About our grantmaking
Helping to increase social and economic opportunities for low-income Chicagoans, MacArthur supports the New Communities Program, a comprehensive community revitalization effort in 16 Chicago neighborhoods, as well as communication of its lessons learned to other cities and the field.
Latest news
December 19, 2011
Winners of the Apps 4 Metro Chicago Grand Challenge and the Innovate Illinois Award were announced.
Read the press release »
Read a Chicago Tribune article about the winners »
October 25, 2011
Mercy Housing has launched a new program, with $100 million in unused Troubled Asset Relief Program money, to slash loan balances to affordable levels on Chicago-area homes that are underwater, or worth less than their debt. The program seeks to buy distressed loans at a discount, alter them, and sell them at a profit to attract investors to the Illinois housing market. More »
September 23, 2011
Chicago region foreclosure cases are taking longer to complete, resulting in a dramatic drop in foreclosure completions from the first half of 2010 to the first half of 2011, according to data from MacArthur grantee Woodstock Institute. As fewer cases complete the foreclosure process, Woodstock believes it is likely that the number of homes tied up in the foreclosure process is growing. More »
August 30, 2011
Apps 4 Metro Chicago, the first ever regionally-based open data civic apps challenge, announced the first round of winners. Thirteen teams received grants ranging from $300 to $5000 for transportation-related apps addressing topics such as potholes and bike paths. With $50,000 in support from MacArthur for developer awards and access to nearly 200 data sets from Chicago and the region, the competition is designed to spur the creation of thousands of new web applications to help improve the lives of residents in the Chicago area. Visit appsformetrochicago.com »
August 17, 2011
The City of Chicago has launched a new initiative to prevent foreclosures and stabilize property values in certain neighborhoods that have a significant number of foreclosures and vacancies, reliable property ownership records, previous investments by program partners, and continued market interest by potential homeowners and residential developers. The Micro-Market Recovery Program will begin in sub-sections of Humboldt Park, Chatham, Chicago Lawn, West Woodlawn, Auburn Gresham, West Pullman, Belmont Cragin, Englewood, and Grand Boulevard. The work is supported by $15 to $20 million in loan programs supported by MacArthur, which will help leverage a total of $50 million in investments from private sources. MacArthur's support is part of the Foundation's larger Foreclosure Prevention and Mitigation Project. Read the press release »
Affordable Housing, Program-Related Investments
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