Paving the Path to Homeownership for Housing Choice Voucher Holders
Since the mid-20th century, homeownership has been one of the most important vehicles for building wealth in the United States. According to research from the…
Grants
Featured
Our Grantmaking Strategy
For more than 100 years, The Chicago Community Trust has convened, supported, funded, and accelerated the work of community members and changemakers committed to strengthening the Chicago region. From building up our civic infrastructure to spearheading our response to the Great Recession, the Trust has brought our community together to face pressing challenges and seize our greatest opportunities. Today, that means confronting the racial and ethnic wealth gap.
Explore Our Discretionary Grants
Showing 5331–5338 of 4354 results
-
Grant Recipient
GREATER SOUTHWEST DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
Greater Southwest Development Corporation (GSDC) seeks a $100,000 grant to strengthen its core initiatives of real estate development, business support services, and housing solutions. These funds will be used to stabilize and grow small businesses, catalyze investment in key commercial corridors, and expand GSDC’s capacity to deliver high-quality community development services. By investing in GSDC’s general operations, the grant will ensure continued support for the economic health of southwest Chicago through job creation, commercial revitalization, and increased access to housing.
-
Grant Recipient
Puerto Rican Cultural Center
For over 50 years, the Puerto Rican Cultural Center (PRCC) has developed a model for sustainable community development rooted in a socio-ecological framework inspired by Puerto Rican culture and the indigenous practices of Maroon societies—communities of resistance. Through this model, PRCC has established over 20 parallel institutions to address systemic injustices impacting our community’s intersectional identities. These efforts include founding an alternative school to combat high dropout rates, creating the first Latino HIV/AIDS prevention organization, establishing a Trans Empowerment Center, and supporting the creation of the National Puerto Rican Museum and Urban Theater Company to heal from colonialism through art. PRCC is focused on revitalizing neighborhoods in Chicago, particularly Humboldt Park, which has faced severe generational disinvestment, leading to significant job losses, high unemployment rates, and plummeting property values. While citywide efforts aim to address these challenges, they often overlook the unique needs of local communities. PRCC’s proposal for the Chicago Trust’s "Community Wealth - Neighborhood Development Champions" centers on empowering local stakeholders and ensuring development directly benefits residents. With our longstanding history of successful community engagement, PRCC is well-positioned to lead initiatives that promote equitable growth and build lasting wealth for our community.
-
Grant Recipient
The Chicago Community Foundation/Illinois Immigration Funders Collaborative
-
Grant Recipient
South Shore Chamber Community Development Corporation
The South Shore Community Development Corporation (SSCDC) is lead agency for the economic development of the South Shore community. A once vibrant community with a rich history of Black wealth has experienced over the years a decline in locally owned properties and businesses, an increase in crime and a decline in the overall quality of life. Leveraging both local and national resources, the SSCDC is prioritizing the revitalization of the commercial corridors with the goal of restoring this once vibrant community. Our current priorities and programs to advance our goals include: Priority #1: Lead the commercial revitalization strategy with an initial focus on our main corridor along 71st Street. Current programs include the creation of a Community Investment Vehicle that will allow residents to collectively own and control the properties along the corridor. Additionally, the SSCDC serves as the development coordinator supporting community developers and entrepreneurs with the resources to advance their projects. The SSCDC has active relationships with the local Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), philanthropy, community banks, small business advocacy groups, local officials and real estate subject matter experts. These partnerships help to provide the appropriate resources for the community. Priority #2: Undertake direct development to reactivate vacant/blighted properties and to provide spaces for small businesses. The CDC currently owns a five-storefront commercial property on 71st and has another property under contract. Both will house start-up businesses but also serve as the design standard for future projects. The CDC is targeting two additional properties over the next twelve months to expand its current efforts. Priority 3: Aggregate capital and fundraise to fill development gaps. The CDC is actively fundraising and coordinating capital to support local development including assisting small businesses with meeting equity requirements for local and federal grants and to secure loans. A grant assistance program is in a pilot mode. We hope to scale the program. Priority 4: Our Corridor Live revitalization strategy in coordination with Community Desk Chicago is currently underway. This program aims to create healthy corridors that foster high quality of life for residents and create economic opportunities through small business and property ownership. The plan is a two-pronged approach that focuses on Corridor Stabilization and Wealth-Building Strategies. Key elements of this plan include: 1. development and activation strategy of community assets 2. coordinated capital raise to secure/stabilitze projects 3. coordinate an advisory team of industry experts to help implement plan Our Corridor Activation Strategy for 71st Street requires a total investment of $30.5 million. This investment would allows us to - Acquire 4 properties on 71st Street - Activate 15 commercial spaces - Renovate 58 housing units
-
Grant Recipient
NORTHWEST SIDE CDC
Increasing household wealth and providing equitable entrepreneurial resources through small business development programming. Increasing neighborhood investment and improving residential quality of life through Community and Economic Development projects. Refreshing organizational structure to build capacity and provide services to more program participants more effectively.
-
Grant Recipient
Greater Auburn Gresham Development Corporation
The Greater Auburn Gresham Development Corporation (GAGDC) is seeking support for the Auburn Gresham Health & Wellness Campus Expansion project and related programmatic activities. This initiative aims to enhance community health outcomes, create workforce development opportunities, and contribute to Auburn Gresham's economic revitalization. The support will fund key project activities such as community engagement, architectural planning, and project management, ensuring that the expansion meets the evolving needs of the neighborhood. By investing in this project, we will provide vital health and wellness services while empowering residents and driving long-term economic mobility in the community.
-
Grant Recipient
Little Village Chamber of Commerce
The Little Village - 26th Street Area Chamber of Commerce DBA: the Little Village Chamber of Commerce (“LVCC”) is pleased to offer this proposal to the Chicago Community Trust Neighborhood Development Champions funding opportunity. LVCC is focused on and committed to continuing to drive the effort to foster economic opportunities that will lead Latinos in Little Village and surrounding communities to build and achieve lasting generational wealth. LVCC’s proposed work is designed to unleash the entrepreneurial spirit and drive that has long defined the community in a focused, targeted approach. The Little Village Chamber of Commerce affirms that sustainable business growth and success is the most immediate, accessible pathway and opportunity for the residents of Little Village and nearby communities to truly build generational wealth. LVCC’s focus and targeted approach described in this proposal is consistent with the broader vision that the Little Village community has articulated in its most recent Quality of Life Plan (QLP.) The vision for economic development in the Little Village QLP is defined as “a thriving economic ecosystem grounded in principles of community wealth building, entrepreneurship, collaboration, and intergenerational knowledge. We envision an equitable and prosperous neighborhood with an inclusive and sustainable economy that fosters innovation, education, use of technology, and preserves cultural values. The plan includes clear, tangible goals to “Support Local Businesses, Entrepreneurs, and Emerging Entrepreneurs…” and “Increase Access to Capital and Opportunities.” The Little Village Quality of Life Plan is available here: https://issuu.com/littlevillageqlp/docs/qlp_full_document_issuu?fr=xKAE9_zU1NQ LVCC stands ready to serve as a Neighborhood Development Champion for Little Village and surrounding communities. LVCC’s confidence is grounded in its decades-long work engaging and earning the trust of the local small business owner community; launching sustainable initiatives that continue to draw visitors (and customers) to the Little Village commercial area; building community support for, deploying and managing effective mechanisms (Special Service Area #25 ) to ensure the cleanliness and ongoing beautification of 26th Street and, delivering direct, effective business technical assistance and support services to small business owners and entrepreneurs. LVCC’s closeness to the small business community defines it as the on-the-ground steward of a needed, vital element of a comprehensive community development strategy. LVCC draws strength from and is inspired by the community of small business owners and entrepreneurs that it represents and it serves. The very same community of individuals who are and will continue to be at the core of the effort to build generational wealth.
-
Grant Recipient
FAR SOUTH CDC
The purpose of this application is to apply for general operating support to sustain the day-to-day operations and staffing of the Far South Community Development Corporation (Far South CDC). Far South CDC’s mission is to alleviate low-income communities on Chicago's far south side of poverty, blight, and economic distress through effective economic and community development. The organization achieves this through three main pillars: business services, community and housing services, and development & planning. To continue providing critical and vital services to the region, Far South CDC needs continued support in capacity and programmatic funds to further its mission. Far South CDC believes providing access to equitable housing options and support is key to building individual and community wealth on the far southside. Serving a community that is over 90% African- American, Far South CDC is a U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) Certified Housing Counseling Agency, which provides individuals seeking financing, maintaining, renting, or owning a home. The program also addresses homelessness through counseling and assists homeowners in need of foreclosure assistance. Through FSCDC's program mission ARMS (Attain, Retain, Maintain, and Sustain), the program has successfully assisted over 10,000+ residents in Chicago's far south side and south suburban Cook County. The services of our housing department include: (1) Pre-Purchase Assistance: Provides individuals an 8-hour Pre-Purchase Homebuyer Education course and assists in the home buying process; (2) Foreclosure Prevention: Assists existing homeowners through the foreclosure process and provides prevention assistance; (3) Rental & Homelessness: Provides individuals seeking rental assistance and keeping individuals from homelessness; and (4) Financial Education: Provides individuals with financial education, including family budgeting, investment strategies, and credit repair.