Sunshine Breaks Ground on New Affordable Homes in Woodlawn and Washington Park

On April 25th, our team at Sunshine Gospel Ministries celebrated an exciting milestone with our Housing Equity Initiative (HEI) as we officially broke ground on the construction of two new affordable homes in the Woodlawn community. These developments will bring two energy-efficient 2-flat homes to the community and create new homeownership opportunities for families completing our Home Buyer Readiness Program (HBRP).

This development was made possible through our collaborative partnership with United Power for Action and Justice through Reclaiming Chicago Initiative, alongside Guider Group LLC, serving as architect, and Outlook Construction Design and Interior, serving as general contractor. 

“We recognize that housing insecurity, high rents, and outstanding tax bills strain the quality of life for many African American homeowners,” said Kimberly Salley, Executive Director of Sunshine Gospel Ministries. “Homeownership is fundamental to family stability, health, and generational wealth creation, and we are striving, with collaborative efforts, to make this a reality.”

The need remains significant across our community, where approximately 77% of households are renter-occupied, while our neighboring community, Washington Park, faces even greater challenges, with nearly 88% renter-occupied housing and one of the lowest homeownership rates in Chicago.

As we begin construction, we remain grateful for the partnerships, community support, and shared vision that continue making this work possible.