Peoria's LGBTQ community, affordability gain national attention with TV news segment

PEORIA – Peoria has once again made the national news due to the promotional efforts of a local woman.

A two-minute video touting Peoria as an affordable haven for people who identify as LGBTQ aired on the "CBS Evening News" on June 26.

Angie Ostaszewski, who has been making TikTok videos promoting Peoria’s affordable housing for several years, talked about how more and more people are relocating to Peoria not only to buy a house, but also because it's a safe haven for the LGBTQ community. Illinois is rated among the top 14 states in the U.S. for having laws and policies that make life easier for the people who identify as LGBTQ, according to the Movement Advancement Project.

“When I first started making TikToks about Peoria, it was about 'improve your quality of life,’ but in the last six months, people are relocating here more for survival, and that’s such a different kind of conversation," she said.

During the pandemic, when remote work became widespread, Peoria began getting new residents from the East and West coasts where housing prices are prohibitively high. Some of these new residents became aware of Peoria through Ostaszewski’s TikTok videos. Today, while affordability is still a big driver, politics has become increasingly important. A number of the Peoria's newest residents have fled some of the 21 states that have recently passed anti-LBGTQ legislation.

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So far, Ostaszewski takes credit for the addition of 360 people to the Peoria population in the last three years. Real estate agent Mike Van Cleve, who was also featured in the CBS segment, helped a number of them buy homes. About one third of the 80 homes he sold last year were to out-of-staters who moved to Peoria after seeing Ostaszewski’s TikTok videos.

Peoria's affordability is helping many people achieve a dream that has long been out of reach. According to statistics presented by CBS, LGBTQ folks and people of color are statistically less likely to own homes because of discrimination and wealth gaps — only 50% LGBTQ adults own homes vs. 70% non LGBTQ adults, and 47% Black households own homes vs. 71% white households.

As a member of Peoria's LGBTQ community, trans artist Alexander Martin, told CBS how important home ownership is to her.

“I'm Black and trans — and visibly so — so having a space where I can come in and recharge, I’m ready to face the world again.”

Leslie Renken can be reached at (309) 370-5087 or lrenken@pjstar.com. Follow her on Facebook.com/leslie.renken.

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This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Peoria affordability, LGBTQ community spotlighted on CBS Evening News