CHICAGO — This MLK Day, Illinois’ 7th Congressional District candidate Anabel Mendoza and Rev. Robin Hood stood alongside community leaders and more than 20 tenants from Harrison Courts Apartments in East Garfield Park, calling for immediate action from the Department of Housing and Urban Development following months of unsafe and unlivable conditions in the building.

Harrison Courts Apartments is currently governed by a special contract between the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA), under which the federal government has placed restrictions on how CHA may use federal funding for repairs and redevelopment at the complex. Tenants and advocates say those restrictions have contributed to dangerous delays while residents continue to live in unsafe conditions. 

During the press conference held at The Lighthouse Gospel Missionary Baptist Church, tenants detailed persistent water leaks, mold, urine in the hallways, and broken elevators that have made daily life unsafe — particularly for seniors, people with disabilities, and residents with medical needs. 

Tenants shared that the lack of action has had immediate, personal consequences. One resident, Jimmy, is facing eviction despite the unlivable conditions in his apartment. Another tenant, Javan, recently underwent surgery and has been instructed by doctors not to climb stairs — yet with elevators out of service, she has been forced to walk multiple flights daily, putting her health and recovery at serious risk. 

“This is what happens when bureaucracy is allowed to override human lives,” said Anabel Mendoza. “HUD has turned Harrison Courts into a holding zone instead of a home. Tenants are being forced to live in dangerous conditions while agencies point fingers at each other.”

Following the press conference, Mendoza toured Harrison Courts Apartments with residents to witness the conditions firsthand and amplify tenants’ calls for urgent intervention and accountability.

Following the walk-through, tenants and Anabel outlined clear demands for HUD:

• For HUD to lift restrictions on federal funding and ensure immediate repairs to the building
  
  

• For tenants to be temporarily relocated to clean and safe housing that does not endanger their health or well-being
  
  

• And for tenants to have the guaranteed right to return to their communities once repairs are completed

“No one should be punished for demanding safe housing,” Anabel added. “Tenants deserve immediate relief, real repairs, and the right to come home once their buildings are made safe. I will continue standing with residents until HUD takes responsibility.”

###

Anabel Mendoza is a community organizer, immigrant advocate, and the youngest candidate running for Congress in Illinois’ 7th District. A lifelong Chicagoan and the proud daughter and granddaughter of immigrants, she has dedicated her career to fighting for working families, immigrant rights, and a government that serves people, not corporations. She’s running to bring unity, honesty, and courage to Washington. For more information, visit www.anabelforcongress.com