217 Today: Substandard housing in Champaign has left residents displaced and sick

Dustin Schingl sits outside of a condemned building at Champaign Park Apartments in Champaign, Illinois, on April 10. The ground is scattered in broken shingles that fell from the roof.

Thursday, April 27, 2023

Today’s headlines: 

  • After a year of bargaining – and a six-day strike – faculty and staff at Eastern Illinois University have overwhelmingly ratified a new contract.
  • Jurors in the Commonwealth Edison bribery trial of four former executives and lobbyists are asking questions during their first full day of deliberations.
  • Democratic State Representative Sonya Harper is spearheading a slew of measures aimed at supporting Black farmers in Illinois.
  • An Illinois bill that would allow patients to sue crisis pregnancy centers if they felt misled from seeking abortion care is one step closer to the Governor’s Desk.

In today’s deep dive, we’ll learn more about what residents in Champaign living in substandard housing have done after over 400 apartment units were condemned last year.

Reporting today contributed by Emily Hays, Dave McKinney, Mawa Iqbal and Sydney Wood.

Farrah Anderson

Farrah Anderson is a 2024 graduate of the University of Illinois. At Illinois Public Media, Anderson works as a general assignment reporter focusing on police and investigative stories.