The city of Evanston, a suburb of Chicago, voted Monday, March 22, to grant funds to black residents as redress for housing discrimination.
It is the first city in the United States to take such a step.
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The plan was passed eight votes to one by the city council of this city of 75,000 inhabitants in Illinois, on the shores of Lake Michigan.
It plans to distribute $ 400,000 from a $ 10 million fund, generated by marijuana tax revenues, to up to 16 families who can use it for housing.
For city councilor Robin Rue Simmons, architect of this program, this is a
“first step”
after years of discussion and contributions from residents.
Ready for any legal challenge
“This initiative is not a complete repair. We all know that the path to redress and justice in the black community is going to be the work of a generation. There will be many programs and initiatives and more funding, ”
she explained.
Under the plan, qualifying residents will receive $ 25,000 which they can use to improve their homes or obtain mortgage assistance.
To be eligible, they must be descendants of a black person who lived in Evanston between 1919 and 1969 and suffered from discriminatory housing practices, including redlining - unfair denial of services such as loans - by government and banks.
Read also: Segregation and discrimination in the United States in the 1960s
This initiative is being followed closely in the United States.
It could become a model for other regions of the country, where the fight against racial injustice has become a political priority.
Robin Rue Simmons said the city was ready to face any legal challenge.
Civic action groups and international law firms are
"ready to provide us with pro bono legal defense in the event that we have to go to court,"
she said.
Evanston Mayor Steve Hagerty, who moderated the meeting, said he expected families to start applying for the funds this summer.