survey day sshdi

South Side Housing Data Initiative

sshdi

Overview

The South Side Housing Data Initiative (SSHDI) is a collaboration led by the University of Chicago Office of Civic Engagement in partnership with organizations from three South Side communities—Woodlawn, Washington Park, and South Shore. Starting in 2016, the initiative sought to better understand the housing landscape in in each of the those communities, empower residents to advocate for community-driven policies that help low- and moderate-income community members maintain their housing, and address the unique housing challenges each community faces. With support from the Polk Bros. Foundation, the effort brought together community-based organizations, local residents, and University of Chicago resources. 

In each phase of this work, residents fanned out across their respective communities using data-tracking smartphone apps to survey, categorize, and map building and land conditions for every parcel of land. Students from the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy then analyzed the collected data and identified key insights. Partner organizations later used those insights to inform and develop comprehensive reports and policy recommendations for their communities.

South Side Communities

woodlawn

Woodlawn

The first iteration of the SSHDI came about in 2016 after representatives of Woodlawn East Community and Neighbors (WECAN) sought University support to collect and analyze local property data to better understand housing-related issues facing current residents and the availability of resources to address them. 

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Washington Park

Washington Park

In 2019, the initiative expanded to Washington Park, where University partners worked with the Washington Park Residents’ Advocacy Council.

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survey day sshdi

South Shore

In 2022, South Shore was the third — and largest — neighborhood to participate in the South Side Housing Data Initiative. Supporting community partners included The Neighborhood Network Alliance, South Shore Chamber of Commerce, and South Shore Works, which together formed The South Shore Community Compact.

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Resources

The Office of Civic Engagement continues to support this work through ongoing programming offered in collaboration with community partners. Past workshops and resources have explored the following topics and tapped the expertise and resources of the community partners linked below. To learn about upcoming opportunities, please subscribe to our Partnering for Community Impact newsletter here.

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