Open Letter To Chatham Community

Open Letter
To
Chatham Community

     The  South Side Community Investors  Association (SSCIA) is the community organization for Property owners and management companies.  It's purpose is to promote and support the responsible ownership, management, development and expansion of residential and commercial real estate on the South side of Chicago, Illinois; and provide education, motivation, and networking directed at enhancing the overall value of our investments and  communities. 

We are organized around several core values: 

• Good property management
• Respectful treatment of tenants and employees 
• Improvement of Public Safety
• Participation in Community Events & Initiatives

     SSCIA members don't keep tenants that are bad for the building or for the neighborhood. Building owners are part of the community and you can't have a good neighborhood without good residents.

     SSCIA is more than good for the neighborhood, it is important. One of the biggest elements missing in Chatham and it's surrounding blocks is the flow of capital -- investment in buildings & businesses. No matter how hard the community has tried to draw big box and corporate retail the response has been unanimously NO with one or two exceptions. The truth is that corporate retail is always the last to open up shop in a revitalizing community. The strategy that prevailed in other revitalized Chicago neighborhoods is a collaboration between Residents/Resident groups, Community Leaders, Organizations, City/ County/ State governments and.......small building owners. These are the small operators who don't follow corporate statistics and are willing to invest their life savings in the hope that hard work and strong management will create a good investment property in an area that most Chicago residents think is untouchable. 

SSCIA members are the:

• Small building owners who spend time participating in community initiatives and making connections with the residents. 
• Building owners who spend more time in the community they invested in. than at their own homes. 
• Good building owners drawn into the community so that less properties are available for bad owners to purchase--less inventory is available for speculators and flippers. 

     SSCIA has been able to establish itself as a place that good building owners and aspiring property investors meet, talk about what is going on in the community, the apartment building industry and how can we as owners can continuously improve our selves. SSCIA has been able to build a bridge between residents of the community and property owners to collaborate on revitalization initiatives.

We are now in a "Window of Opportunity".We can finally say that the Real Estate recession is over for the south side apartment building market. The economy is once again showing signs of life with Jobs coming back. 

   Final Thoughts:

     Ironically, that while the cost of living and price of housing in many Chicago communities is putting pressure on many families'  budgets; the same families are refusing to consider neighborhoods such as South Shore, Chatham, Grand Crossing and Auburn Gresham due to bad publicity and inadequate amenities The greater Chatham area has an opportunity with the right strategy and community partners to attract the much needed investment and residents to the community. We can set the area on course, to once again be a leading African American community, a badge of honor for the City of Chicago. No one group can do this alone.  SSCIA must do its share.