‘Bring Chicago Home’ referendum to reduce homelessness through tax on high-end property sales clears City Council

Salvation Army workers give a homeless man some supplies, including blankets and hand warmers, down on Lower Wacker Drive in February 2021. (Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times)

It’s now up to Chicago voters to decide whether to authorize the City Council to raise the real estate transfer tax on high-end property sales to confront the burgeoning problem of homelessness.

The binding referendum known as “Bring Chicago Home” will appear on the March ballot, thanks to Tuesday’s 32-to-17 Council vote.