Historic Black Church in Chicago Plans Affordable Housing

One of Chicago’s oldest Black churches is betting big on real estate to fuel its modern rebirth.

Olivet Baptist Church, a historic congregation founded in 1850 and once a stop on the Underground Railroad, plans to develop a $157 million affordable housing project next to its sanctuary in Bronzeville, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

Dubbed Trinity Square, the project would bring 366 apartments, a day care center, a food pantry, a workforce development hub and a health and wellness clinic to a stretch of land east of the church at 3101 South Martin Luther King Drive.

About 80 percent of the units would be reserved for low-income tenants, with 10 percent set aside for tenants with no income, according to early plans. No more than 20 percent of the apartments would be priced at market rate.

Pastor John L. Smith, who has led Olivet since 2018, said the project aims to reinvigorate the congregation and address broader community needs after decades of demographic change in Bronzeville.

Trinity Square would double the number of affordable units delivered in Chicago in recent years, according to housing advocates. Ratnika Prasad of Abundant Housing Illinois called it “an ambitious project” and noted that faith-based affordable housing efforts typically cap out at 40 to 60 units, not hundreds.

The church began working two years ago with New Jersey-based Crossing Capital Group to secure financing and a development partner, Smith said. Full funding for the project has not yet been finalized.

The proposal comes as Olivet marks its 175th anniversary, celebrating a storied history that included early abolitionist work and influence during the Great Migration. Former members include prominent political activists and Civil Rights Movement figures.

Olivet’s bold housing bet echoes similar efforts at historic churches in Washington, D.C., and Arlington, Virginia, as faith institutions nationwide rethink their community roles amid declining membership.

Bronzeville rents are rising steadily. The average rent for a studio apartment in the neighborhood was up 29.8 percent from three years ago this April, and rents for one- and two-bedroom apartments rose 26.8 and 32.8 percent, according to renthop.com. The average rent for a one bedroom is under $1,600. The area’s median household income is $54,142, according to RentCafe.

— Judah Duke