‘Burned out of our homes’ : Chicago Heights residents push county to demolish abandoned buildings

Alicia Campbell’s home burned in October 2024 after an abandoned property caught fire, engulfling her home, as shown Jan. 16, 2025. HWH / Amethyst J. Davis

Alicia Campbell stayed in a hotel for two and a half months after her Chicago Heights home burned down last fall. An abandoned home on 155th St. and Lowe Ave. caught fire, the blaze spreading to other homes, Campbell’s included. She has homeowner’s insurance, but it’s not enough to help her financially.

Now, she and other displaced Chicago Heights residents are pressing county leaders to help demolish abandoned homes across the Southland.

“The house next to my neighbor’s house was a shell, and the city knew it was a shell. It had been that way for over 10 years,” Campbell said to the county board at its regular meeting Jan. 16. “It’s not our responsibility to inform the city; code enforcement and other entities should be doing their job and addressing properties like that,” Campbell said. “That house should have been gone.”

A Chicago Heights spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment.

The closest working hydrant was over 1,000 feet away, ABC7 Chicago reported. Firefighters were delayed getting water onto homes, partially because of construction and a water main break in the area, according to Chicago Heights Fire Chief Wendell Thomas.

Doris Williams asked commissioners whether community development block grant funds could be used to demolish the damaged properties and help residents rebuild. “The residents of Cook County are not happy. We’re being burned out of our homes for Christmas,” Williams said.

Doris Williams asks the Cook County Board of Commissioners whether grant funding could be used to tear down abandoned homes in the south suburbs after a distressed Chicago Heights property caught fire, the flames spreading to her home last fall, as shown Jan. 16, 2025. HWH / Amethyst J. Davis

Transgender femicide prevention in Cook County

The board approved a resolution supporting collaboration with a working group approved by Chicago’s City Council to study transfemicide, violence against transgender women specifically because of their identity.

The county’s resolution was sponsored by Commissioner Anthony Quezeda (8th), and co-sponsored by all other commissioners.

Chicago police only clear 14 percent of homicides of transgender people, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. According to Everytown, a nonprofit that analyzes gun violence in the United States, Black transgender women, specifically, accounted for 65 percent of gun homicides nationwide between 2017 and 2022.

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle presides over a commissioners’ meeting, as shown Jan. 16, 2025. HWH / Amethyst J. Davis

Tax incentives for commercial properties

In Cook County, commercial properties are assessed at 25 percent of the market value. The south suburbs pay the highest real estate property taxes in the county. The board approved real estate tax reductions at several commercial properties in the Southland. With the reduction, the buildings will be assessed at 10 percent of market value for 10 years, 15 percent in the 11th year, and 20 percent in the 12th year.

A class 6b sustainable emergency relief tax incentive is for industrial properties, wherein the absence of the 12-year real estate tax reduction would make the business incapable of operating.

Hazel Crest: JABS Management and Development, 17445 Palmer Dr.;
Riverdale: Halsted Holding Corporation, 13400 S. Halsted St.;
Steger: 3300 Holeman, LLC, 3300 Holeman Ave.

For class 8 tax incentives, the county requires the property to be abandoned. The county defines abandoned as “buildings and other structures that, after having been vacant and unused for more than 24 continuous months, there has been no purchased for value by a purchaser and the property is in need of substantial rehabilitation.”

Posen: Strip mall owned by the municipality, 14727-51 Kedzie Ave.;
Steger: DNM Management LLC, 3240 Lovereck Ave.

Infrastructure upgrades

The board authorized intergovernmental agreements to support bridge and road repairs in the south suburbs.

Blue Island: Appropriated $300,000 in motor fuel tax funds to support emergency bridge repairs along Kedzie Ave., along with bridge repairs in Glenview;
Burnham: Authorized $250,000 in motor fuel tax funds to support preliminary engineering on a railroad crossing study;
South Holland: The Department of Transportation and Highways will take lead on engineering and design to improve the bridge of 170th St. and Thorn Creek. The county is funding design, construction, and construction improvements.