Meet the Black leaders in Mayor Brandon Johnson’s cabinet • The TRiiBE

In March 2020, Mayor Lori Lightfoot nominated Tracey Scott to serve as CEO of the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA), and the CHA Board approved the nomination that same month. 

Scott previously served as the interim executive director/CEO of the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority and has also had senior leadership roles within the Atlanta Housing Authority. The CHA is the nation’s third-largest public housing authority, and serves more than 65,000 households and 135,000 individual residents through various housing programs. 

As CEO of CHA, Scott reports to the Board of Commissioners, which is appointed by the mayor. The remaining seats are filled by CHA public housing residents and voucher holders. In a questionnaire to The TRiiBE, Scott wrote that she and her team are accountable to CHA residents and people who need subsidized housing. 

Scott told The TRiiBE that she’s working to improve the lives of Black people city-wide by providing new housing opportunities.

“Since 2020, we have delivered nearly 3,000 new mixed-income apartments, and more than 1,100 are currently under construction. This represents $1.4 billion of public-private investments in new housing in communities throughout Chicago,” she explained. 

Scott said more than 80% of CHA residents are Black, and on average, CHA-assisted households have an income of under $15,000. In addition to providing housing, Scott added that the agency is also working to empower residents through mentoring, technical support, and training through its Workforce Opportunity Resource Center. 

The agency came under scrutiny last November after an investigation by Block Club Chicago and the Illinois Answers Program found that it has nearly 500 vacant homes as part of its scattered-site program. Shortly after, CHA revealed a new $50 million initiative called “Restoring Home” to rehabilitate and renovate vacant buildings included within its scattered sites program. Three dozen small and medium-sized vacant apartment buildings around the city have been targeted for renovation, according to a written release. 

“Our support programs empower families to take charge of their lives. We offer college scholarships through our non-profit partner Springboard to Success. Our LevelUp self-sufficiency program provides an average payout of $6,500 to residents who meet their life goals,” Scott wrote to The TRiiBE.