Here’s another story showing that Democrats don’t actually mean what they say. You know how folks on the left are always talking about wealthy people displacing the poor by buying up buildings in their neighborhoods and driving them out?
It’s a practice known as “gentrification” and Democrats have been railing against it for decades. Yet, it’s exactly what a California billionaire is attempting to do in Chicago for a project aimed at honoring former President Barack Obama, according to Fox News.
You’re gonna love this:
Chicago residents in rent-controlled housing near a site being constructed to honor former President Barack Obama have reportedly unionized in response to the controversial project.
Residents of a longtime Woodlawn apartment building organized to resist possible displacement and rent increases they say are being driven by development pressure surrounding the Obama Presidential Center.
Tenants at the Chaney Braggs Apartments rallied earlier this month outside their building near 65th Street and Stony Island Avenue, saying a potential sale of the property could upend the lives of families who have lived there for decades, FOX 32 Chicago reported.
A California-based investor is seeking to buy the building and might either renovate or demolish it, according to residents. Tenants say they have been offered $2,000 per household to move out, a proposal they say falls far short of what families would need to relocate in a rapidly changing neighborhood.
The residents formed a union because they fear Democrats are trying to push them out of their homes. They held a rally outside their building earlier this month, arguing that a sale of the property could upend their lives.
Again, I'm begging journos to please pay attention to this story and look closely at the Obama Center. Notice the building in question and how beautiful it is: this is all part of a larger plan to evict residents, buy up properties, and "renovate" them for wealthy buyers. https://t.co/QxpEIlXHWp
— Yasmin Nair (One Tenacious B.) (@NairYasmin) March 6, 2026
As of this writing, no high-profile Democratic politician has publicly commented on the matter — including Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson. The residents say they have repeatedly tried reaching out to their local government, but have not gotten a response.
Yet, in the past, both Obama and Johnson have discussed gentrification.
In 2018, when South Side residents pressed Obama about the presidential center fueling displacement, he downplayed the issue. “We’ve got such a long way to go in terms of economic development before you’re even going to start seeing the prospect of significant gentrification,” and suggested it would be future generations that might have to deal with it.
Residents in the Woodlawn neighborhood of Chicago push back on rent hikes or having to move out of their building, which is down the street from the up and coming Obama Center. 🤦🏿♂️😒 pic.twitter.com/0G4mWpfkoX
— Grindz TV (@Grindz_TV) March 6, 2026
Johnson has previously expressed support for “housing justice.” He backed a city ordinance tightening affordability requirements on city-owned lots around the Obama Center area and called it “a meaningful step in our mission to grow our city’s housing supply while increasing affordability in our neighborhoods."
Yet, neither of them have lifted a finger to help the residents who could face displacement because some California billionaire wants to build a concrete shrine to Obama. I wonder how these politicians would react if the same thing were being done to honor a Republican president?
Editor’s Note: Do you enjoy Townhall’s conservative reporting that takes on the radical Left and woke media? Support our work so that we can continue to bring you the truth.
Join Townhall VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member