Calling it “the nightmare earlier than Christmas,” a coalition of residents and advocates on Friday decried Mayor Brandon Johnson’s proposal to chop Chicago’s assured revenue program to assist fill a funds gap.
Because the mayor’s administration works towards a funds deal, about $30 million in COVID-19 reduction funds put aside for the Chicago Empowerment Fund is on the chopping block. A coalition of previously incarcerated residents, immigrants and advocates urged the mayor and Metropolis Council members to maintain the assured revenue program within the funds at a Metropolis Corridor information convention.
“Disgrace, disgrace, disgrace on the Metropolis Council; disgrace on our mayor,” stated Richard Wallace, govt director of Fairness and Transformation (EAT), a gaggle targeted on serving to returning residents on the West Facet. “We bought dedication from the town that this pilot was going to be within the funds in 2025 and for us to seek out out that this program is slowly however certainly getting pushed out, it was one thing that we couldn’t sleep with.”
The mayor’s finance group stated in an announcement that the town continues to be negotiating the funds and declined to remark. The town is racing to finalize a funds by the tip of the yr. Confronted with an almost $1 billion deficit, Johnson initially floated a $300 million property tax enhance. That was summarily rejected by council members. The newest proposal features a $68.5 million property tax enhance.
Wallace, whose group runs its personal, privately funded assured revenue program, stated individuals have reported higher bodily and psychological well being and lowered ranges of recidivism.
Immigrant rights teams additionally referred to as for the preservation of the Chicago Empowerment Fund, which was set to kick off subsequent yr with a concentrate on low-income households and returning residents. This system would give $500 month-to-month money funds to five,000 households, no strings connected, for 12 months.
Maggie Lugo, an undocumented immigrant who lives in Little Village, stated the town ought to “tax the wealthy and get this program going. … Assured revenue advantages folks of all of the communities, no matter the place they’re born.”
Others touted the successes of Chicago’s first iteration of assured revenue funds, below former Mayor Lori Lightfoot. The Chicago Resilient Communities pilot, which led to 2023, was lately hailed by the College of Chicago’s Inclusive Financial system Lab as a mannequin for the way cities can higher attain communities.
“There isn’t any doubt that this program works, and that’s it’s profitable,” stated Sarah Saheb, director of Financial Safety Illinois Motion. The mayor’s proposed cuts are “yet one more damaged promise for the folks of Chicago who’re struggling to make ends meet,” she stated.
For Brendan Shiller, one of many founders of the West Facet Justice Middle, slicing packages just like the Chicago Empowerment Fund runs counter to the goals of the Johnson administration.
“Now we have a mayor who stated, subsequent yr, we wish lower than 500 murders,” Shiller stated. “We all know that the best crime prevention, the best violence prevention, is stabilizing communities and giving folks houses. This kind of program is important to violence prevention.”
He added that giving folks money leads to financial growth of their communities.
“These monies go to individuals who spend them on their dwelling, on their meals, on their well being care, they usually create financial growth in the neighborhood, which creates extra revenue for the town,” Shiller stated. “Slicing these funds truly hurts the town funds.”
Esther Yoon-Ji Kang is a reporter on WBEZ’s Race, Class and Communities desk. Observe her on X @estheryjkang.
