Taken by Taxes
A joint investigation by Injustice Watch and the Investigative Project on Race and Equity found thousands of Cook County seniors who have lost their homes to property tax foreclosure in recent years despite a U.S. Supreme Court ruling barring the practice.
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Part 1
Illinois is the last state to unlawfully strip wealth from homeowners caught in tax foreclosure
The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled unconstitutional a decades-old practice of taking every cent of people’s home equity over unpaid property taxes. Experts say Illinois lags behind the nation by continuing the racist policy mostly impacting Black communities.
Part 2
Cook County allows tax foreclosures by municipalities. Poor oversight led to misuse by local officials.
Officials were able to use the county’s revitalization program for personal and political gain, neglected seized properties, and stripped homeowners of equity they had built up in their properties.
Project Contributors
Reporting by Carlos Ballesteros and Emeline Posner
Editing by Robin Amer, Rui Kaneya, David Kidwell, Marissa Evans, and Jonah Newman
Illustrations by Veronica Martinez
Photos by Taylor Glascock
Engagement by Ismael Perez and Maggie Sivit