Overview

• On August 6, HUD formally dismissed investigations into the General Iron environmental racism agreement and the 2018 aldermanic prerogative housing complaint, reversing earlier findings of discrimination.
• Officials cited a shift to focus on proven instances of civil rights violations as the reason for closing both cases.
• With the decisions, HUD will no longer monitor zoning reforms or vet local housing developments, returning those powers to Chicago’s aldermen and mayor.
• Local advocates including Patricia Fron and Cheryl Johnson denounced the move as an affront to the Fair Housing Act and vowed to push forward independent fair housing and environmental justice efforts.
• The General Iron agreement signed in 2023 by Lori Lightfoot and upheld by Mayor Brandon Johnson now lacks federal enforcement, leaving the city responsible for advancing the promised reforms.