The Bring Chicago Home campaign was an historic opportunity to create a dedicated revenue stream to end homelessness in Chicago by increasing the one-time real estate transfer tax on properties sold for over $1 million. The ballot measure was defeated in the March 19, 2024 election, and the campaign issued the following statement to acknowledge the loss and pledge to keep fighting.
As you may have read in the several emails leading up to election day, AIDS Foundation Chicago and the Center for Housing & Health were fully committed to the Bring Chicago Home campaign – a campaign created and led by people with lived experience of homelessness that would restructure the one-time real estate transfer tax to make it more fair – wealthy Chicagoans pay more, and working and middle class Chicagoans pay less. The revenue generated from this increase would be legally dedicated to funding homelessness services in the city of Chicago.
While the results of yesterday’s election were disappointing, we know that we fought hard, in coalition with people currently and formerly experiencing homelessness, other social service agencies, faith leaders, and community organizations, to demand that Chicago’s wealthiest pay their fair share to fund affordable housing.
With your help, our coalition was able to knock on over 300,000 doors, make over 600,000 phone calls, and send over 1 million text messages across all 50 wards. This is the type of energy that propels us forward to continue to seek a solution to ending homelessness in our beautiful city.
We believe that housing is a human right and we believe that housing is healthcare. Regardless of the results of this election, we hope you’ll join us to keep fighting for a solution to end homelessness for all Chicagoans, and in particular those living with or vulnerable to HIV or other chronic conditions.
