South Shore Housing
Data Initiative
The South Side Housing Data Initiative (SSHDI) is designed to empower community-based organizations with the housing data necessary to make informed cases to advance policy and program strategies that support existing residents’ ability to maintain their housing in Woodlawn, Washington Park, and South Shore.
About
The South Side Housing Data Initiative (SSHDI), led by local community organizations in Woodlawn, Washington Park, and South Shore is a collective effort to survey, categorize and map all of the building and land parcels in each neighborhood. Data collected during this initiative is intended to inform local residents about their current housing landscapes in the neighborhoods and to advocate for community-driven policies.
Project Aims
The South Side Housing Data Initiative provides community-based organizations with parcel-level data to inform policy and program strategies to help low- and moderate-income residents maintain their housing in real estate markets experiencing or anticipating rapid change.
Goals for the South Side Housing Data Project:
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Design and complete point-in-time surveys of building and land conditions in Woodlawn, Washington Park, and South Shore
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Collect and analyze additional property data to better understand housing related-issues facing current residents and the availability of resources to address them.
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Utilize that data and analysis to develop policy recommendations for addressing housing affordability and stability challenges in advance of any economic development triggered by the Obama Presidential Center.
In 2019, WECAN and its partners completed the Woodlawn Housing Data Project, an extensive data collection effort that resulted in a detailed analysis of the neighborhood’s housing conditions. Following the project’s success, WPRAC approached the University of Chicago Office of Civic Engagement’s (OCE)’s Community Programs Accelerator (CPA) to request a similar housing study for the Washington Park neighborhood. The Washington Park Housing Data Project was completed in 2020. Surveying in South Shore will begin in March of 2021.
Where Our Data is From
Primary data for South Shore Housing Data Projects will be collected through neighborhood parcel surveys conducted by The Neighborhood Network Alliance, South Shore Works, and South Shore Chamber of Commerce in coordination with the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy, OCE, and Loveland Technologies. Parcel data will be analyzed with over 20 publicly-available datasets to identify key findings and trends for all three neighborhoods.
Contact
For questions related to the South Shore Housing Data Project, please contact us by phone at 773-609-3007 or email hello@thenna.org.
Acknowledgments
This project was made possible by the generous support of The Polk Bros. Foundation. The Neighborhood Network Alliance, South Shore Works, South Shore Chamber would also like to thank the Community Programs Accelerator at the University of Chicago and the Office of Civic Engagement for helping catalyze the resources needed to carry out this project.
