Bickerdike Redevelopment
Bickerdike Redevelopment Corporation is a nonprofit community development organization founded in 1967 that develops, preserves, and manages affordable housing and commercial space serving low and moderate-income residents of Chicago's north and west side communities through its property management subsidiary and member-based governance.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1967
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Bickerdike Redevelopment does
Bickerdike Redevelopment Corporation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) community development corporation founded in 1967 in Chicago, focused on developing, preserving, and managing affordable housing for low and moderate-income residents of the city's north and west side communities, including West Town, Humboldt Park, Logan Square, and Hermosa. The organization operates through three core lines: housing development (new construction and rehabilitation of affordable rental properties), property management via its wholly-owned subsidiary Bickerdike Apartments (overseeing 1,194 units across 140 buildings), and economic development (managing over 90,000 square feet of commercial space including the El Mercado marketplace). Since founding, Bickerdike has invested more than $600 million to develop 2,267 rental and for-sale homes, with 270 additional apartments currently under development and a pipeline of projects such as the 2025-approved 5853 N. Broadway in Edgewater.
The organization's business model blends recurring rental income from below-market-rate apartments and commercial leases with project-based revenue from HUD Section 8 contracts, Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) allocations, city of Chicago investment programs, and philanthropic donations and grants from foundations such as Old National Bank Foundation and the Chicago Recovery Plan. Notable technical and sustainability achievements include the Rosa Parks Apartments, which integrates geothermal heating/cooling and solar domestic hot water to achieve LEED Gold certification and multiple national industry awards. The company does not disclose pricing models and offers no public-facing technology platform, API, or mobile applications; distribution is direct through walk-in offices, phone-based inquiries, an online property map, and a waitlist application process.
Governance is member-based, with over 400 individual and 40 organizational members constituting the largest decision-making body and electing the board of directors, reinforced by tenant councils, garden committees, and organizing programs that align resident leadership with operational direction. The organization employs 101–250 staff, many of whom are area residents hired through economic development initiatives. Leadership includes CEO Joy Aruguete (recognized in 2018 with the AFP Outstanding Community Leader Award) and Director of Communications & Engagement Libby I. Juliá. Bickerdike has no parent company, no disclosed private equity backing, and is the first nonprofit owner in Chicago to secure a Section 8 contract renewal with HUD.
Bickerdike Redevelopment firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Bickerdike Redevelopment
- Legal name
- Bickerdike Redevelopment Corporation
- Website
- https://bickerdike.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1967
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Bickerdike Redevelopment Corporation is a nonprofit community development organization founded in 1967 that develops, preserves, and manages affordable housing and commercial space serving low and moderate-income residents of Chicago's north and west side communities through its property management subsidiary and member-based governance.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Bickerdike Redevelopment industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Affordable Housing
- NAICS
- Residential Property Managers (531311), Lessors of Real Estate (5311), Residential Building Construction (2361)
- SIC
- Operators Of Apartment Buildings (6513), Land Subdividers & Developers (No Cemeteries) (6552)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Residential Affordable Housing Development & Construction (IMAFABAI)
Keywords
Where Bickerdike Redevelopment is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices5 records
Markets served
Bickerdike Redevelopment business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Affordable Housing Rentals: Revenue from managing 1,194 affordable apartments including SROs, co-op units, and townhouse apartments. Rentals are priced below market rate for low and moderate-income residents.
- Commercial Space Leasing: Over 90,000 square feet of commercial space providing essential goods and services to the community. Includes El Mercado anchor tenant Cermak Produce, La Estancia commercial tenants (daycare, alternative high school, diabetes program), Zapata commercial space with Center for Changing Lives.
- Donations and Grants: Tax-deductible donations from individuals and organizations supporting affordable housing mission. Includes grants from foundations such as Old National Bank Foundation and Chicago Recovery Plan grants.
- Government Subsidies and Tax Credits: Project-based Section 8 contracts with HUD, Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC), and city investment programs for affordable housing development and preservation.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Bickerdike Redevelopment product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Bickerdike Redevelopment Corporation develops, preserves, and manages quality affordable rental housing for low and moderate-income residents in Chicago's north and west side communities. Through its property management arm Bickerdike Apartments, it oversees 1,194 units across 140 buildings. The organization also develops new affordable housing, leases commercial space in mixed-use developments, and runs economic development and tenant organizing programs to confront gentrification and displacement.
Product overview
Bickerdike Redevelopment Corporation operates as a nonprofit community development organization offering a portfolio of housing and community services. The core offerings include: Bickerdike Apartments, the property management arm overseeing 1,194 affordable units; Housing Development services for new construction and rehabilitation of affordable properties; Economic Development initiatives managing commercial spaces; and Tenant Organizing programs. These services are complemented by Community Gardens and the Technical Assistance Community Program (TACOM). The organization has developed notable properties including Rosa Parks Apartments (LEED Gold certified), Zapata Apartments, and Lucy Gonzalez Parsons Apartments. Together, these products and services form an integrated approach to community development focused on affordable housing preservation, economic empowerment, and resident engagement.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Bickerdike Apartments Property management services for 1,194 affordable apartments ranging from single room occupancy studios (SROs) to co-op units and townhouse apartments across 140 buildings in Chicago's north and west side communities. Targeted at low and moderate-income renters.
- Housing Development New construction and rehabilitation of affordable housing properties, including equitable transit-oriented developments, sustainable buildings, and rental housing that reduces carbon footprint. Targeted at low and moderate-income residents and the broader Chicago community.
- Economic Development and Commercial Space Leasing Job creation initiatives including hiring and training area residents, partnering with local and minority contractors, and developing and managing over 90,000 square feet of commercial space. Includes El Mercado, La Estancia commercial properties, and Zapata commercial space. Targeted at local businesses and community-serving organizations.
- Community Gardens Community garden spaces offering opportunities for residents to grow food and participate in community events. Targeted at neighborhood residents.
- Tenant Organizing Program that identifies and develops resident and member leaders, staffs resident activities, organizes campaigns around issues affecting the community, and increases resident engagement through committees. Targeted at residents and community members.
- Technical Assistance Community Program (TACOM) Free technical assistance program providing referrals to community programs, housing referrals, property tax assistance, landlord/tenant technical assistance, and homeownership assistance. Targeted at community residents seeking services.
Quantifiable outcome
- Invested more than $600 million to construct or rehabilitate 2,267 affordable homes
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Bickerdike Redevelopment
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Bickerdike Redevelopment technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Bickerdike Redevelopment partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Lakeshore Public MediaminorCo-produced mission video 'There's No Place Like Home' with Lakeshore Public Media. Video won Silver Telly Award in Non-Broadcast Public Relations category.
- Cermak ProducecoreLocally based independent grocer operating as anchor business at El Mercado (2701 W. North Avenue) since 1998. Bickerdike developed El Mercado as a public marketplace in 1992. Cermak Produce operates a vibrant store where countless residents regularly shop.
- Chicago Youth CentersminorDaycare center tenant at La Estancia commercial space, affiliated with Chicago Youth Centers Humboldt Park location.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Bickerdike Redevelopment competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH): National nonprofit focused on preserving and operating affordable rental housing at scale, using LIHTC and project-based subsidies. Directly comparable mission and operating model, with comparable emphasis on long-term affordability preservation rather than market-rate conversion.
- Mercy Housing: One of the largest national nonprofit affordable housing developers and owners/operators in the U.S. Directly comparable business model: develops, owns, and manages affordable rental housing using LIHTC, project-based Section 8, and similar public financing, often in mixed-use configurations serving low-income residents.
- The Resurrection Project: Chicago-based nonprofit community development organization with an integrated housing, economic development, and community organizing model serving Latino neighborhoods on Chicago's southwest and northwest sides. Comparable as a peer CDC operating housing development, community engagement, and tenant/immigrant organizing in Chicago.
- Brinshore Development: Chicago-focused affordable housing developer specializing in LIHTC-financed new construction and rehabilitation of affordable rental housing in Chicago neighborhoods. Highly comparable as a Chicago-based affordable housing developer using similar public financing structures.
- Hispanic Housing Development Corporation: Chicago-based nonprofit affordable housing developer and owner with a comparable mission of developing and managing affordable rental housing for low- and moderate-income residents in Chicago. Operates a similar mixed model of housing development, property management, and community development on Chicago's north and west sides.
- Habitat for Humanity Chicago: Chicago affiliate of Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit affordable housing developer building and rehabilitating homes for low-income residents in Chicago's neighborhoods. Comparable in mission, nonprofit CDC structure, and reliance on public-private partnerships for affordable housing development.
- Genesis Housing Development Corporation: Chicago-based nonprofit affordable housing developer focused on developing and managing affordable rental housing in underserved Chicago communities. Highly comparable as a Chicago-based affordable housing nonprofit using LIHTC and similar subsidy programs.
- Lawndale Christian Development Corporation: Chicago-based faith-rooted nonprofit community development corporation developing affordable housing and commercial real estate on Chicago's west side. Comparable as a peer CDC with an integrated housing, commercial real estate, and community development model serving low-income Chicago neighborhoods.
Broad incumbents
- Enterprise Community Partners: Large national nonprofit that both develops affordable housing and operates as a capital and policy intermediary (the Enterprise Green Communities Award program, cited in Bickerdike's awards, is run by Enterprise). Comparable in mission and use of LIHTC but operates at significantly greater scale and broader geographic scope.
Others
- Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC): National community development financial intermediary that provides financing, grants, and capacity building to CDCs including affordable housing developers. Already a partner/award administrator for Bickerdike and a critical source of predevelopment and acquisition financing for peer CDCs across Chicago.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Bickerdike Redevelopment social profiles
Digital presenceBickerdike Redevelopment compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Bickerdike Redevelopment financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Bickerdike Redevelopment leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Bickerdike Redevelopment subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Bickerdike Redevelopment funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Bickerdike Redevelopment M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Bickerdike Redevelopment
What does Bickerdike Redevelopment do?
Bickerdike Redevelopment Corporation develops, preserves, and manages quality affordable rental housing for low and moderate-income residents in Chicago's north and west side communities. Through its property management arm Bickerdike Apartments, it oversees 1,194 units across 140 buildings. The organization also develops new affordable housing, leases commercial space in mixed-use developments, and runs economic development and tenant organizing programs to confront gentrification and displacement.
Is Bickerdike Redevelopment a public or private company?
Bickerdike Redevelopment is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Bickerdike Redevelopment founded?
Bickerdike Redevelopment was founded in 1967. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Bickerdike Redevelopment based?
Bickerdike Redevelopment is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Bickerdike Redevelopment make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Affordable Housing Rentals are the primary driver. The others are commercial Space Leasing, donations and Grants and government Subsidies and Tax Credits.
Who are Bickerdike Redevelopment's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH), Mercy Housing, The Resurrection Project, Brinshore Development, Hispanic Housing Development Corporation, Habitat for Humanity Chicago, Genesis Housing Development Corporation and Lawndale Christian Development Corporation. Enterprise Community Partners is listed as a broad incumbent. Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) is listed as an others.
Does Bickerdike Redevelopment have an API?
No public API is recorded for Bickerdike Redevelopment.
What industry is Bickerdike Redevelopment in?
Bickerdike Redevelopment's product category is Affordable Housing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGALAC, Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts), with a secondary code of IMAFABAI, Residential Affordable Housing Development & Construction. Its NAICS code is 531311 and its SIC code is 6513.