Alex Polikoff: Reflections on Gautreaux at 50
BPI had a significant milestone to reflect on this year: It was 50 years ago, as a volunteer attorney for the ACLU, that BPI Senior Staff Counsel Alex Polikoff filed the landmark Gautreaux litigation against CHA and HUD, which ultimately helped to change the face of public housing in Chicago, reform national public housing law and policy, and inspire some of the nation’s most innovative housing programs.
BPI has supplied counsel for the Gautreaux plaintiffs since 1970, when Alex joined the then 1-year-old BPI as executive director, and continues to serve in the role of Senior Staff Counsel. The case remains active in the courts today, under the stewardship of Alex and Senior Staff Counsel Julie Elena Brown, who co-direct BPI’s public housing program.
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the court filing, Alex shared his insights in a thoughtful essay, “Reflections on Gautreaux at Fifty.”
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