With support from the Fund, reporter Emeline Posner of the Investigative Project on Race and Equity, in partnership with Injustice Watch reporter Carlos Ballesteros, found that more than 1,000 homeowners in Cook County, Illinois, have lost their homes to property tax foreclosure since 2019. More than half of the homes were taken because of initial debts of $1,600 or less, and 12 cases involved debts under $200. The losses were concentrated in predominantly Black communities and often affected senior citizens. Spurred in part by the investigation, a new state law was passed and went into effect recently, returning surplus equity to former homeowners, setting up tax-deed auctions, and stopping private tax buyers in Cook County by 2030.
New Illinois law targets property-tax foreclosure uncovered by grantee investigation
