In Chicago, United Power for Action & Justice (UPAJ) through its Reclaiming Chicago campaign has secured a total of $27.55 million in commitments and land towards building 2,000 Nehemiah Homes on vacant lots controlled by the city in severely blighted areas on the city's south and west sides. UPAJ recently launched the building of the first 250 homes in North Lawndale, erecting two model homes. At a July 2021 press conference with Mayor Lightfoot, Illinois Senate President Harmon and other local officials and allies, UPAJ announced the commitments of money and land to launch UPAJ’s Reclaiming Chicago building campaign including: 1) Chicago Mayor Lightfoot's commitment of the first 250 city-owned vacant lots (the first of 1,000) in North Lawndale and the $5.3 million in TIF funds for site remediation from the city of Chicago; 2) $12.25 million from prviate investors (e.g. JP Morgan Chase, wealthy individuals, family foundations) towards a UPAJ 0%, 5-year revolving construction loan fund to build homes at scale. UPAJ's goal is to secure $25 million to allow for the construction of 100 Nehemiah homes at a time. 3) $10 million line item in the IL State Budget for grant funds for homebuyer subsidies. This is enough to assist approximately 300 new homebuyers in purchasing 300 new constructed homes. UPAJ plans to break ground on infrastructure in late Fall 2021.