The New York Times takes a lengthy look at the housing "sinkholes" on the South and West Sides, and the income and housing inequality between the downtown core and ring neighborhoods. Mayor Rahm Emanuel treats this perception as a "false dichotomy", despite data that show intense concentrations of vacant houses in a few predominately Black neighborhoods. Ben Austen's Times piece turns its attention to groups like South Chicago Rising and the Anti-Eviction Campaign and their interventionist approach to reclaiming and restoring lost housing (read: squatting). Government has its heart in the right place, working on rehabs, resales and even a major land banking push, but the resources have yet to match the size of the problem. [NTY]
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