Chicago voters will have the opportunity to decide whether to authorize the City Council to raise the real estate transfer tax on high-end property sales in order to address the growing problem of homelessness. The binding referendum, known as "Bring Chicago Home," will appear on the March ballot following a 32-to-17 vote by the City Council. This comes as the city has struggled to spend the hundreds of millions of dollars it has received for housing and serving the homeless.

Ald. Ray Lopez argued against the referendum, stating that the city should show it knows how to effectively use the funds it already has before asking for more. However, Ald. Maria Hadden countered that many city departments have been working hard to address homelessness and that claiming the city isn't doing anything is a slap in the face to these public servants.

This vote sets the stage for a contentious battle between Mayor Brandon Johnson's progressive coalition, which includes homeless advocates, and the business and real estate communities. The referendum aims to confront the issue of homelessness, which has affected 12% of the population since 2019, with Black Chicagoans making up nearly 70% of the unhoused population. The outcome of the March vote will determine whether the real estate transfer tax will be increased to support efforts to combat homelessness in Chicago.