Chicago: Mayor Brandon Johnson Breaks Ground on 27 Missing Middle Homes in North Lawndale

CHICAGO ~ Chicago Mayor Breaks Ground on Missing Middle Housing Project in North Lawndale

Today, Mayor Brandon Johnson, along with Ald. Monique Scott (24th), Department of Planning and Development Commissioner Ciere Boatright, the Westside Community Group, and members of the North Lawndale community gathered to break ground on the Trumbull Collection. This project, supported by the Johnson administration's Missing Middle infill housing program, aims to bring 27 mid-density homes to the neighborhood.

The $6.5 million project will replace eight vacant lots on the 1600 and 1800 blocks of S. Drake Ave. and S. Trumbull Ave. The Mayor emphasized that this project is about "development without displacement" and is a step towards creating safer and more affordable communities for working families.

The City-backed project is being led by Westside Community Group, a North Lawndale based real estate development firm. After completing the Trumball Collection, the firm plans to move forward with a subsequent 33-unit Missing Middle project in East Garfield Park.

For Jasmine Shaw, Founder and Developer at Westside Community Group, this groundbreaking holds special significance as she was raised just blocks from the site. She shared that real estate became a tool that changed her life's trajectory and now she is honored to return to her community and help create new pathways to homeownership and wealth-building.

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The Johnson administration provided approximately $4 million in developmental assistance through Mayor Johnson's $1.25B Housing and Economic Development Bond for this project.

According to DPD Commissioner Ciere Boatright, the Missing Middle program not only creates generational wealth for households who purchase these units but also supports minority-led development teams responsible for their construction. It also fosters population growth in communities that are on the rise.

The Westside Community Group was selected in January 2025 from among 30 developer responses to a DPD Request for Proposals (RFP) for 36 City lots between Ogden Avenue and Douglas Boulevard. The DPD is currently reviewing developer responses to a Missing Middle RFP for 30 vacant lots in South Chicago and West Englewood.

This project is one of five Missing Middle projects in North Lawndale, with a total of five minority-led development teams approved to construct 40 multi-unit buildings valued at $37.7 million. These buildings will consist of 115 market-rate, for-sale units and will replace 35 vacant City lots.

The West Side has seen significant development with approvals for 55 vacant lots to be replaced with 70 multi-unit buildings valued at $68 million. The Missing Middle program is a key part of the Johnson administration's strategy to repopulate neighborhoods throughout Chicago by leveraging vacant City land and HED financing to facilitate construction of contemporary, medium-density housing that has been "missing" from South and West Side communities due to decades of disinvestment.

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Through this program, City-owned lots are sold for $1 and HED funds are provided to empower minority-owned developers to create homes with purchase prices that are commensurate with market rates. So far, the administration has secured approval for over 100 Missing Middle buildings containing more than 300 homes across the West and South Side, with total project costs exceeding $11 million.

Mayor Johnson remains committed to delivering more affordable homes and supporting projects that drive greater economic vitality in North Lawndale and communities across Chicago. The Johnson administration's focus on constructing a larger, more diverse housing stock and thousands of new affordable homes is part of their strategy to make Chicago more affordable for working people.

For more information about the Missing Middle program and selected projects, visit their website. With this groundbreaking ceremony, the Trumbull Collection marks another step towards creating stronger and more vibrant communities in Chicago's West Side.

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