Chicago suburb of Evanston approves America’s first reparations program for black residents whose descendants lived in city between 1919 and 1969 and experienced housing discrimination: $10m will be paid out using marijuana taxes
- Evanston, Illinois, on Monday night approved reparations for its black residents
- The city established its reparations program – the first of its kind – in 2019
- The city committed $10million over a decade to the reparation effort
- It will be funded by a three percent tax on recreational marijuana sales
- The city council approved the program with $400,000 focused on housing
- The first phase will provide $25,000 to up to 16 eligible black residents
- The cash must be used for home repairs, down payments or mortgage payments
- Black residents are eligible if they or their ancestors lived in the city 1919-69
- They are also eligible if they can show they suffered housing discrimination
- The recipients will be randomly selected if there are more than 16 applicants