DeJuanda Fairley-Hall's commute to work is about to get a lot shorter. Fairley-Hall is preparing to move to Back of the Yards, the same neighborhood where she has worked as a counselor for Chicago Public Schools for more than 17 years.She is among several families purchasing newly built homes in the neighborhood through a city-backed initiative designed to make homeownership more affordable.“I will be able to connect on another level to a community I have been a part of for so many years,” said Fairley-Hall, 45. “As a resident, I’ll be able to drive change in the community.”She is currently renting an apartment in Auburn Gresham and says she looks forward to giving her 11-year-old daughter room to grow in a home of their own.Fairley-Hall and other prospective homeowners toured two newly built houses available for purchase Saturday during a ribbon-cutting ceremony in the 5000 block of South Aberdeen Street.The homes were constructed on formerly vacant lots as part of the community-led campaign Reclaiming Chicago that launched in 2021. Backed by the city, the state and private lenders, the initiative aims to build 2,000 homes across the South and West sides. Mayor Brandon Johnson and DeJuanda Fairley-Hall cut a ribbon outside of new houses erected in Back of the Yards on Saturday.Giacomo Cain/Sun-Times Lizette Carretero, director of Financial Wellness at The Resurrection Project, said 200 vacant lots were purchased in Back of the Yards, with 28 homes expected to be completed this year.“This is a moment of momentum and hope,” Carretero said. “We have so many community members excited. That's the energy we need to keep going and fighting for more work and more money that we need to be able to support more families.”Carretero said each home costs about $500,000 to build but will be sold for $315,000. Buyers can qualify for up to $100,000 in down payment assistance, along with an additional $50,000 in support from the state.“We want families to know that buying a home is feasible,” Carretero said.Carretero said The Resurrection Project is currently working with about 300 families to prepare them for homeownership. Most of the participants are working-class families who are in the process of becoming eligible to purchase a home.Many of the buyers will also be first-time homeowners and it could be the first step to building generational wealth for their families. Visitors on Saturday check out the new houses erected in Back of the Yards.Giacomo Cain/Sun-Times By purchasing one of these homes, families “have chosen not just to buy a piece of property, but [they're] buying part of the community,” said Raul Raymundo, CEO of The Resurrection Project.“They're not only going to contribute to their neighborhood, but to the city as a whole, because now they own a piece of the city,” Raymundo added.Homes are also being built in North Lawndale, Roseland, Washington Park and Chicago Lawn.“By converting these vacant lots into new homes, we are not only making use of unused land, but we are making neighborhoods safer,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said at the ceremony. “We are ... expanding opportunities for affordable home ownership. But more importantly, we are giving the individuals and the families that will call this place home the opportunity to create a strong foundation.” ...read more read less