighborhood to curb displacement of low-income families currently living in the area.
"We know that many families are leaving or have left the neighborhood at a fast pace," said Nelson Soza, the group's executive director. "We need to address this situation as we discuss open spaces and other initiatives."
Soza said the city and Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning are offering effective solutions to keep longtime residents in the neighborhood "other than organizing a fair to offer more information about [Chicago Housing Authority] vouchers."
"Pilsen has been a historic immigrant and working class community, and many residents have been instrumental in the struggle for cleaner air, better schools and access to transportation," he said. "Residents should also have a voice in the matters that affect us."
Euan Hague, a professor of sustainable urban development, plans to present his findings on Pilsen at the meeting.
In October, Bow Truss Coffee Roasters was once again hit with anti-gentrification messages, this time reading: "White people out of Pilsen!"
At the time, Soza said that while the stickers were misguided, but the frustration behind them was warranted.
"While the racial character of the message directed at the gourmet coffee shop on 18th Street must be rejected, the sense of frustration must be noted before divisions deepen," Soza said.
While the coffee shop is part of the latest wave to spark attention, the gentrification debate in Pilsen has been brewing for decades.
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