Overview
- The city said it issued $25,000 payments on Feb. 5 to 44 residents as part of its housing-focused reparations plan.
- Eligibility is restricted to Black residents and descendants who lived in Evanston between 1919 and 1969, with funds intended for housing costs.
- The program, established in 2019 and approved in 2021, pledges $10 million in assistance over ten years.
- Financing comes from a real estate transfer tax and a 3% cannabis sales tax, and officials have discussed adding a tax on Delta‑8 THC products.
- Disbursements proceed by selection number on a pay-as-you-go basis, and a Judicial Watch lawsuit argues the eligibility rules violate the 14th Amendment.