On July 23rd, 2026, the Southwest Organizing Project (SWOP) and United Power gathered community members and organizers for an action marking a major milestone in the ongoing Reclaiming Chicago campaign.
The day was originally planned as a groundbreaking ceremony for Marquette Crossings, a new community that will bring 112 homes to a previously vacant 17-acre site. The development is part of Reclaiming Chicago’s larger vision to build 2,000 affordable homes throughout Chicago’s South and West Sides, creating opportunities for working families to establish roots, build generational wealth, and remain in the communities they call home.
While Governor JB Pritzker was no longer able to attend the planned groundbreaking, United Power and SWOP were not deterred. Instead, organizers used the opportunity to bring together those who continue to believe in the power of organized communities and celebrate how far the Reclaiming Chicago campaign has come.
The gathering, held at SWOP’s Communities Partnering 4 Peace (CP4P) office, served as both a celebration and a reminder that the work does not end with a groundbreaking. Organizers and community members reflected on the years of organizing that have helped move the campaign forward, while also acknowledging the work that remains to ensure Chicago’s South and West Side communities receive the investment they deserve.
To date, 76 homes connected to the Reclaiming Chicago campaign have been sold, while another 77 homes are nearing completion across Roseland, North Lawndale, Chicago Lawn, Back of the Yards, and Washington Park. These numbers represent families gaining an opportunity to become homeowners, neighborhoods receiving long-needed investment, and residents having a chance to build wealth where they already live and have deep community ties.
For Carlil Pittman, Executive Director of GoodKids MadCity Englewood and a homeowner through the Reclaiming Chicago campaign, the progress is deeply personal.
“We have been working at this for years and even if today didn't go exactly as planned, it's still a major step toward reinvesting in the South and West sides,” Pittman said.
He continued, “As someone who was able to buy a home for my family because of the strides that have been made with Reclaiming Chicago, I will continue to [be a] champion
for this. We need more homes in our neighborhoods. We need more families that own their homes and this is just the next step in that process.”
The gathering captured the spirit of the Reclaiming Chicago campaign: celebrating progress while remaining committed to the larger goal. The 112 homes planned for Marquette Crossings are an important milestone, but they are only one piece of a much broader effort to transform long-vacant land into places where families can live, work, and build lasting wealth.
For SWOP, United Power, and the communities who have organized behind Reclaiming Chicago, investment in Chicago’s South and West Sides cannot be a one-time event. It must be an ongoing commitment to the people and communities who have been fighting for the opportunity to thrive. The work continues—and with 2,000 homes as the goal, there is still much more to reclaim.
