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Affordable Housing
LIHTC Projects
Median Income
Racial Distributions
Population
Chicago Lawn, a neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois, exhibits a distinct affordable housing landscape influenced by the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program. The neighborhood contains 92 LIHTC-funded affordable housing units, all of which are designated as low-income units. Based on the 2022 population of 15,619 and an estimated 5,984 housing units, LIHTC-funded affordable housing comprises approximately 1.54% of the neighborhood's estimated housing inventory.
The LIHTC program has invested $439,577 in tax credits for affordable housing projects in Chicago Lawn. This equates to an average federal funding of approximately $4,778 per unit. The neighborhood has experienced LIHTC-funded affordable housing development over a decade, with the initial project, Churchview Manor, completed in 1992, and the most recent, Churchview Supportive Living, in 2003.
The 2000s witnessed the most substantial LIHTC-funded affordable housing development in Chicago Lawn, with Churchview Supportive Living being a notable project from this period. This development alone contributed 86 units to the neighborhood's affordable housing inventory. Chicago Lawn's LIHTC-funded affordable housing stock primarily consists of efficiency units, with 76 efficiencies and 1 one-bedroom unit. This unit mix indicates a focus on housing for single individuals or small households.
Over the past decade, Chicago Lawn has undergone demographic shifts that may correlate with its LIHTC-funded affordable housing landscape. The neighborhood's population has decreased from 19,124 in 2015 to 15,619 in 2022, a decline of about 18%. Despite this population decrease, the median income has increased from $33,289 in 2015 to $37,912 in 2022, representing a 13.9% increase.
Racial demographics have also changed, with the Hispanic population increasing from 70% in 2015 to 80% in 2022, while the Black population decreased from 25% to 18% during the same period. The White population has remained relatively stable at around 2-3%.
These demographic changes, particularly the increase in median income and shift in racial composition, may have influenced the need for and development of affordable housing in the neighborhood. The absence of new LIHTC projects in recent years could be related to these demographic trends, though it is important to note that other affordable housing programs may be active in the area.
Chicago Lawn's LIHTC-funded affordable housing inventory, while modest in comparison to the overall housing stock, provides 92 low-income units to the community. The neighborhood experienced significant LIHTC development in the early 2000s, with a focus on efficiency units. Despite population decline, the area has experienced an increase in median income and a shift in racial demographics over the past decade. These factors may have influenced the recent patterns in LIHTC-funded affordable housing development in Chicago Lawn.