Posted on October 29, 2021October 29, 2021 by 33rd Ward Staff

This week, I voted “Yes” on the city’s 2022 budget. This was not an easy decision, but it was one I made alongside a citywide progressive coalition that came together earlier this year to ensure that we used Chicago’s $2 billion in Covid-19 relief funds to meet urgent community needs coming out of the pandemic.

I want to be clear that there are disappointments in this budget (more on that below). But I believe that it secures some of the basics our communities have been fighting for, and for that reason I gave it my vote. You can read more below on what was included in this year’s final budget and what was left out. Having trouble reading? Open in your web browser here.

One win I especially want to highlight is a 72% increase in staffing in our city’s public mental healthcare system. These permanent, unionized positions represent the most meaningful reinvestment in our public clinics since Mayor Rahm Emanuel closed half of them a decade ago, with disastrous results.

As your elected representative in City Council, one of my biggest priorities is building safe, healthy communities with a holistic and evidence-based approach. That includes the council order I introduced last year to establish a mental health crisis response system staffed by clinicians, not police. This measure is part of a larger “Treatment Not Trauma” campaign led and endorsed by hundreds of community organizations and mental health clinicians citywide.

Rebuilding our public mental health system is another core tenet of this campaign. The progress we made in this budget is owed to a decade of organizing to reopen the clinics and, more recently, the hard work of the citywide Collaborative for Community Wellness and 33rd Ward residents who participate in it. You can read more here from the Collaborative on the budget here. I also invite you to join our virtual town hall on Treatment Not Trauma this Monday, Nov. 1.

P.S.: Voting has now closed on our 33rd Ward Halloween decoration contest, but if you want to take a tour of your neighbors’ spooky hard work this weekend, you can view all the entries here.

In This Week’s Newsletter

Halloween in 33 this Sunday
City budget breakdown
Participatory budgeting – voting opens Monday!
Covid-19 booster shots

RESCHEDULED – Oct. 30: Bateman BOOsterfest
Oct. 31: 33rd Ward Halloween Celebration
Oct. 31: Candy kingdom at Tabor Lutheran Church
Nov. 1: Treatment Not Trauma town hall
Emergency heating repair program opens Monday
Infrastructure and construction
Resources for residents
Community bulletin board – click here for more events, job listings, and resources!

Quick Links

Request services	33rd Ward Calendar
ChiStreetWork construction portal	Senior Services

Review Zoning Proposals	Resources for Renters

Halloween in 33

You’re invited to celebrate Halloween in 33 with us! Join us on Sunday, October 31st, 4-7pm at Roosevelt High School’s parking lot for a free, family-friendly event. Facebook event.

We will host a costume contest for children, teens AND adults so be sure to ALL come dressed up. We will also be joined by several of our neighborhood partner organizations to connect neighbors to local resources, and we’ll be announcing our 2021 Halloween Decoration Contest winners at this event–so come by to see the winning houses!

You will also get a chance to see our 2022 Participatory Budgeting Ballots and cast an in-person ballot.

City Budget Breakdown

This summer, my progressive colleagues and I put forward a Chicago Rescue Plan to put our city’s $2 billion in federal Covid-19 relief toward historic investments in housing, mental healthcare, childcare, and violence prevention.

Thanks to grassroots pressure, many of these ideas made it into the mayor’s budget this fall. Two weeks ago, I helped introduce a package of eight amendments to make the most out of this generational opportunity.

Here’s a breakdown of the investments our coalition was able to win in areas like violence prevention, affordable housing, and environmental sustainability.

City services have also been dramatically under-funded for years, and I’m pleased that this year, there are some improvements in areas that often create long delays for our residents. That includes 40 new sanitation workers to assist with trash pick up, and a significant increase in the Department of Forestry’s tree-trimming crews.

While I am glad to see other investments in our tree canopy, I am disappointed that an amendment I introduced to reinstate the cost-effective city treatment of our ash trees was not included by the Budget Chair in the final ordinance. We will continue to work with neighbors and community leaders on this important issue.

Next year, we will not have an infusion of federal relief dollars, and it will be more important than ever to fight for new, progressive sources of revenue that take the burden off working-class neighbors. Last year’s budget locked in an automatic annual property tax increase tied to inflation–that is one of the reasons why I voted “No” on the mayor’s 2021 budget. This year’s property tax levy was determined by that automatic increase, and while it will be smaller than last year’s, I know that many, many neighbors are already struggling to pay their bills. We will continue to work to secure relief for them and fight displacement of our residents.

I’m grateful to the many 33rd Ward neighbors who contacted us with their questions, concerns, and ideas this year–and for the movements across the city that continue to fight for the resources our communities deserve. As always, please reach out if you have questions or feedback.

PB Voting Opens Monday!

Voting for our annual Participatory Budgeting process begins Monday, Nov. 1st!

Visit 33rdward.org/participatory-budgeting to learn how you can vote in-person or online. Early in-person voting will also take place at our Halloween in 33! event this Sunday 4pm-7pm at Roosevelt High School’s parking lot.

RESCHECULED – Oct. 30: Bateman BOOsterfest

Due to inclement weather this evening, Bateman’s Halloween family event has been moved to Saturday from 11AM – 1PM.

Our office will be joining this fun-filled evening of costumes, games, raffles, food, a haunted house, and MORE! All students, parents, caregivers, staff, friends, and neighbors of Bateman are invited. $2 per person, or $5 per family.

Food, raffle, and haunted house tickets for purchase. Throw on your costumes, be there, be SCARED, and #BeBateman!

Covid-19 Boosters Shots

Many residents have been asking about the Pfizer booster. The city is following the CDC’s guidelines on eligibility.

While the City is not yet making boosters available for ward events, there are several clinics where Pfizer boosters will be available.

The clinic closest to the 33rd Ward where boosters are available will be held Sat., Oct. 23 from 9AM to 10PM at Truman College, 1145 W Wilson Ave. Walk-ins are welcome, or you can register here.

To see additional dates and locations where the health department will offer Pfizer booster vaccines, please see the full list of flu/ Covid-19 clinics here.

You can also use the city’s vaccine finder.

Oct. 31: Candy Kingdom at Tabor Lutheran

Stop by Tabor Lutheran Church, 3542 W Sunnyside, from 3 – 6PM on Halloween for some sweet fun!

Nov. 1: Treatment Not Trauma Town Hall

Join our office & Representative Will Guzzardi for a virtual town hall Nov. 1 from 6 – 8PM. We’ll discuss local and state policies around a mental health crisis response, including both the Community Emergency Services & Support Act (CESSA) and the Treatment Not Trauma ordinance. Register here.

Emergency Heating Repair Program Opens Monday

The Chicago Department of Housing (DOH) Emergency Heating Repair Program (EHRP) provides a grant up to $24,999 to low-moderate income, owner-occupied residential building of one to four (1-4) units.

Eligible residential buildings will be assisted one time for one-service (furnace or boiler) only and for the life of the property. In two to four (2-4) unit residential buildings with individual heating systems only the owner-occupied unit will qualify for assistance.

Interested homeowner(s) can check their eligibility and download an application package starting November 1 st to April 1, 2022 at: www.chicago.gov/ehrp.

Funding is limited and available on a first-come-first-service basis. The completed and signed application along with all required documents that relate to your household must be returned to the DOH as soon as possible.

Infrastructure and Construction

Summer is construction season, and we know residents want to be able to plan ahead for street closures and parking disruptions. As a periodic reminder, we keep a map of the ward updated with all the information we’ve received to date from city agencies, utility companies, and other project managers. You can check out the construction map here.

You can also use the city’s ChiStreetWork portal, where you can search by address.

Street Closure at Sacramento There will be a full street closure on Sacramento Ave for People’s Gas work as they make their last connections to their mains. Here’s what you need to know: The closures will be on Sacramento, north AND south of Irving Park until the alley. Irving Park will NOT close. There will be no Parking or thru traffic on these sections of Sacramento during work hours (8AM-3PM) The alley will be accessible, therefore, neighbors should expect to see increased traffic in surrounding alleys during work hours. The streets will reopen to traffic daily after work hours (approx. 3PM) If you are planning your visit to our office, there is meter parking along Irving Park except at the bus stop outside our door.

Sewer Lining Project at N Whipple

Irving Park neighbors who live on Whipple from Addison to Cornelia should have received written notice at their homes of a sewer lining project now underway.

Here’s what you should expect:
During workdays, mobilization will start at 6:00 am. Actual work will begin at 7:00 am. Work is expected to be completed by 7 p.m. No Parking signs will be posted in the immediate area of work a day before any scheduled work. Residents are urged to move their vehicles away from the worksite to avoid being towed. It will be necessary to close lanes of these streets to ensure public safety during work hours. Equipment and materials will be on the street during the work. If necessary, detours and alternative bus stops will be posted.

A day prior to the main sewer lining, contractors will provide door hangers to inform residents of the work. During the main sewer lining work, to prevent odors in your home, please pour two to three cups of water into each basement floor drain. Please restrict your water usage as much as possible

Sewer Cleaning on N Troy from Addison to Eddy

This rehabilitation work includes cleaning the sewers and the installation of CIPP (Cure in place pipe). The installation of CIPP consists of lining the existing sewers and generally does not require excavation except when repairs are required prior to lining of the sewer main, catch basin lateral connections, catch basin structures or manhole structures.

The work is scheduled to be completed by February, 2022. It is performed in staggered stages, therefore crews will not be on-site every day for the extended period described. As they begin lining the main sewers, residents will be provided with a letter/flyers with notification of the work for each project location. No parking signs will be posted in the immediate area a workday prior to the start of any scheduled work. It will be necessary to close some lanes, but the streets will remain open to traffic.

Lead Service Line Replacement Program

The Department of Water Management has started Phase 1 of the lead service line replacement program and has provided the following information on two programs for qualifying homeowners who want to replace their lead service lines. If you are interested in participating, please visit www.LeadSafeChicago.org for more information:

Homeowner-Initiated. The City will waive up to $3,100 in permit fees for any resident homeowner who wishes to replace their lead service line. The fee waiver will not be available if the request is made in conjunction with a structural renovation.
Equity Program. To offer assistance to those most in need of lead service line replacement, residents whose water persistently tests over the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Action Level of 15 parts per billion of lead and have a household income below 80% of the area median income, may qualify for a free lead service line replacement. For the Equity LSLR Program, residences must be owner-occupied and either a single-family or two-flat home.

If you have not yet had your water tested using the free lead testing kits that are provided by the city, please contact my office at 773-887-3772 or 311 to request a free water test kit.Street Resurfacing

West Irving Park Road from North Ravenswood Avenue to North Kolmar Avenue.

The work will include ADA sidewalk improvements, curb and gutter removal and replacement as needed for ADA and drainage compliance, bus pad construction, pavement patching, milling and paving the existing asphalt pavement, and striping.

During construction, temporary “No Parking” signs will be periodically installed as required for each activity listed above. These temporary signs will restrict parking during working hours, while adhering to rush hour restrictions, for the completion of the work. All work on this corridor is scheduled to be completed November 30, 2021.North Sacramento Avenue from North Elston Avenue to North Milwaukee Avenue

The work will include ADA sidewalk improvements, curb and gutter removal and replacement as needed for ADA and drainage compliance, pedestrian refuge island, pavement patching, milling and paving the existing asphalt pavement, and striping.

Resources for Residents

Eviction Support for Tenants

The eviction moratorium entered by Governor Pritzker is scheduled to end this Sunday, Oct. 3rd. The City of Chicago Department of Housing is working to support Chicagoans who will no longer be protected by the moratorium. Even though the eviction moratorium is coming to a close, there is help, both legal and financial, to keep residents in their homes.

Here are some key things to remember when facing an eviction.

Don’t self-evict. A notice of eviction from your landlord does not mean you need to leave your home right away. Only the Sheriff can legally remove you from your home.
Get legal help. Free legal assistance is available to Chicago renters. Go to www.Rentervention.com , which is provided by the Lawyers Committee for Better Housing, a Department of Housing delegate agency.
Get financial help. The Department of Housing maintains a current list of places residents can apply for emergency rental assistance at Chicago.gov/RentHelp.

You can find more details on renters’ rights and other resources at Chicago.gov/Eviction.

Apply for Rental Assistance

On Sept. 7th, All Chicago opened an online application for rental assistance under the Treasury Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) through the Illinois Department of Human Services. For more info and to apply visit http://rentrelief.com/allchicago/.

For tenants/landlords who need help with the application, All Chicago has partnered with Catholic Charities, Heartland Human Care Services, Lawyers Committee for Better Housing, Phalanx Family Services, and Spanish Coalition for Housing to provide assistance. Eligible households can apply online, by calling 311 or 312-744-5000 and asking for short-term assistance, or by contacting one of the partners listed above.

Chicago Families Forward Fund for Students in Temporary Living Situations

Students in Temporary Living Situations (STLS) may qualify for a new program called The Chicago Families Forward Fund. Temporary living situations refer to a lack of fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, including students/families who are doubled-up or couch surfing due to loss of housing or economic hardship, or staying in an emergency or transitional shelter.The Chicago Families Forward Fund

WHAT: Eligible students can receive a $500 check to help with back-to-school and everyday household expenses.
WHY: These funds are intended to remove barriers to the start of school and student learning during this phase of COVID-19 recovery.
HOW: This program is funded by the City of Chicago through federal stimulus dollars from the Coronavirus Relief Fund.
To receive this funding, please fill out this short program enrollment form by Friday, October 1, 2021. Paper copies are also available upon request and can be picked up at your student’s school.

After the form has been submitted, the City and CPS will notify the parent(s)/guardian(s) when funds may be picked up from the main office at their child’s school.

Tax Delinquency Sale Nov. 5

The Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas’ office will be conducting a delinquent property tax sale on November 5th.

Delinquent taxes that are sold put a lien against the property – the first step in a process that can end with loss of the property. It’s possible that owners may be unaware their properties are headed to the tax sale because the U.S. Postal Service has returned bills and subsequent notices on 17,702 properties.

To avoid the tax sale, property owners can do a Delinquent Property Tax Search here to see if their taxes are delinquent. You can search by Property Index Number (PIN) or Search by Property Address.

Mortgage Assistance Program – Applications Ongoing

The Mortgage Assistance Program, provides assistance to low-to-moderate-income homeowners who have suffered an economic impact due to the COVID-19 pandemic and are having difficulty paying their mortgage.

The maximum amount of assistance available is $3,300. Grant amounts awarded will be based on the amount needed to bring your mortgage current.

Please note: Eligible homeowners will have the assistance paid directly to their mortgage servicer. If you received assistance in 2020 you are not eligible for this round of funds.

To be eligible you must:

Be a resident of the City of Chicago
Live in the home (single-family up to 4 units) for which you are applying for assistance. It must be your primary place of residence.
Demonstrate your total household income was 120% or below the Area Median Income (AMI) prior to March 1, 2020. (Click to see table)
Have a mortgage on your home that was current as of March 1, 2020, and is now delinquent. You may be on a forbearance plan.
Have experienced a change in your financial status after March 1, 2020, due to the COVID-19 crisis

If you need assistance applying for mortgage assistance, you can also contact Neighborhood Housing Servicesat 800-831-7949 or email EmergencyAssistance@nhschicago.org.

Free Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic