Major Accomplishments

2013
  • Forced the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) to contract with an urban planner to develop a master plan for the finishing of the Altgeld redevelopment plan.  CHA wanted to demolished 648 vacant apartments and now their plans are being reassessed to ensure community participation.
2012        
  • PCR became one of the founding organization of the Environmental Justice Alliance of the Greater Southeast Chicago which consist of other organizations in Southeast Chicago.
2001
  • Organized a Community forum with public officials to discuss tenant rights issues, police brutality, urban progress concerns and accountability of public officials to its constituents.
  • Forced the Chicago Ford Motor Company's Assembly Plant to expand its employment recruitment centers to include three unemployment offices within the perimeter of its facility instead of just using the Harvey's unemployment office.
  • Hazel Johnson the executive director of PCR appeared in a documentary by PBS on Altgeld and environmental issues.
2000
  • Organized a town hall meeting with elected official from the city, state, county and federal to look into the problems residents were having with management and corruption in Altgeld Gardens.  Over 400 residents attended.
  • Organized a meeting with representatives from the IL Department of Human Services (former Public Aid Office) to discuss unfair sanctions of welfare recipients.  PCR helped to demonstrate the unfairness of a policy they enforced without checks and balances to ensure that caseworkers were providing the necessary documents to their clients.  Some clients received retroactive payments on their grants.
  • Organized workshops on tenant rights in public housing with the Legal Assistance Foundation of Chicago to challenged unfair eviction notices and harassment of tenants by management.  250 residents attended the workshops.
  • The management company of Altgeld was cited by OSHA, ILEPA and the City of Chicago Department of the Environment for improper removal of asbestos contained floor tiles from a Day Care Center
  • Held a public hearing with government officials whereas 250 residents participated and discussed odors issues in the community_
  • Collaborated with Northwestern University to produce a video documentary on the lawsuit residents filed against the Chicago Housing Authority regarding the PCBs and PAHs contamination in Altgeld Gardens.  The film was entitled The Poison Promise of Altgeld Gardens
1999
  • PCR stopped the removal of asbestos contained floor tiles from being removed in the Community Building in Altgeld by unlicensed and untrained workers.  The management company of Altgeld was cited by OSHA and the IL Department of Public Health for conducting this removal process.  PCR was concerned that preschoolers were being exposed to asbestos fibers due to its ability to be airborne   CHA hired a licensed contractors to monitored the air to ensure that there were no fibers in the building.
  • PCR worked extensively to monitored the cleanup process of the CHA's storage shed that was contaminated with PCBs oil.  The cleanup was completed in the month of June and this were the fifth time that CHA had to hired contractors  to remove these contaminants.
1998
  • Trained twenty workers of the Chicago Housing Authority's Altgeld Gardens development on environmental lead dust reduction in the renovation of apartments.
  • Hosted a meeting with the USEPA, Reg 5 to prove that the soil contamination of poly aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are excessively high which can cause skin cancer and skin rash to individuals who may come in contact with the soil.  PCR teamed up with Northwestern University's Civil Engineering Department and the Chicago Legal Clinic to present the analysis to USEPA.
1997
  • Monitored the progress of the Chicago Housing Authority to select a contractor to remediate the polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) contaminated soil withing a storage site in Altgeld Gardens.  Contractor started excavation of PCBs contaminated soil.
  • Organized 1800 residents to attend a community meeting on the sodium trioxide spills in the community caused by PMC Specialty Group.  The residents expressed serious concerns about the health implications that were caused by the spill.  The Chicago Legal Clinic was present to answer the residents' questions.
  • Implemented the tenant-to-tenant lead education entitled "Residents Education About Lead (REAL)" project.  The goal of this Project was to canvassed the community to teach residents how to intervene or prevent their children from being lead poisoned in their home
1996
  • June, PCR was one of the 100 selected organizations in the country to attend a ceremony at the White House for the President Clinton's Environmental Day
  • May, sponsored a  Midwest Great Lakes Environmental Justice Summit
  • Program began with PCR and local university with a called the Community and University Partnership program which PCR used it extensive history in environmental issues to help develop and support new and existing nonprofit community organizations to develop and support new and existing in the area of environmental issues and concerns. 

VOLUNTEER/ INTERNSHIP

Please visit our volunteer page or internship page and learn about the many ways you can directly impact your community

MISSION

PCR mission is to enhance the quality of life of residents living in communities affected by environmental pollution. PCR educates and advocates for policy and programs in an effort to coordinate local residents on issues of the environment, health, housing, education, training, neighborhood safety, and economic equity.

PCR

13330 S. CORLISS
CHICAGO, IL 60827
PHONE: 773.840.4618
Fax: 773.840.4414
People for Community Recovery is sponsored by Woods Fund of Chicago and Crossroads Fund.