Of the nearly 200 residents who completed the city’s reparations eligibility survey, 144 indicated they would be interested in applying for Evanston’s restorative housing program, CMO Management Analyst Tasheik Kerr said at a Thursday virtual reparations subcommittee meeting.
The $400,000 program the first facet of the city’s larger reparations plan is set to be distributed in payments up to $25,000. Eligible residents can spend funds they receive from the program toward home ownership, home improvement and mortgage assistance.
The highest survey response rate came from the 5th Ward, followed by former residents and then the 2nd Ward. While 407 residents completed parts of the survey, only the 198 who answered every question were counted in the subcommittee’s review.
The Reparations Stakeholders Authority of Evanston is set to establish an Evanston Reparations Community Fund, which will be housed at the Evanston Community Foundation.
While the city’s $10 million reparations fund can only be used for housing programs and economic development, the RSAE fund, will allow the community to pursue other avenues for repair, Ald. Robin Rue Simmons (5th) said.
In addition to housing and economic development, the RSAE fund will contribute toward education, health and wellness and cultural support. The fund will also continue reparations work after tax revenue for the city’s current reparations program is no longer available.