Chicago's South Shore Apartment Complex Evacuated After Feds Raid Building
A dramatic finale unfolded at the troubled 7500 South Shore apartment complex on Friday as residents, many of whom were immigrants fleeing deportation proceedings, left behind amidst an eviction order signed by a judge. Friedman Communities, the court-appointed property manager, and federal authorities had been working together to clear the building after it was raided earlier this fall.
Raymond Corona, one of the last remaining residents, has spent only two years in the complex but made friends with his neighbors and enjoyed the beautiful beach nearby. Despite making a lot of connections during his short stay, he expressed frustration over the court-appointed property manager's timeline for eviction. Judge Debra Ann Seaton denied the tenants' request to extend the deadline, deeming the building unsafe.
For some residents like Darren Hightower, who had broken down on Thursday night, leaving him stranded without a car and making it hard to move out, security personnel used battering rams to open locked units. Despite this, he expressed relief at being done with his current chapter of life, having formed meaningful connections during his time in the building.
However, others like Candis Stewart faced more dire circumstances. After being told she had only 30 minutes to vacate her apartment by armed security personnel, Stewart found herself struggling to leave without many belongings and a place to stay. The judge's order allowed tenants with remaining possessions to retrieve them but did not provide support for those without leases.
Friedman Communities has been criticized for its handling of the situation, including failing to offer relocation assistance to all tenants as claimed by court orders. Organizer Jonah Karsh from the Metropolitan Tenants Organization believes that most residents moved out on Thursday with help from hired movers and volunteers, while groups like Mayor's Office, Metropolitan Family Services, and Catholic Charities provided short-term support and funds.
Karsh also expressed his outrage at what he called a "really unjust and tragic outcome." He pointed fingers at Trinity Flood, the owner of Wisconsin-based property owner, who had invested in the complex without experience in multifamily real estate. Karsh blamed the systems within the city for not preventing such cases from occurring, highlighting the need for more effective housing regulations.
As residents like Rochelle Conner returned to check on their neighbors on Friday, many were left wondering about their next steps and where they would go. The South Shore apartment complex is now largely abandoned after being a home to many who had nowhere else to turn in their desperate search for safety and stability.
A dramatic finale unfolded at the troubled 7500 South Shore apartment complex on Friday as residents, many of whom were immigrants fleeing deportation proceedings, left behind amidst an eviction order signed by a judge. Friedman Communities, the court-appointed property manager, and federal authorities had been working together to clear the building after it was raided earlier this fall.
Raymond Corona, one of the last remaining residents, has spent only two years in the complex but made friends with his neighbors and enjoyed the beautiful beach nearby. Despite making a lot of connections during his short stay, he expressed frustration over the court-appointed property manager's timeline for eviction. Judge Debra Ann Seaton denied the tenants' request to extend the deadline, deeming the building unsafe.
For some residents like Darren Hightower, who had broken down on Thursday night, leaving him stranded without a car and making it hard to move out, security personnel used battering rams to open locked units. Despite this, he expressed relief at being done with his current chapter of life, having formed meaningful connections during his time in the building.
However, others like Candis Stewart faced more dire circumstances. After being told she had only 30 minutes to vacate her apartment by armed security personnel, Stewart found herself struggling to leave without many belongings and a place to stay. The judge's order allowed tenants with remaining possessions to retrieve them but did not provide support for those without leases.
Friedman Communities has been criticized for its handling of the situation, including failing to offer relocation assistance to all tenants as claimed by court orders. Organizer Jonah Karsh from the Metropolitan Tenants Organization believes that most residents moved out on Thursday with help from hired movers and volunteers, while groups like Mayor's Office, Metropolitan Family Services, and Catholic Charities provided short-term support and funds.
Karsh also expressed his outrage at what he called a "really unjust and tragic outcome." He pointed fingers at Trinity Flood, the owner of Wisconsin-based property owner, who had invested in the complex without experience in multifamily real estate. Karsh blamed the systems within the city for not preventing such cases from occurring, highlighting the need for more effective housing regulations.
As residents like Rochelle Conner returned to check on their neighbors on Friday, many were left wondering about their next steps and where they would go. The South Shore apartment complex is now largely abandoned after being a home to many who had nowhere else to turn in their desperate search for safety and stability.
The stats are wild 
- 7500 South Shore apartments evacuated in 1 day 
, with over 200 ppl left without homes 
. Median age of residents? 35-40 yrs old 
. Most were immigrants, 70% 
. Feds & court-appointed manager Friedman Communities worked together... but where was the support for those w/ no leases or savings bank accounts 
?
Did u know that Friedman Communities failed to provide relocation assistance as promised? 
Organizers say most residents moved out w/ help from movers, volunteers, & city groups 
. Meanwhile, Trinity Flood's $22M investment in the complex raised red flags... but no one did anything 
.
like, it was so determined but also just kinda sad because it was eating trash. anyway, back to this apartment complex situation... it makes me think about how important it is to have some kind of safety net for ppl who are struggling to find housing in the first place. like, i get that systems gotta be in place and all, but can't we do better than just moving people from one messy situation to another? 
what's going on with Friedman Communities?! 
. I feel so bad for the ppl who didn't have any place to go 
. The city needs 2 step up their game & create better housing regulations ASAP 
. Can someone pls tell me what's gonna happen 2 all these ppl now? 
. It's just so unfair that they're being forced out like this, especially when they've already had such a tough time in their lives. I mean, can't we do better than this? 
We need to make sure that everyone has access to safe and affordable housing, no matter what their situation is.
. That's just not right. We need to make sure that our city is doing everything it can to prevent situations like this from happening in the first place.
. We need to do better than this, Chicago 
.
. I get that the building was deemed unsafe, but what about the people who can't just pick up and leave? It's like they're being forced to start all over again 
. We need better housing regulations ASAP! 
but instead they get evicted and left with nothing 