Community development corporations collectivize to stay in place: lessons from Chicago’s Northwest Side

This article explores the impact and efforts of three Community Development Corporations in Chicago’s Northwest Side - Bickerdike Redevelopment Corporation, Hispanic Housing Development Corporation, and Latin United Community Housing Association - to build affordable housing and prevent the displacement of Puerto Ricans and Latinos more generally. The author collected data from these three affordable housing developers to show their collective impact. This study is embedded in Participatory Action Research methodology. To capture the narrative of this community and its history as well as current development climate, the author had personal and group conversations with two dozen executive directors, staff, politicians, advocates, and other decision-makers that seek to retain and strengthen Puerto Rican and Latino households and to increase affordable housing options for residents along Chicago’s Northwest Side. Qualitative data shows that these organizations worked together to achieve one main goal: to maintain the Latino community in place and resist gentrification.