Immigrant flows, urban renewal, white flight, religious transition, jazz, schisms, CHA failures, demolition by neglect, dithering billionaires, sportswashing, promises made and promises broken.

If you’ve ever thought the intersection of Grand and Paulina felt a little off…it’s because there’s a whole church missing.

Once the crown jewel of the Chicago YMCA system, a landmark of gay life in the city, and an SRO that provided flexible housing for decades, today the Lawson House is an encouraging story of architectural and (more importantly) affordable housing preservation.