State Appeals Court Greenlights Vote on Luxury Property Tax for Homeless Services

Chicago voters will soon decide on a proposal to raise a& one-time tax on luxury properties& to fund services for homeless people.& State appeals court judges cleared the way for the measure to be on the March 19 ballot after overturning a previous rejection from a Cook County judge late last month. Moreover, with early voting already starting, all votes will count.& If approved, the measure would increase the city’s real estate transfer tax on properties valued over $1 million, with proceeds funding services for homeless persons like mental health care and job training.& “As we have said from the beginning and as the Appellate Court agreed today, this was always a question wisely left to the voters of Chicago. I am pleased that Chicagoans will have the opportunity to weigh in on Bring Chicago Home, which is intended to provide a dedicated revenue source to combat homelessness,” said Mayor Brandon Johnson, who has championed this measure.& & Supporters of the Bring Chicago Home measure estimate it would generate $100 million annually for those services.& Maxica Williams, Chair of the End Homelessness Ballot Initiative Committee and Board President of the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, issued a statement, adding, “Our...