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Renters can’t access reparations
One-year deadline to use grant approaches for recipients
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By RACHEL SCHLUETER the daily northwestern @rschlueter26
Kenneth Wideman has lived in Evanston nearly his entire life. He tells people how much he loves his hometown whenever he travels, he said.
“I was raised here,” Wideman said. “My blood is here.”
His Evanston pride grew in 2019 when he learned the city was creating a Restorative Housing Program to address the city’s historic discriminatory housing policies and practices.
Wideman, 77, applied for the program along with his 75-year-old sister. In January 2022, they were both selected to be in the first group of 16 residents to receive a $25,000 grant for home purchase, mortgage payments or home improvement.
However, Wideman said neither he nor his sister have been able to use their $25,000 because they rent their apartments and don’t own property.
Neither has plans to buy property, he said.
According to the city website, the reparations program doesn’t provide cash payments because doing so would subject recipients to taxes.
In March 2022, the city told Wideman he and his sister had a one-year deadline to use their reparations money, according to Wideman.
With the reparations grant set to
