+ Investments

Environment

Since taking office in 2019, our office and the 47th Ward Green Council have made it a top priority to help achieve significant additional investments in climate action. In previous budgets, we saw very small increases, which primarily included hiring sustainability policy staffers in the Mayor’s Office. This year, however, the budget includes investments that better reflect the scope of the problem we face, including $234 million for the environment and climate action funded primarily by bonds. This plan has the support of the Illinois Environmental Council.

Because transportation emissions are currently the number one source of emissions in the United States, my office has prioritized ways we can make electric vehicles more affordable and accessible. A first step in this direction included an ordinance I passed with Alderman Brendan Reilly that increases the number of electric vehicle charging stations required in large new developments. This budget builds on those priorities by investing millions in electric vehicle infrastructure and expediting the transition of our city’s vehicle fleet to electric vehicles.

The 47th Ward Green Council and other environmental advocates have also observed that the city needs additional investment in our urban tree canopy to offset increasing emissions, higher temperatures, and more frequent and severe storms. Today, it takes the city much too long to plant a single new tree—nearly two years. Thankfully, this budget includes $46 million for the city to plant 15,000 additional trees annually, a 300% increase that will help restore and expand our urban tree canopy in an equitable way. These efforts will complement the new Urban Forestry Advisory Board.

Our city’s Department of Streets & Sanitation will also be taking steps to increase our city’s waste diversion rate. This includes a modest composting pilot through which neighbors can compost yard waste at select community gardens across the city. Notably, the 47th Ward’s own Montrose Metra Community Gardens are being considered for one of the participating community gardens. This work builds off of a resolution I introduced in 2019 that called for hearings on Chicago’s dismal recycling rate. That resolution led to a waste study, which identified a composting pilot as one of a number of important next steps. While the scope is smaller than desired, I’m hopeful that the Department will quickly scale up this program and add food composting options.

The budget includes a number of other investments that will help us transform our city into a more climate resilient one, including investments in bike infrastructure, solar energy, and transit-oriented development. This is a significant step in the right direction, but we know that the scale of the problems that climate change has created is large, and our work certainly does not stop here. We are proud of the work the 47th Ward Green Council has done to help push these projects forward, and look forward to building on them in future years.

Housing and Homelessness

Immediately following the issuance of the various pandemic-related stay-at-home orders, my office saw an unprecedented rise in demand for emergency shelter. Unfortunately, in the intervening months, that demand has only increased. Before COVID-19, we knew that we had an affordability crisis, with the Lincoln Square and Northcenter neighborhoods losing over 10% of their affordable housing stock between 2012 and 2019. Accordingly, I’m pleased that the FY 2022 budget includes $274 million of investments in affordable housing and homelessness, funded through bonds and ARPA funds.

Specifically, the FY 2022 budget includes $20 million for rapid rehousing, $65 million for permanent supportive housing, and $75 million for affordable mixed-use multi-family development. The budget also includes investments in our existing homelessness infrastructure, including $20 million to make repairs at homeless shelters, and $5 million to preserve Single Room Occupancy buildings (SROs) with a commitment from the Department of Housing to work to find additional funds to expand preservation. Notably, these SRO-earmarked funds were added to the budget proposal at the urging of progressive Alderpersons, including myself.

Public Safety and Violence Prevention

Following the murder of George Floyd, residents across Chicago urged city government to reimagine our public safety institutions—in particular, what types of 911 calls require a response from an armed officer and which are better suited for a response from a pairing of paramedics and crisis workers. As a result, I’m pleased that the FY 2022 budget includes an expansion of the alternative response models that the city launched earlier this year.

In 2019, one of the first pieces of legislation I introduced called for hearings on two data-driven violence prevention initiatives—CRED and REDI. Along with Communities Partnering 4 Peace (CP4P), both organizations have had promising initial results, In recent years for example, READI’s work cut the number of arrests for shooting and homicide among participants by 79%, compared with a non-participant peer group. It is critical that the city provide funding to build programs like these to scale in order to stem gun violence in Chicago. The FY 2022 budget makes strong progress on this front, as it includes $45 million in new funds for violence prevention organizations and other organizations providing important community-facing services.

Throughout 2021, the city has been working to implement the Mayor’s violence reduction plan, which spotlighted domestic violence as a top issue—in part due to its close relation to gun violence. This year, my office has worked closely with advocates to ensure the 2022 budget provides appropriate resources to address the spike in domestic violence by providing critical services ranging from legal support and mental health services to emergency shelter and cash assistance. I’m proud to say the budget includes $25 million in new investments in this regard.

Finally, the budget includes funding to support victims of crime and their families. We know that families who have been victims of crime have trouble accessing the state’s Crime Victim Compensation Program. I’m hopeful that the city’s efforts will increase accessibility of these funds, as well as provide resources not previously available for those individuals.

Mental Health

Through our budget survey, neighbors underscored the impact the pandemic has had on their mental health. Across the city, we have talked to individuals who are struggling to access mental health resources—especially children and those uninsured or on public health insurance.

The FY 2022 budget will provide relief especially to low-income Chicagoans. There is a $20 million increase in funding for our community-based mental health organizations that often serve individuals on public health insurance or who are uninsured. These funds will help expand subsidized mental health care to all community areas in Chicago, including our communities, which were not covered in previous initiatives.

Thanks to the advocacy of progressive Alderpersons, the budget includes expanded investment in our public mental health clinics as well. These funds will primarily be used to expand the hours that mental health services are available. We are also pleased to report that the Chicago Department of Health has been working to expand services at our public mental health clinics to children, increasing collaboration with Chicago Public Schools, and offering telehealth services—all of which makes services accessible to more Chicagoans.

Small Business and Arts & Culture

Our small business and arts and culture communities have struggled mightily due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is only appropriate that Chicago put to use pandemic relief funds to provide much needed support to our local businesses and artists—especially for those who did not qualify for previous federal relief.

I’m happy to report that the FY 2022 budget includes $10 million that will provide direct cash assistance for artists and arts organizations who did not qualify for previous pandemic relief funds.

The FY 2022 budget also includes a $67 million investment to revitalize our commercial corridors, including by creating new people-oriented spaces. Throughout the pandemic, we came to appreciate the need to have outdoor areas for people to congregate and enjoy our commercial corridors. We are glad that this funding will help make some of these spaces permanent and increase their number.

Direct Assistance for Families

As we consider how best to invest our pandemic relief funds, it is important to consider how to have the biggest impact on those Chicagoans who were most impacted by COVID-19. As demonstrated by the cash payments distributed by the federal government in 2020 and 2021, one of the most effective ways to help working people is direct financial assistance—which removes bureaucratic inefficiencies and barriers to access.

I’m heartened that the FY 2022 budget includes the largest Universal Basic Income pilot in the United States and will offer regular payments to 5,000 Chicagoans. This is thanks to the work of my colleagues, including Ald. Maria Hadden and my predecessor Ameya Pawar.

The budget also includes $20 million in direct financial assistance to be distributed to CPS families. These grants will build upon a direct cash assistance program offered earlier in 2021 to families in temporary or unstable living situations. We know that 1 in 7 CPS students experiences homelessness during their education, and we are hopeful that this direct cash assistance will help make a more equitable education system.

During the pandemic, we saw first-hand how access to high speed broadband is a critical piece of infrastructure, especially as many students were not able to engage with their classrooms due to lack of Internet. Last year, CPS was able to provide free Internet installation to many families. This program was significantly under enrolled—in part because participants had to have a stable living arrangement in order to have equipment installed. This year, there will be a further expansion of the broadband program, with broadband installed in public spaces that anyone can access, including public parks and CTA stations.

City Services

We know that we must continue to make investments in our critical city services including rodent abatement, garbage maintenance, and tree maintenance. The FY 2022 budget makes progress in multiple areas.

Since I took office, improving forestry-related services has been a top priority. The wait time for tree plantings and tree trimming is too long, and inefficiencies have long been highlighted by the Inspector General. The derecho in 2020 only put our Forestry crews further behind. That is why we are excited that substantial investments were made in Forestry staffing this year. Not only will the city make investments in our tree canopy, but due to negotiations with progressive Alderpersons (especially Ald. Andre Vasquez), this budget will also significantly increase their tree-trimming crews and work to more proactively address tree trimming needs across the city.

The FY 2022 budget also includes over 40 new sanitation laborers to assist with trash pick up and increased the budget for purchasing new black and blue bins. This is much awaited news as we know neighbors have been waiting for too long to receive new and replaced bins.

+ Revenue

Due to federal relief funds, the City was able to avoid any substantial new taxes or tax increases this year.

The FY 2022 budget includes a small property tax increase which amounts to $3.04 per month for the average 47th Ward household. This property tax increase is tied to the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Last year, the City Council voted to approve annual, recurring property tax increases based on CPI. I voted “no” on this proposal because I felt that we had not adequately explored all other progressive revenue options before committing ourselves to annual, indefinite property tax increases. The majority of City Council members voted to approve these recurring increases, however, and to undo them at the moment would negatively impact the city’s credit ratings.

The budget does make use of approximately $782 million in pandemic relief funds to replace lost revenue for the current fiscal year (FY 2021), and another $385 million in relief funds to replace anticipated lost revenue for FY 2022. The City Council voted to borrow additional funds for 2021 to avoid lay-offs of critical city laborers. This revenue replacement allowed the City to pay back those borrowed funds.

+ Moving Forward

The FY 2022 budget represents an unprecedented investment in our communities and the types of services that we have heard neighbors need. We do not take for granted that these investments were made possible by one-time federal pandemic relief funds that must be spent over the next three years.

As we move forward, I am committed to ensuring these dollars reach families as quickly as possible, and that our various city departments are prepared to demonstrate clearly and transparently how they are disbursing these sorely needed funds. That is why I’m excited to begin work as the Vice Chair of the newly created Subcommittee on the Chicago Recovery Plan, which will be meeting bimonthly to review the progress these departments are making and advocate for ameliorative action where needed.

We also need to find sustaining, progressive revenue to fund these services beyond ARPA funds. We already have ideas. Now we need to use this time to ensure these services are provided as baseline,not as special circumstances.

+ New revenue, savings, and efficiencies

• $385 million in revenue replacement funds from the federal American Rescue Plan Act
• $131 million in improved fiscal management through sweeping aging revenue accounts, fund balance and refinancing, and improved water sewer tax collections
• $99 million in cost recovery through improved revenue collection from intergovernmental agreements and Chicago Public School covering a portion of its share of certain city pension contributions
• $67 million from declaring a TIF surplus
• $46 million in personnel savings through reallocating personnel from the Corporate Fund to other city funds
• $29 million from **property taxes associated with growth in new properties
• $25 million from property taxes for debt service payment towards a new capital bond
• $23 million from a property tax increase tied to the consumer price index (CPI), which enables City Council to increase property taxes based on CPI annually
• $22 million in health care savings through improved reimbursement rates and increased employee contributions as a result of recently approved CBAs

+ Substantial new investments

Housing and Homelessness

• $75 million for incentives to build affordable, mixed-used, multi-family developments
• $65 million to provide new, permanent supportive housing units with wraparound services including, but not limited to, Single Room Occupancy Buildings (SROs)
• $20 million to provide rapid rehousing opportunities for those at risk of homelessness including those at risk of domestic violence
• $20 million to repair and renovate existing homeless shelters
• $18 million in forgivable loans and grants to make repairs in owner-occupied homes
• $12 million to identify and rehab abandoned and troubled homes in priority neighborhoods
• $10 million to support equitable transit-oriented development
• $5 million in forgivable loans and grants to expand homeownership in neighborhoods most impacted by COVID-19

Public Safety and Mental Health

• $45 million for the expansion of violence intervention programming and support for community groups
• $30 million to expand interventions for young people with violence involvement including case management and services
• $20 million to expand community-based mental health services into all 77 community areas including those in the 47th Ward
• $15 million for a 911 alternative response to expand and establish alternate destinations for patient transport
• $12 million to divert high utilizers of jail and emergency services to housing and wraparound services
• $10 million for victim support funding including mental health, housing, crisis intervention, and other support for crime victims and their families
• $6 million for the city’s five public mental health clinics to expand services for children and adolescents, and to expand evening hours
• $5 million create a new sobering center facility to provide alternative for emergency room or jail for publicly intoxicated individuals

Environment and Climate Action

• $60 million for climate-related infrastructure including a composting pilot, mitigating waterway pollution, remediating contaminated land, expanding electric vehicle infrastructure and citywide electric vehicle fleet, and expanding bike infrastructure including a Divvy expansion
• $47 million to remove lead and other hazards in homes with young children
• $46 million to plant 15,000 additional trees annually—a 300% increase
• $41 million to execute renewable projects at neighborhood institutions like libraries, as well as energy investments in low- to moderate-income homes
• $36 million for beautification and expansion of recreation spaces including parks and to install Wi-Fi at fieldhouses
• $26 million for neighborhood climate resilience projects including flood mitigation in Chatham, learning gardens at CPS, and an expansion of the green alley program.
• $9 million to improve the assessment of pollution and environmental hazards
• $6 million to provide environmental assessments, soil review, and remediation

Business and Personal Financial Support

• $67 million in grants to revitalize commercial corridors and support new business owners and local artists involved in beautification efforts
• $31 million to establish the largest universal basic income pilot in the country, providing recurring payments to 5,000 Chicago families
• $10 million to fund new free broadband locations at neighborhood locations
• $20 million to provide direct cash assistance for CPS families
• $10 million for direct cash assistance for Chicago artists who did not qualify for other programs