On Monday, March 22, the Evanston City Council approved the first-ever allocation of the City’s groundbreaking Local Reparations Fund, voting 8-1 to provide $400,000 in housing assistance and mortgage relief to eligible residents through the City’s Local Reparations Restorative Housing Program.

In authorizing the program, the City Council both acknowledged and took the first steps towards repairing historic harm to the Black and African American community caused by past racial discriminatory housing policies and practices in Evanston, and inaction by the City.

The Restorative Housing Program accounts for $400,000 – or 4 percent – of the $10 million in funding designated by the City Council to support local reparations programs and initiatives in Evanston. By providing eligible participants with up to $25,000 for mortgage assistance, down payment assistance, and funding for home improvements, the program aims to help preserve, stabilize, and increase homeownership and build intergenerational wealth among Black and African American residents of Evanston.

In order to be eligible for the program, individuals must have lived in Evanston between 1919 and 1969 or be a direct descendant of an individual harmed by discriminatory housing policies or practices during this time period. Individuals who have lived in Evanston after 1969 and can demonstrate discriminatory housing practices by the City may also be eligible.

“This historic vote is the culmination of nearly two years of community input, conversation, and hard work, but it follows decades of harmful policies and practices that impact Black Evanston families to this day,” 5th Ward Ald. Robin Rue Simmons said. “While we acknowledge we have a long way to go to repair all of the damages done by racism, we also know this program will make a real and lasting difference in the lives of some of those harmed by past injustices, and will set the stage for additional reparative measures in the future.”

“Thank you to Alderwoman Robin Rue Simmons, Alderman Peter Braithwaite, and Alderwoman Ann Rainey for their courageous leadership, as well as the hundreds of community members and stakeholders who provided their input throughout this public process,” Mayor Stephen Hagerty said. “This is only a first step, but it is an important one in repairing the historic harm done to our Black and African American community by racial discriminatory practices and ensuring that all Evanston families have the opportunity to build wealth and success across future generations.”

"This is a historic milestone not only for Black Evanston residents, but for all Black people in our nation who have been impacted by racism and discrimination," 2nd Ward Alderman Peter Braithwaite said. "We still have much work to do to remedy the disparities that exist in our city, but last night's vote showed that change and progress are possible."

"I'm proud of our community for taking this bold and courageous action to begin the process of remedying racial disparities that have harmed our Black community for decades," 8th Ward Alderwoman Ann Rainey said. "We can only move forward as a city and as a nation when we acknowledge past harms and take concrete steps to eliminate longstanding barriers to housing, education, employment and other opportunities."

The City anticipates that applications for the Restorative Housing Program will open during the summer of 2021. Draft program guidelines and FAQs are available at cityofevanston.org/reparations. 

Evanston Local Reparations is supported by the National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America (N’COBRA) and the National African-American Reparations Commission (NAARC). Housing was identified as a top priority area for local reparations based on community feedback provided to the City’s Equity & Empowerment Commission in 2019. 

In November 2019, the Evanston City Council adopted resolution establishing the City of Evanston Reparations Fund and the Reparations Subcommittee. The City Council stated that the first $10 million dollars of the City’s Municipal Cannabis Retailers’ Occupation Tax (3 percent on gross sales of cannabis) will fund local reparations for housing and economic development programs for Black Evanston residents.

Get Involved

Evanston community members interested in helping to guide the City’s Local Reparations Plan are invited to apply for the City’s Reparations Committee, which will serve in an advisory capacity to the Evanston City Council. 

The Reparations Committee will be responsible for evaluating applications, recommending funding allocations for future housing and economic development initiatives, developing programs that address historical discrimination in the past by the City, and monitoring the progress of program impact in each ward to which funding is allocated. Applications are due by March 31, and the Committee will be seated in May 2021.

For more information, please visit cityofevanston.org/reparations or call/text 847-448-4311. For convenience, residents may simply dial 311 in Evanston.