Affordable Housing in Avondale (Expanded)

This booklet reflects on the rapid transformation of the author’s Chicago neighborhood, marked by skyrocketing home prices and property taxes, and the scarcity of affordable housing.

The first version, printed in June 2023, coincided with the eviction of their longtime neighbors from their subsidized three-flat, which was soon demolished. The next owner planned to convert the property into single-family homes, but sold it to another developer who is now constructing a five-unit condo building.

They photographed discarded dollhouses and toy houses in Avondale alleys from 2022 to late 2024. After the first booklet’s publication in 2023, a massive rainstorm flooded basements, resulting in discarded furniture, toys, and dollhouses, including some documented in this edition. The booklet’s writing is also a collage of exaggerated claims from real estate agents and firms operating in Avondale.