Chicago Tribune: Backers of Chicago real estate transfer tax hike aim to take measure to voters; money would fight homelessness

By Alice Yin and Lizzie Kane, July 27, 2023

Community organizer Infiniti Gant speaks during a rally in the lobby of Chicago City Hall on July 27, 2023. Housing activists want to see the real estate transfer tax in Chicago raised on properties that sell for more than $1 million.

“I’m sorry this has taken multiple, multiple years,” Ald. Maria Hadden, 49th, said.“This is continuing to get worse. … I hope that we can keep the urgency going to make sure that we are not … leaving money on the table.”

The so-called Bring Chicago Home movement was one of many bitter fronts between former Mayor Lori Lightfoot and progressives who felt betrayed when she walked back a campaign promise to enact such a tax hike for homelessness services, citing issues with the current version. Her allies no-showed a subject matter hearing on the initiative in November, scuttling the coalition’s plans to pass legislation in time to get the proposal on February’s election ballot — when Lightfoot lost her bid for a second term.