Rezoning for a Better Evanston (RBE) is a non-profit dedicated to making Evanston a more equitable and inclusive city. Our mission is to legalize multi-unit housing, by right, across all residential districts in Evanston while implementing anti-displacement measures to ensure that all Evanston residents, regardless of race or class, are able to find safe, affordable housing.

We believe in:

• Anti-Displacement: We aim to slow the outmigration of Black residents, who have dropped from 22.5% of the population in 2000 to 14.8% today. Evanston’s current zoning laws segregate the city by race and income.

• Affordability: We advocate for more affordable housing options for individuals and families across a wide range of income levels. A family earning the Area Median Income, or AMI, of $96,000 would be hard pressed to find a home that they can afford. Even rentals can be out of reach, and many Evanston residents are housing cost-burdened.

• Housing Abundance: Moderate- and middle-income professionals like teachers, police officers, firefighters, and city workers often drive long distances just to get to their jobs. RBE believes that everyone who works in Evanston should be able to live in Evanston, and that providing a wide variety of housing options is the most effective way to make this happen.