Lots that sat empty for decades on the West Side of Chicago have been filled with single-family homes. The transformation was cause for celebration on Tuesday, at the ribbon cutting for the first three homes in Austin built by Habitat for Humanity.

From the laundry room to the kitchen countertops to the bathroom sinks to the light fixtures, Natalie Randolph’s first new house is starting to feel like home, and that is a good feeling.

The house is one of three new builds on Lockwood Avenue in the Austin neighborhood.

“This land was all vacant, and it had been vacant for decades,” said Jen Parks, executive director of Habitat for Humanity Chicago.

Vacant land acquired by the Cook County Land Bank Authority was sold to the non-profit By The Hand Club For Kids and gifted to Habitat for Humanity Chicago to build homes.

The first three already have been built, and four more are coming to the neighborhood.

by Noel Brennan

June 16, 2026