The City of Chicago is releasing 952 vacant lots for sale for just $1 per parcel under an ordinance introduced by the City Council, but there are specific purchasing requirements, according to a report by Chicagoist. The city’s Large Lots program was originally launched in 2014 as an effort to fill out vacant space on the South and West sides.

The lots are all city-owned, and they are available to anyone who qualifies. In order to qualify applicants must be an owner of another property on the same block as the parcel for which they are seeking. Applicants must have no outstanding debt with the city and be up to date on their property taxes. Only after five years of owning, a lot purchased through the Large Lots program is eligible for sale.

According to the Large Lots website, the program was developed as a part of the Green Healthy Neighborhoods planning process. Launched in areas where vacant lots are common, the program is an effort to give neighborhood residents an opportunity to own more land and develop the communities in which they live. 

The majority of the properties purchased through the program are turned into local beautification projects. Expanded yards, community gardens, open greenspace, and more are common.

This is the seventh sale of its kind, the most recent of which ended Jan. 31, 2017. The sixth Large Lot Program garnered 2,841 applications. Communities like Auburn Gresham, Roseland, Pullman, Austin, East Garfield Park, and Englewood have all been involved in the program. About 580 lots have been sold through the program since it launched.

The Chicago Plan Commission will review and approve the sale of the lots at its Sept. 20 meeting.