Affordable housing

Janet Smith, co-director of the Nathalie P. Voorhees Center for Neighborhood and Community Improvement, discusses a Chicago ordinance that encourages developers to build affordable housing. Photo: Roberta Dupuis-Devlin

“It is almost as if black women in the court system are seen to not have a full range of emotions, and only act out of anger, aggression, vindictiveness — not fear, pain or terror.”

Beth Richie, professor of African American studies; criminology, law, and justice; and gender and women’s studies, on how the court system criminalizes African American women who act in self-defense. March 29 Huffington Post

“Health care is now getting interested in what we call super-utilizers. They’re both sick and they’re also accessing the ER for what we call secondary gain—it’s warm, they can get a sandwich, they’re there to sleep during the night.”

Stephen Brown, director of preventive emergency medicine at UI Health, on a new program at the hospital that focuses on linking heavy emergency department users who are homeless to housing. April 2 Crain’s Chicago Business

“We have a fixed problem now of rental affordability. It’s just a given in our city. It’s not changing even when we add affordable housing.”

Janet Smith, associate professor of urban planning and policy and co-director of the Nathalie P. Voorhees Center for Neighborhood and Community Improvement, on a Chicago ordinance that encourages developers to build affordable housing. April 2 Gazette