The Cook County Assessor’s Office has been working to transform a property tax system that many would contend has been unfair for decades. For years, assessor offices overvalued homes in Black and Brown communities while underassessing properties in White concentrated suburbs. This has not only been a Cook County problem but a national issue in many big cities. The underlying causes have their roots in structural racism and the inability of assessors to access quality data.
Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi will be in conversation with scholars and practitioners to unpack these issues and discuss solutions. Professor Andrew Karhl from the University of Virginia has released a new book called, The Black Tax: 150 Years of Theft, Exploitation, and Dispossession in America that traces inequitable assessments and land takings from Blacks to as far back as the Civil War and follows its legacy to predatory practices that impact communities today.
Professor Chris Berry from the University of Chicago has done recent work looking specifically at Cook County’s property tax system and has a new study on the progress that the Cook County Assessor’s Office is making in correcting assessment bias.
Frank Williams is a legendary realtor who was integral in integrating the Beverly neighborhood in Chicago and lived through the struggle for fair housing.
Tracey Scott, CEO of the Chicago Housing Authority, the nation's third largest public housing authority will bring her perspective as a leading voice in the affordable housing sector.
Journalist and author, Arionne Nettles will lead this group in conversation in what is sure to be a deeply engaging discussion.