Can One House Turn Around A Whole Block?
City officials, neighbors, hope an $18-million federal grant will help stabilize two neighborhoods hardest-hit by foreclosures in Evanston.
When one single-family home on Leland Avenue fell into foreclosure, the effects were felt around the block. The awning at 1733 Leland started falling off, the owners moved out, and the renters who moved in didn’t keep up the property. “We received a lot of complaints about this house,” says Ike Dickson, former president of the West End Area block club. “It really started to become in disrepair.” Two years later, the one-story step ranch has been transformed, with a new roof, a landscaped front yard and a completely renovated interior. U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, Evanston Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl and other local politicians toured 1733 Leland Ave. on Thursday, to see firsthand how the city of Evanston is spending an $18-million neighborhood …
