# QAP Site Announcement 4.8.26

- Date: April 8, 2026
- Type: Video
- Length: 49:34
- Topic: Announcements
- Video: [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WG5qvNNDxu8)
- Transcript: Machine transcription, 5,668 words ([text](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/files/transcripts/youtube/WG5qvNNDxu8.txt))
- Mayor: [Brandon Johnson](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor)

## Description

Mayor Brandon Johnson attends a QAP site selection announcement.

## Transcript

[0:00](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=0) Well, probably right here at the side, because we have some space.

[2:51](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=171) Good morning, everyone. Good morning. Buenos dias. Thank you for all being here today to join us for such a great announcement. It's a moment in history for us. Very important that we have community leaders, especially longtime fighters who were part of this back in 2002. And so it's a really amazing day for us to all be gathered here, especially joined by Mayor Johnson, Department of Housing, Commissioner Lissette Casaneda, as well as all the partners who have made this possible. Thank you. You will hear today from community leaders who have been part

[3:31](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=211) of this campaign and fighting for this to make this an all-affordable housing project, and they will share their testimonies, and we will hear as well from our city departments, from our mayor, and from the partners who are making this a reality. And so for our first speaker, I'd like to welcome Victoria Romero. Good morning, buenos dias. My name is Victoria Romero and I am a proud lifelong Pilsen resident. I was born and raised in this community and I joined the fight for this

[4:04](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=244) land for affordable housing back in 1998 when the Pilsen TIF was proposed for this lot of land in our community. We knew that the Pilsen TIF would make our neighborhood vulnerable to gentrification and so we did what we always do here in Pilsen. We fought. Like our parents and our grandparents before us who fought for all of the infrastructure, our libraries, our high schools, our grade schools, our transportation, our streets, our bridges. We continued that fight like they taught us

[4:35](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=275) and we fought for this parcel of land because what we saw was our families leaving in droves, being displaced by gentrification and being outpriced by high-end developers. My neighbors were leaving, and I knew there was something that we needed to do as a community, and so we did. The city came back with round after round after round of high-end developments, and each time we fought like heavyweight champions, round after round. after round, after round, until we got here till this day. So yes, there is a time to fight,

[5:06](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=306) but today is a time to celebrate that we, the community, not only won this parcel of land, but from that fight, we won a new alderman, and we won a new mayor, and we won a new way of living in Chicago that we will not go back from. We will not turn away to the old corrupt politics of yesterday. And we will continue the fight in this, legacy of fighting in this neighborhood because that is how we are born and raised. And so thank you for being here to celebrate with us. I thank my old neighbors who were displaced

[5:38](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=338) for coming back to what is still theirs, their identity in this community. And we will not leave. So far as one of us is here, we will all be here to continue this fight. And so thank you for being here today. Muchas gracias. Yo soy Victoria Romero, residenta de Pilsen de toda mi vida. Y hoy represento a muchos that fought for this land that today will turn into accessible houses. Thank you very much for being here not only in our times of fight and war but also in our times of victory.

[6:10](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=370) It's a pleasure to be here with all of you to celebrate this great victory. Go ahead with Pilsen and live Chicago. Thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker is Alejandra Ibanez. I'm going to ask my son who was not quite born yet when this picture was taken in 2003. Good morning, Buenos Dias.

[6:44](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=404) It's truly an honor to be here today in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood, a community that has shaped so much of who I am. I, a political refugee from Chile, brought here as a five-year-old who met her, the love of her life, a second-generation Pilsenite and has given birth to third-generation Pilsen children and Chicago residents.

[7:15](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=435) Back in the 2000s, I honorably served as the executive director of Pilsen Alliance, a grassroots organization rooted in the leadership and power of local residents. That is truly Chicago style, where community residents share and impart their expertise as Chicagoans about the future of their own neighborhoods. Together, Pilsen Alliance led two major community-driven campaigns.

[7:49](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=469) The first, the Pilsen is not for sale campaign. In response to the abrupt end of this industrial corridor that we are standing on by the former alderman, a decision that impacted local jobs and accelerated displacement pressures. In response, residents organized, advocated, and fought for affordable housing to ensure that the families who built this community could continue to call it home.

[8:30](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=510) The second was our work with Whittier Community School, a teacher who I know is still here with us and has long history in ensuring that the public school systems in this neighborhood are serving their families. The Whittier Community School was affected by that same industrial corridor designation. Alongside school leadership, Pilsen Alliance worked to tirelessly improve a more than a 100-year-old facility

[9:06](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=546) and to bring culturally grounded wraparound services to students and families. Despite our efforts, the school did not receive the support it needed for its infrastructure and its industrial priorities. Today, we stand here with the mayor and with Alderman Byron Cicho Lopez and community members to celebrate something powerful, a truly affordable housing development.

[9:41](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=581) This moment represents more than a building and buildings. It represents over 20 years of persistence, organizing, and unwavering commitment to equity and access to Pilsen's longstanding residence. The people of Pilsen never gave up. And for me, this is deeply personal. I'm proud to be here with my 18-year-old son who was born out of this struggle.

[10:15](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=615) His grandparents met in this beautiful neighborhood. His father, my husband, was born and raised here. This is more than a place. It is a living legacy of community, of resilience and love. I'm incredibly moved to witness this moment with all of you. Gracias.

[10:46](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=646) Our next speaker is Marta Herrera. Hello, everyone. My name is Marta Herrera. I am a Pilsen resident of 65 years. I am also a retired CPS teacher of 30 years and a proud product of the Chicago Public Schools. um i attended it's a long line i attended uh youngman elementary uh cooper frobo high school

[11:26](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=686) and saint ann's all in pilsen um i did graduate from jones commercial high school which was not in the neighborhood because benito juarez did not exist back then this community didn't just raised me. It shaped me. I went on to earn my bachelor's degree in education and I chose to teach in Pilsen. I'm sorry. Because I chose to teach in Pilsen because I knew our children

[12:02](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=722) deserve someone who understood them, who came from where they came from, who believed in them the way this community believed in me as a teacher I saw more than lessons and classrooms I saw families struggling to stay I saw parents working I saw parents working and how

[12:43](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=763) housing was in unstable it affects our children now and it follows and it follows them into i'm sorry and it follows me into the classroom i also want to say something powerful parents who were ready to lead parents and students and myself included who loved this community enough to fight for it thanks to the work of pilsen alliance leadership parents found the support and the

[13:19](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=799) guidance to begin the fight so we organized we built leadership and alejandra ivañez was one of the main you know um people that started that that um that fight with the parents and you know she brought leaders and, you know, she very well respected.

[13:50](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=830) So we raised our voices demanding that our community be seen, be respected, and be taken seriously. That is why today is important. Seeing the 18th and Peoria Project become a reality, it brings emotion to my heart. Because this is not just about a building. This is about whether families like mine, like so many of yours, get to stay.

[14:27](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=867) It's about whether our schools remain strong or slowly disappear as families are forced out. It's about whether our children grow up rooted in community or disconnected from everything they know. For me, this is deeply personal. I became a Pilsa.

[14:59](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=899) I. I came to Pilsen as a young girl from Guadalajara with my mother to reunite with my father. My family built a life here with sacrifice, with hope, and with the dream that one day we could pass something stable to the next generation. That dream is what is at stake. and today for the first time in a long time

[15:31](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=931) it feels like that dream is still possible but let me be clear this is a step not a final line not a finish line we must continue to fight to ensure that this project truly serves our community that it remains affordable, accessible, and rooted in the people who made Pilsen what it is.

[16:03](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=963) Because Pilsen is not just a place. It is our history, it is our struggle, and it is our home. And it's worth fighting for. Thank you. Our next speaker is Adriana Gutierrez. Good morning, everyone. Good morning. Thank you, Alderman.

[16:35](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=995) Thank you, Mayor Johnson, for helping Pilsen, our beloved community and neighborhood, reach this incredible milestone it has taken many years to achieve. If this site had been developed into a luxury complex, as it was once proposed, our cherished Mexican community would have long been consumed by gentrification. My name is Adriana Gutierrez, and I am a lifelong resident of Pilsen. I am the proud daughter of Mexican immigrants who arrived in Pilsen in the 1950s to pursue their American dream.

[17:14](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=1034) My roots are deeply planted in Pilsen, and my family has four generations currently living here. My mom is 91 years old. She came to this neighborhood in her 20s, and she would not, for a minute, ever contemplate living anywhere else. Pilsen is where she wants to spend her remaining years, and I understand her sentiment. I feel the same. My parents purchased their building along the 18th Street commercial corridor

[17:47](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=1067) and opened their small business that they operated for many years, teaching my siblings and me the importance of hard work. They also taught me the value of fighting for what is right. nothing ever came easy for my parents or their generation they fought for educational equity and helped Benito Juarez high school and Rudy Lozano library get established but today we are

[18:17](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=1097) facing a different set of problems in 2021 Pilsen residents were besieged by high property taxes this regressive tax helped contribute to the displacement of many Pilsen residents due to the higher cost of living. The struggle for affordable housing has been a long-fought battle, and the 18th Street and Peoria development will help our working-class families remain in our beloved neighborhood. Since 2000, over 15,000 Mexican-Latani residents have been displaced from Pilsen,

[18:53](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=1133) and the changes in our neighborhood are felt across all institutions, from our schools and churches to our small businesses. This is slowly dissolving our social fabric. But the Affordable Housing Initiative presented here today will help our families stay in Pilsen and keep institutions thriving. For once, we can say our elected officials are working with us and for us to stabilize our community from the harmful effects of gentrification.

[19:27](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=1167) I'll just say a few remarks in Spanish. Mi nombre es Adriana Gutiérrez y toda mi vida

[20:00](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=1200) I've lived here in Pilsen. I'm the daughter of Mexican immigrants who arrived here in the 50s when they were still 20 years old. My roots are very deep here in Pilsen and I have four generations living here presently. My mother is a woman of 91 years old and considers Pilsen her home and would never expect her to leave here from her neighborhood. Here in Pilsen is where she wants to stay forever

[20:31](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=1231) And I understand her feeling My parents bought a building here in the 18 Where they worked for several years And they taught me and my brothers the importance of the work And also to fight for things that are very important Nothing was easy to my parents or the generation that came first They fought a lot for Pilsen education and to have a secondary, a library, and many other things.

[21:05](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=1265) But today we are facing different problems. In 2021, we increased our property taxes. And that regressive tax has contributed to the displacement of many families, for the cost of life so high. This battle of getting this place for affordable housing fought a lot in this village. And this will help a lot to remain in the families of workers

[21:41](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=1301) who are workers and who have the right to be here. And since 2000, many families of Mexican and Latinx 15,000, por ahí ese número, que se han desplazado de nuestra comunidad. Y eso está haciendo que se desbarate la comunidad y eso es lo que no queremos. Queremos que esta iniciativa le ayude mucho a las familias a permanecer, porque hemos perdido escuelas, están bajando de número, las iglesias y los negocios están sufriendo.

[22:12](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=1332) Esto le va a ayudar muchísimo a la comunidad a restablecerse. Y por primera vez podemos decir con mucho orgullo que aquí tenemos a dos oficiales, el concejal Sigcho López y el alcalde Johnson, que están ayudando a estabilizar esta comunidad por los efectos negativos de la gentrificación. Muchas gracias y le agradezco su tiempo. Now I'd like to welcome Alderman Byron Siccho Lopez.

[23:19](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=1399) all the people who are here today and those who are not here today those who were displaced because of corruption apathy when they look the other way as many were displaced also those who are not here today but thought courageously Magda Ramirez Castañeda Roberto Herrera and the many leaders who believe that the fight in our community,

[23:51](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=1431) a fight to keep a port of entry like Pilsen, it is keeping the hope alive for all our city, for all the country. And Pilsen, the 25th Ward, has been at the forefront of this fight. I am extremely proud and humble to stand with this wonderful group of people as an immigrant, as a father, and as elected official. Beyond titles This is ordinary people Doing extraordinary things

[24:21](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=1461) Every single day In despite of the times That is the power of the people And I'm very grateful for every single one of you For being today This has been a long journey In our community We have seen displacement Gentrification taking a toll Almost 20,000 residents Have been displaced In the last two decades But the community never gave up. When schools were slated to close, people took action because of this same very group of leaders.

[25:00](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=1500) specific. Latinas, chingonas. Because it's important to recognize that. That's why you see the people here. So many. I'm glad to see Pastor Lozano. Thank you for carrying that legacy of the Lozano fighting. The Lozano fighting that continues to fight today and all the leaders. Today, in our community, we have a heavy task as immigrants are dehumanized, criminalized, kidnapped, and killed.

[25:31](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=1531) Our community is embracing our immigrant community. And not only today, a few years ago, our community continued that commitment to be a port of entry. And our community, our neighborhood, received almost 3,000 new neighbors in despite of the challenge, in despite of high property taxes, in despite of high rents and neglect. and we welcome a new mayor in the hopes that our community be an example

[26:03](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=1563) of how we fight displacement with actions and policies. And we are not afraid of using those same tools that were used to displace us as the TIF was used to preserve and build more truly affordable housing here in our community. We use TIF dollars to eminent domain these 6.3 acres. of land and we are not apologizing by that because as we've seen billions of dollars being given to luxury housing hundreds of millions of dollars going to stadiums of course we're going

[26:38](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=1598) to fight to build affordable housing in the mecca of the mexican american community here in bilson i am so proud of our community despite the challenges our people continue to believe and keep hope alive in Chicago. This is the beginning of a new vision. When we saw despair, when we saw neglect and disinvestment, we also saw people organizing. This is the display that organizing works.

[27:12](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=1632) And when we fight, we win. As we kept the schools open, when they told us that we couldn't save the schools, those schools today, Youngman Elementary, Smith Elementary, And Pilsen Academy are not only open, but they're doing well. But we must invest in housing so that we can keep our families in our neighborhood. That's what this development is about, creating affordable family-sized units for the 30% average median income that does not exist anywhere else, but is an example here in Pilsen.

[27:44](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=1664) So I'm very excited and proud of this new model. That's how we get things done. because when we fight we win and when we organize and we build this unity look at the power of the people when we come together we say not only si se puede we said si se pudo and that is the power of the people thank you very much for everybody for coming and i just want to briefly speak in spanish because i'll be damned if i don't speak to our community who's been fighting for so long

[28:17](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=1697) And again, we are not apologizing for speaking Spanish. We are proud because we're bilingual and soon to be trilingual for other or neighbors immigrant communities in Chinatown. Muchas gracias. Es un orgullo estar aquí con todas y todos ustedes. Les agradezco a todas las organizaciones, a todos los residentes, a nuestros líderes y líderes que están el día de hoy celebrando, a pesar de los tiempos tan pesados que se viven, es un buen día para nuestra comunidad. Es un día de celebrar y un día de sentirse orgullosos y orgullosos de lo que estamos haciendo aquí en el Distrito 25 y aquí en Pilsen, donde hace mucho veíamos como la corrupción, la apatía, la negligencia, la desinversión desplazaban miles de personas.

[29:05](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=1745) The day of today, with action and organization, we demonstrate that when we organize, we win. When we organize our community, we fight to have our schools open, as we did it for 10 years ago, but we also fight to stop the development of luxury and to put, instead of that, now, housing accessible for our families, to continue to stabilize our schools and to stabilize our communities.

[29:37](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=1777) As an immigrant, as an elected official and as a family member, it's a joy for me to be here today with all of you. This is the unity that we need. Despite the times, it's a joy to be with you, with all of the organizers. Because here in our community, as we say, we don't break, we organize. And that's the power of the people. Hoy decimos, sí se puede y sí se pudo. Muchas gracias y ahora tengo el orgullo de introducir y presentar

[30:09](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=1809) a alguien que no es extraño de nuestra comunidad y peleó con nosotros para tener nuestras escuelas abiertas y hoy pelea con nosotros para tener vivienda asequible para nuestra comunidad. I want to introduce someone who doesn't need introduction and is someone who is not a stranger to our community. Way before he was mayor, he was fighting to keep our schools open. He was on the picket lines with us, and now today is building affordable housing here in the Mecca of the Mexican-American community in Pilsen. So I'm proud to introduce Mayor Brandon Johnson, and thank you for investing in our people.

[30:46](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=1846) Muchas gracias. Buenos dias. Yo soy Arcade Johnson, aquí en Pilsen, con mis hermanos y hermanas. Okay, that's all you get today. But thank you, Alderman Ciccio Lopez. Hey, good morning, everyone.

[31:16](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=1876) I'm grateful to be here with our Department of Housing Commissioner, Lissette Castaneda, the Resurrection Project Chiefs Real Estate Development Officer, Mr. Reyes, and, of course, Martha, Adriana, and Victoria. These incredible testimonies and stories expressing not just the need for affordable housing and development, but expressing their unwavering commitment to justice. I'm honored to stand with you all today and celebrate an affordable mixed-use housing development that will ultimately deliver approximately 76 new, high-quality, family-sized homes right here in Pilsen.

[31:59](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=1919) The site that we are gathered on at 18th and Peoria has long sat vacant, but it has always had so much potential. We are finally reclaiming this space today thanks to my administration and the Department of Housing's $300 million investment in affordable housing as part of the 2025 Qualified Allocation Plan, or QAP. In the 2025 QAP, the city placed a greater emphasis than ever before on awarding projects that were tied to previously existing community frameworks and plans to honor our community's vision for their neighborhood.

[32:39](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=1959) And last week, we announced the 15 affordable housing projects that have been awarded QAP funding, including this latest development from the Resurrection Project. We're doing this to ensure that this project becomes a reality. The city donated and also included the parcel of land and issued tax credits at least $25 million in financial assistance. And all together, the 2025 QAP will build or preserve 1,223 rental units across our beloved city.

[33:13](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=1993) And that means over 1,000 opportunities for residents and families to have the burden of rent lifted off of their shoulders, empowering them to plant roots and thrive in their preferred home community. And this is a major step forward in my administration's mission to make the city of Chicago the safest, most affordable big city in America. But housing alone won't be enough to achieve that goal. Our communities need both stable, affordable housing as well as strong support systems.

[33:45](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=2025) And particularly in a neighborhood like Pilsen where rising costs have put pressure on longtime residents. And I'm so glad, you know, from the testimony of a 91-year-old woman, you're not going to convince her to ever change her mind about who is the greatest city in the world, the city of Chicago. And so what makes this development so powerful, it's not just about having a special opportunity for affordable units, but it's about having a holistic approach to provide families with the support that they need.

[34:17](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=2057) The Chicago Commons plan to relocate their headquarters to the ground floor space of the development, bringing early education and care into the heart of this site. And we know that early childhood education gives children the strongest possible start to learn, grow and to have healthy lives and most importantly, full lives. The families who will eventually move in here, along with the families across Pilsen, will have access to high-quality, culturally competent and affordable early education opportunities right where they live because that's what this community deserves.

[34:50](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=2090) And today, we are making it possible for families to remain in their community, for children to have access to opportunities that are close to their homes, and for Pilsen to retain the culture. ...dynamic and the community bonds that make it one of our most vibrant neighborhoods. As this is just one of 15 housing developments awarded with QAP funding, we can look forward to many more groundbreakings. We can also look forward to transformational celebrations like this one. And in closing, I want to thank again the Resurrection Project,

[35:21](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=2121) its leadership for this development, and their commitment to the residents of the city of Chicago and this community. I am so glad that we have community-based organizations that are truly in favor of community and they don't sell us out. Thank you, Resurrection Project. And I want to thank the Department of Housing Commissioner Constaneda and her team for their strategic vision and their hard work selecting projects that have meaningful support for Chicagoans everywhere. I look forward to the continued collaboration, building more housing, advancing equity throughout the city of Chicago.

[35:58](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=2158) And with that, please welcome to the podium, the Commissioner of Housing, Lissette Constaneda. Good morning, everyone. Good morning. Muchísimas gracias por la invitación, para estar aquí, para celebrar. Estoy muy contenta de regresar a Pilsen con esta excelente noticia. Me orgullece decir que el terreno donde nos encontramos está aquí en la esquina de la 18 y Peoria.

[36:42](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=2202) This moment is truly full circle, not only for myself, but for the communities that we represent and the work that we have dedicated our life's purpose to. I'd like to take a moment to say thank you to everyone involved. Thank you to the entire development team at the Resurrection Project. You are an excellent partner to have, and I look forward to all of the affordable housing units that we will bring to this community. Thank you to Alderman Sincha Lopez and his staff in the 25th Ward for championing this project and the people who will soon call it home.

[37:12](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=2232) Thank you to Mayor Johnson and this administration for its commitment to contributing $300 million for affordable housing. For affordable housing that will benefit our neighbors that are struggling to secure it within this current housing crisis. Those who have called Pilsen Homes for years know the depth and meaning behind this investment. The folks that grew up here and have watched the community change. And oftentimes, housing is the epicenter of that change.

[37:43](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=2263) It's where everything starts. Where you live is where you plant your roots. Es donde compartimos nuestra cultura con nuestros vecinos. It's where you get your groceries, where mamá stops to chat for a few minutes when she really means 15, and where you go to school. The long-term residents of Pilsen have seen all of that change, just as they've watched their neighbors and friends be displaced. And when they leave, they take the vibrant cultural contributions they brought to this neighborhood with them.

[38:13](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=2293) Their deep knowledge, their wisdom, their food, and their music. That is a loss that is hard to recoup and is so often unmentioned when we're looking at the effects of gentrification as a whole. I am confident that with this investment and with our other TRP investments such as Casa Yucatan, we will begin to bring some of that back to Pilsen so that families who built this community brick by brick get to be the beneficiaries of these efforts and live without fear that gentrification will push them out.

[38:46](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=2326) This project has spent years in the making as a shared vision between all Germanic offices, city governments, and community stakeholders. You all showed up, prepared to advocate for your right to be here and stay here. And today is the beginning of us realizing that vision. So my final thank you is for all of you, for advocating for yourselves, for your community. I can't wait to come back for the ribbon-cutting for Casa Yucatan and look forward to groundbreaking on this project next year.

[39:21](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=2361) With that, I'd like to introduce my friend, Huacolta Reyes, from the Resurrection Project. Perfect. Yes, friend. Thank you. Wow. Buenos dias. Buenos dias. Mi nombre es Huacolda Reyes y soy la directora de propiedades del Proyecto Resurrección. Y también soy una orgullosa residente del barrio de Pilsen de hace más de veinticinco

[39:51](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=2391) años. Wow, this is emotional. As TRP approaches 36 years of Serving this community through housing, immigration, leadership, advocacy, today marks an historic moment. Not only for all of us at the Resurrection Project, for many, many, many community members, a lot of them behind me right now, whose advocacy and vision made this possible. because of you that we were able to make this vision to come through.

[40:33](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=2433) We are standing here on the future site of 76 homes for our community, Casa Nayarit, and a child care facility through our partners, Chicago Commons. Pilsen is special to those of us who call us home.

[41:08](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=2468) This community welcomed me and my family more than 25 years ago and it has shaped who we are. Y definitivamente nos ha marcado. Muchos de nosotros, incluyendo a mí misma, hemos criado a nuestras familias aquí en momentos en que nuestro barrio no veía inversión y tenía graves problemas de seguridad. Many of us, including myself, have raised our families here in a time where the neighborhood

[41:43](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=2503) faced this investment and safety challenges. The dream has always been bigger than just buildings. It has been about developing homes, businesses, preserving culture, and protecting the vibrancy of this neighborhood whilst keeping it affordable for the people who built it. The dream has always been bigger than building buildings. It has been developing houses, businesses, preserving our culture, our Mexican culture,

[42:16](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=2536) considering that I am Chilean, like Alejandra, and protecting the vibrant of our village at the same time that we keep it economic for everyone who we have built. 18M Peoria represents that dream. La 18 y Peoria son ese sueño. This is a site that residents, some of us, some who have lived here for more than 50 years,

[42:46](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=2566) as you just heard some of the stories, have fought for and envisioned for decades. La 18 y Peoria es ese sueño. Y este lugar representa, es un lugar que los residentes, muchos de ellos que han vivido acá por más de 50 años, han peleado y han tenido esta visión por décadas. Today we reclaim the property for our families and our communities. Hoy día nos tomamos esta propiedad, como buena chilena que toma cosas, y para nuestras familias y nuestra comunidad.

[43:26](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=2606) We're deeply grateful to our partners at the city of Chicago. Thank you, Major Johnson. Thank you, Alderman Cicho López. Thank you to my friend, Commissioner Lizette Castañeda. Al staff members of the 25th Ward y al staff of the Commissioner. Y también quiero dar las gracias a los residentes de nuestra comunidad, líderes de nuestra comunidad que hoy día están aquí, Como Teresa Fraga, como Emma Lozano, como Vicky.

[44:00](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=2640) I think it's important que sigamos manteniendos a nuestras comunidades en mente. We remain committed to keeping the community engaged in building the next steps together. This large vacant lot soon will be placed where families can build their future and Children's Can Dream, like my two girls did more than 25 years ago. Seguimos comprometidos de mantener nuestra comunidad participando en los próximos pasos de este desarrollo.

[44:36](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=2676) Este grande pedazo de tierra que luego se va a convertir en el hogar de familias que van a construir el futuro de sus hijos para que sigan soñando como también soñaron mis dos hijas. Muchas gracias. And for our final speaker, I'd like to introduce Edgar Ramirez from Chicago Commons.

[45:09](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=2709) Thank you. Good morning. I want to begin by thanking Wakola Reyes for the Resurrection Project for that warm introduction and for Byron Cichos Lopez's staff for their warm introduction, leadership and partnership in bringing this vision to life. My name is Edgar Ramirez. I was a former Pilsen Alliance organizer under Alejandra Ibanez and Vicky Romero and incredible folks here, so I'm incredibly honored to be here with all of you. I'm also the president and CEO of Chicago Commons.

[45:39](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=2739) For more than 130 years, Chicago Commons has been a people-centered organization working alongside families to help them overcome poverty and systemic barriers, embrace opportunities, and thrive across generations. Today marks an important milestone. I want to congratulate the Resurrection Project on securing this low-income housing tax credit award. This investment will transform a long vacant site here in Pilsen into affordable housing that is deeply needed by the families we serve, the educators and the social workers we employ, and the long-time residents working hard to remain in this community.

[46:10](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=2770) We are proud to be part of this vision, which includes a future home for our Guadalupano Family Center, a trusted community anchor that has served the families of Pilsen and surrounding neighborhoods for more than 30 years. At Chicago Commons, our early education model is grounded in the Reggio Emilia philosophy. empowering children to learn through discovery, build on their strengths, and develop the social, emotional, and cognitive skills that sets foundation for long-term, lifelong success. We also know that children thrive when families are supported,

[46:41](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=2801) which is why our approach is deeply rooted in partnership with parents and caregivers. The project allows us to bring that high-quality program into a modern, purpose-built space, enhancing an environment in ways that will drive even stronger outcomes for children and families while ensuring Chicago Commons remains a part of this community for generations to come. I also want to be clear for our current families, nothing changes in the short term. Our center at 18th and Palina will remain open and fully operational for the foreseeable future.

[47:12](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=2832) This project is still in its early stages and we are committed to keeping families informed, engaged and supported throughout the process. This moment builds on a deep partnership between organizations that goes back to the early 1990s, shared commitment to children, families, and community stability. Finally, I want to thank Mayor Brandon Johnson, Alderperson Brian Cicho Lopez, the Pilsen Alliance, and Commissioner Lisette Castaneda for their leadership and investment in affordable housing, early childhood education, and vibrant communities.

[47:44](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8?t=2864) Thank you. Thank you. We want to thank you all for coming and joining us on this exciting day. We would be happy to take questions regarding the project, Alderman C. Chalopers, or any of the testimonies as well, if there are any questions regarding the proposal. Thank you.

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Source: https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/WG5qvNNDxu8 · Chicago Politics, an independent tracker of the Chicago City Council. Guide for agents: https://www.chicagopolitics.org/llms.txt