Justice Department intervenes in Evanston reparations case

The U.S. Department of Justice moved on Tuesday, June 16, to intervene in a federal lawsuit challenging a municipal reparations program in Evanston, Illinois, arguing the initiative constitutes illegal race discrimination. The city’s mayor defended the program as a constitutional effort to address historical housing discrimination.

Evanston’s Local Reparations Restorative Housing Program, approved by the city council in 2019, provides grants of up to $25,000 to eligible Black residents. The funds can be used for a down payment on a home, property repairs, or to pay interest and late fees on property in the city. To qualify, an individual must be a direct descendant of a Black person who lived in Evanston as an adult between 1919 and 1969. Black residents who can prove they experienced housing discrimination due to city policies after 1969 may also qualify.

The program, funded by revenue from a local cannabis sales tax, is the first of its kind enacted by a U.S. city. To date, the city has awarded approximately $5 million to 212 applicants and has earmarked $10 million for the initiative.

In a statement, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, who heads the Justice...