On Sunday, September 29, we gathered at the Ismaili Jamatkhana Social Hall in Edgewater with almost 300 of our members, grassroots leaders, community members, and elected officials for our 2024 Town Hall. This is our chance every year to bring together our whole community, celebrate our wins, voice our concerns, and share our vision for a North Side where everyone can thrive. It was an amazing event, showing how people power can move forward our goals on education justice, environmental justice, community safety, violence prevention, and affordable housing.
Eight of our elected officials joined us to listen to our demands and to be accountable to us for the things they have promised: Senator Mike Simmons (IL-7), Representative Hoan Huynh (IL-13), Chicago Department of Housing Commissioner Lissette Castañeda, Alderman Andre Vasquez (Ward 40), Alderwoman Angela Clay (Ward 46), Alderman Matt Martin (Ward 47), Alderwoman Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth (Ward 48), and Alderwoman Maria Hadden (Ward 49).
Our Shared Vision and Our Shared Values
Co-Board President Pastor Lindsey Long-Joyce and Housing Justice team member Anthony J. Perkins kicked off the meeting by celebrating some of our wins from the past year. We cheered for all the hard work that went into Bring Chicago Home even as we mourned that it did not pass. We cheered for the 50 leaders who completed training in Fundamentals of Organizing this summer, and the 100+ members who showed up to support the Leland and San Miguel Buildings at a public action in July. We reminisced about the fun we all had at the Summer Bash!
Pastor Lindsey emphasized that we have real challenges facing us: a housing crisis, a climate crisis, people don’t feel safe in their communities. But she said we need to be clear on who the real enemy is: wealthy corporate interests that benefit from our division. They want to divide us and pit us against each other so they can stay rich and get richer! We have to come together and be united to overcome their greed and oppression. THIS IS PEOPLE POWER.
The Building Blocks of a Strong North Side
Next up the Education Justice/Parent Mentors team, Environmental Justice team, Police Accountability and Public Safety team, and Violence Prevention team all spoke about their vision for the building blocks of a strong, united North Side.
Ebony DeBerry, the Program Manager for Educational Initiatives at ONE Northside, spoke about the amazing work the Parent Mentors do in our schools and asked Rep. Huynh and Sen. Simmons to commit to $20 million in funding for the program next year so we could expand to more North Side schools. They said yes!
Next Bridget Harris, our Parent Mentor Coordinator at Gale Community Academy, spoke about how environmental racism is impacting our schools. Gale is over 100 years old, and its environmental impacts, like poor ventilation and lead pipes, are affecting student learning. It is not the only Chicago Public School with these issues. This is why we are fighting for Green Schools. Bridget led the audience in a big cheer for “GREEN SCHOOLS NOW!”
Next up Griselda Dominguez, the Parent Mentor Coordinator for New Field Elementary School, explained the origin of Chicago’s newest elected office: Representative School Board. Gris spoke about how important this historic election is, and how a healthy democracy is one of the building blocks of a strong North Side.
We also know we need safe communities on the North Side, and our Violence Prevention Team spoke about how they are working every week throughout the year to make our communities safer. Crucially, Program Supervisor Zerell Davis explained how necessary it is to have year-round funding for these programs, and asked Sen. Simmons and Rep. Huynh to fight for funding when federal support wanes in the coming years. They said yes!
Violence Prevention Program Manager and 20th District Council Member Darrell Dacres also spoke about community safety. “At ONE Northside, community safety also means feeling safe from the police,” he said. This is why he and other members of the Police Accountability and Public Safety team and Violence Prevention team have spoken in the city’s Consent Decree hearings, and why we continually work for more openness and accountability for the police.
Other District Council members joined him. Dr. Rev. Marilyn Pagán-Banks, Executive Director of A Just Harvest and member of the 24th District Council, spoke about the great changes that had happened since the historic passage of the ECPS ordinance in 2021. The creation of the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability (CCPSA), the election of the District Councils, the elimination of the gang database, and policy that creates mental health response units without police present, among others.
Beth Rochford, a member of the 17th District Council and a leader on the ONE Northside Police Accountability team, urged the audience to get involved with their District Councils. Everyone present could take a survey to share feedback on the CPD budget, and that feedback would be shared with the CCPSA.
We’re Fighting for Tenant Power!
One of the most important building blocks of a strong North Side is affordable housing. A member of our Housing Justice team and a tenant in the Good News / Becovic Tenants Union (GN/BTU) Karen Foster told the audience at the Town Hall about everything that she and her neighbors had experienced in their building. At the meeting, they were waiting to hear if Alderwoman Maria Hadden had been able convince landlord Sal Becovic to offer relocation assistance to the remaining tenants. Alderwoman Hadden told us no.
Since this meeting, the tenants received a tentative two-week extension to give them time to move out. They are in the process of finding places to go, but many have nowhere to go while they still search desperately for affordable options anywhere in the city or wait on waitlists.
Save Affordable Housing!
Karen also spoke about how important single-room occupancy buildings (SROs) are in our overall Housing Justice fight to keep the North Side affordable. We want to fight gentrification and make sure everyone on the North Side can afford to live there. Corporate landlords who buy buildings and flip them for luxury developments not only displace those tenants, they drive up rents for everyone! Karen talked about our work in the past securing millions to preserve SROs through the SRO Preservation Loan Fund, and asked Commissioner of the Department of Housing Lissette Castañeda to commit to $10 million for SROs in 2025. She agreed not only to $10 million, but for $25 million over 5 years through the city’s new bond initiative!
ONE Northside is also fighting to save the Leland Building from being lost to development. Jeff Martin, a tenant at the Leland Building, shared his story and talked about why it is so important for the Leland Building to stay an affordable building.
He had a stroke that left him evicted and unable to work. Through his SSI payments, he can afford rent at the Leland, which he now considers home. “I am friendly with my neighbors and have built a life for myself in the neighborhood,” he said. “If this building is sold to a for-profit developer, my neighbors and I would face homelessness. I already pay over half my income for rent and could never afford a market-rate unit.”
Housing Justice team member Sue Gries helped explain what is at stake and called on Housing Commissioner Castañeda for help. Together, the Leland Building and the San Miguel Apartments in Uptown need $44 million to keep them affordable and make necessary updates. “IHDA and the Department of Housing are fully committed to whatever it takes to keep both the Leland and the San Miguel apartments fully affordable, in perpetuity, forever and ever,” Commissioner Castañeda replied. “The commitment is unwavering.”
However, there is an issue we have to address. The Leland building is in foreclosure because the bank that loaned the money wants its money back. The foreclosure process is a major obstacle to keeping these buildings affordable. Everyone was asked immediately to take action by sending a pre-written email asking Mercy Community Capital to STOP THE FORECLOSURE!
Thank You for Helping Build a Strong North Side!
Thank you to our elected officials who came out to show accountability and co-governance with us! As Alderman Vasquez noted, five years ago the elected officials on the stage would have been very different, and we would not have had District Council members in the room at all! Organizing for change is very powerful, and our elected officials work for US.
Thank you to the Ismaili Jamatkhana for their wonderful hospitality and excellent help in hosting this event! Thank you to all our Institutional Members and community partners who spread the word and share this event with the whole North Side.
Thank you to the many members of our North Side community who came out to join us for this event, ready to engage in dialogue and to take action to build a better city! Thank you to our wonderful grassroots leaders and team members who volunteered their time and talents to make this event happen. Thank you for sharing your stories and lifting your voices. Our strength is our people, and together we win.
