In This Week’s Newsletter

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City Budget Update

Discussion of Chicago’s 2022 budget is officially underway. On Monday, Mayor Lightfoot presented a proposed, $16.7 billion budget that raises the property tax levy by $76.5 million. The budget proposal also relies $1.89 billion in federal Covid-19 relief funding.

For the next two weeks, City Council members will be in daily budget hearings, where we’ll ask questions and gather additional information from each department in order to make amendments to the Mayor’s proposed budget. You can watch the hearings (and the recordings) on the City Clerks’ site: www.chicityclerk.com

For months, I’ve been advocating along my socialist and progressive colleagues on City Council for a Chicago Rescue Plan that includes major investments in housing, mental healthcare, childcare, and violence prevention. While it’s good to see that some of the measures in our plan have been adopted by the mayor’s team, the current proposal allocates 70% of Chicago’s emergency relief funds towards “revenue replacement”–a strategy that the Chicago Sun-Times called a “financial shell game” to get around the U.S. Treasury Department’s ban on using federal COVID-19 relief funds to retire debt. 

I’ll be reporting back to residents as hearings get underway. To view all of the 2022 budget documents, you can visit the city’s website here.

Public Safety Town Hall

I would like to invite you all to join us for a virtual town hall to discuss matters related to safety in Chicago and across our ward. We will be bringing together local leaders who work on issues of safety to provide information from their areas of work and respond to your safety-related questions. Our speakers will include: – Inspector General Joe Ferguson – Representatives from Area 5, Chicago Police Department Please register to receive the Zoom link. If you’d like to ask a question, please submit it here. Attendees will be allowed to deliver their questions after presentation from our speakers. All pre-registered attendees will be allowed 2 minutes to deliver their question. After those two minutes are over the attendee will be muted and the speakers will have an opportunity to respond.

Community Zoning Meeting for Proposed Development at California and Addison 

In the 33rd Ward, we follow a community-driven zoning and development (CDZD) process that developers must go through whenever they seek a zoning change from our office. The goal is to give residents power over development decisions that impact their everyday lives. When developers file paperwork to pursue projects in our ward, they have the right to a City Hearing, but we make it clear that they must go through our community process and engage directly with the neighbors who would be impacted. 

As many of you know, the developer Lexington Homes has proposed a six-story, 269-unit apartment building and 88 riverfront townhomes 3601–3737 N. California Ave.; 2722–2758 W. Addison St. More than 300 neighbors have already sent their feedback during our first round of outreach, and we are now ready to hold a public meeting with the developer. The Public Community Meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday, October 12, 2021 at 6pm. We will also be conducting outreach through physical notices and flyering near the site and surrounding areas. 

In order to maintain health protocols under COVID, the 33rd Ward Office will be hosting the meeting with the developer and with community members over Zoom and not in person. In order to facilitate transparency and participation, we are collecting submissions for questions ahead of the meeting on October 12th.

Register for the Oct. 12 meeting

Submit a question

Review the developer’s proposal

You can also call in by dialing +1 312 626 6799 and entering the Webinar ID: 871 7350 4175.

If you have any further questions please contact vicko@33rdward.org or leanna@33rdward.org.

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.

No Truck Parking on Irving Park Rd. 

We’ve received numerous complaints and input recently about the parking of trucks on Irving Park Rd. between Kimball and Spaulding. Our office recently filed a traffic analysis that recommended the installation of “No Truck Parking” signs. To accomplish this, an ordinance was prepared at my office and presented to city council.

This step was taken, and on July 21st, 2021, a completed draft of the ordinance was sent to the clerk’s office, where it is now assigned to the Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety. This order applies to the south side of Irving Park Road between North Kimball and North Spaulding Avenues throughout all hours of the day, Sunday through Saturday. Within the next several weeks, my office will investigate doing the same thing for Irving Park’s north side.

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.

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 October 29, 2021.

Housing Info & Resources

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.

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.

Reminder: a ban on enforcement of evictions in Illinois is in place through Oct. 3, after Gov. Pritzker again announced he would extend protections this week. While landlords can serve tenants with notice of eviction for unpaid rent, court hearings and enforcement in non-payment cases cannot proceed until after this date. 

Remember: Only the sheriff can evict, and it is illegal for landlords to remove your belongings, change the locks or otherwise attempt to force you out of your home without a court order. Please alert our office if your landlord is attempting or threatening to evict you illegally. 

If you have been served an eviction notice by your landlord or fear that you may, you can use a tool developed by the Chicago Lawyers Committee for Better Housing and Metropolitan Tenants Organization (MTO): https://rentervention.com/. This tool creates an Illinois Moratorium Declaration to protect you and your household from eviction for nonpayment of rent. You can also visit EvictionHelpIllinois.org, or call (855) 631-0811 for free legal aid, landlord-tenant mediation services, and connections to rental assistance programs.

If you know that multiple tenants in your apartment building are at risk of eviction and you are interested in creating a tenants’ union to collectively negotiate with your landlord, you can contact the Autonomous Tenants Union at 773-657-8700 or housing.atu@gmail.com. 

Dealing with an old eviction on your record that makes it difficult to find new housing? A new Illinois law makes sealing old eviction records less difficult for tens of thousands of tenants statewide. You can use the website https://rentervention.com/ to help with this process. 

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.

Statement from the HANA Center on Anti-Asian Hate Letter

Our community partners at the HANA Center issued a statement this week toalert our community members, especially restaurant owners, that there is an anti-Asian hate letter being circulated or mailed to some establishments. You can read the full statement here. Our office stands in solidarity with community efforts to combat racism and xenophobia, including against our Asian American and Pacific Islander neighbors, who are an integral and cherished part of our neighborhoods.

From the HANA Center: 

The letter contained racist, xenophobic, and homophobic language. The letter also demonstrated anti-Asian hate by using the racial slur “Kung Flu” and claiming that the restaurant is “not welcome in the community.” In fact, the letter specifically demanded that the restaurant be closed and threatened that “gang actions” will be imposed “indefinitely” if it remained open. The letter ended by stating that you cannot ask for help from “the police or the courts” because they are the law. 

If you receive this type of letter, please let us know, and remember that it is not a real court document. HANA Center is collecting information about these and other anti-Asian hate and violence incidents. With the community and government officials, we can respond in ways that make our community stronger.

Business & Development Updates

Now open at new location: Visceral Dance Center 

Visceral Dance Center has reopened at its new location, 3121 N Rockwell. Visit their website for class offerings and events!

28 de Sept.: Serie de Talleres en Espanol, “Money Smart”

Queda cordialmente invitado al cuarto taller gratuito de la serie Money Smart en español, creado por Wintrust Bank para los dueños de pequeños negocios. Este mes aprenderemos sobre manejo del tiempo para hacer crecer nuestro negocio. CUANDO: Martes, 28 de septiembre a las 4 PM DONDE: vía Zoom REGÍSTRESE por medio de email a marisabel@northrivercommission.org   Please join North River Commission on the fourth workshop from the MONEY SMART series in Spanish, created by Wintrust Bank for small business owners and entrepreneurs. This month, we will learn how to manage time in order to make our business grow.  WHEN: Tuesday, September 28 at 4 PM WHERE: via Zoom RSVP: via email to marisabel@northrivercommission.orgOct. 7: Albany Park Chamber of Commerce SocialWHEN: Thursday, October 7 at 5pm – 6:30pm WHERE: El Alebrije Restaurant and Bar – 4114 N Kedzie RSVP required: email marisabel@northrivercommission or text me at 312-860-9294 Masks are required for everyone. Vaccination card or a negative test is required indoors. Light appetizers will be served. Drinks and other food will not be included.

Sept. 25: People United for Albany Park Block Party and Rally for Housing

Join People United for Albany Park for a block party with free Covid vaccines and testing, housing and eviction defense information, and free groceries from 1 – 2:30PM. Located at the Our Lady of Mercy lot on Kedzie, north of Montrose. 

Sept. 25: Community Outreach Event for 3559 W Lawrence Ave

Community Information Session for people interested in Construction Work! Join us at the corner of Lawrence & Central Park to hear about work opportunities related to the upcoming development here as well as other local job openings. 

Sept. 26: Drake Gardens Yard Sale & Diaper Drive

Our beautiful Drake Gardens is having a neighborhood yard sale this Sunday from 10AM – 2PM to benefit their ongoing work to maintain a permanent pantry and community space. 

lbany Park Mutual Aid will also be hosting a diaper drive (diaper drop-off and pick-up) to those in need!

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Sept. 30: Irving Park Pub Crawl

Next Thursday, the Albany Park Chamber of Commerce is hosting their first pub crawl of the year. Facebook event here.  Tickets are free but limited. Register here to attend and support the 6 participating businesses.

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Oct. 2: Milkweed Giveaway at First Nations Garden 

Help save our monarch butterflies by planting Milkweed! Milkweed is one of our native plant species in Illinois and the only plant species able to host Monarch butterflies.

Join us, 35th Ward Alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa and Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Commissioner Josina Morita for FREE milkweed seeds, soil, and a tutorial on how to maintain your plant at the First Nations Community Garden (corner of Wilson and Pulaski) on Saturday, October 2nd from 2 pm – 3:30 pm. RSVP here on Facebook.

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Oct. 15: 33rd Ward Flu Shot Clinic

With new Covid cases still high, it’s so important to get your flu shot this year. Join our office and the Chicago Department of Public Health for a free flu shot event on Friday, Oct. 15 at Roosevelt High School from 11AM – 3PM. 

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Monday: 12:00 PM – 7 PM

Tues – Thurs: 10 AM – 5 PM

Friday: 9 AM – 4PM  

️E-mail info@33rdward.org anytime for service requests or general queries

️ Call us at 773-840-7880 during business hours

Follow us on Facebook or Twitter

Check out our ward website for info on services and events: https://www.33rdward.org/

Best,

Rossana Rodriguez