The 1,050-square-foot home in Dolton, south Chicago, was bought by the Pope’s parents in 1949. They paid a monthly mortgage of $49 on it and it was owned by the Prevost family for nearly 50 years. Initially,

Officials in Dolton, Ill., called the purchase a rare opportunity. But some residents questioned whether the village, grappling with a deficit and potholes, could afford it.

A village in Chicago’s south suburbs is poised to purchase Pope Leo XIV’s childhood home after its board voted unanimously on Tuesday to take control of the property.