Seven two-bedroom two baths and a one bed one bath below market-rate rental units available at Five Points Lakeview, 3605 N Ravenswood!
Five Points Lakeview is a new construction rental building that features 52 residential units; a rooftop patio, gym, bike storage, and outdoor parking is available. Trader Joes, Loba Cafe, and the CTA Brown Line are within blocks of the property! The property is located within the Hamilton CPS School District
Affordable rents range from $849.00 to $1,659.00 a month. Must be income eligible. Households must earn no more than the maximum income levels below:
Unit 508, One Bedroom One Bath, 80% of Area Median Income: One person - $67,150; 2 persons -$76,750
Units 403 + 407, Two Bedrooms Two Baths, 70% of Area Median Income: 2 persons -$67,200; 3 persons - $75,600; 4 persons - $83,930
Units 303 + 307, Two Bedrooms Two Baths, 60% of Area Median Income: 2 persons -$57,600; 3 persons - $64,800; 4 persons - $71,940
Units 202 + 207, Two Bedrooms Two Baths, 50% of Area Median Income: 2 persons -$48,000; 3 persons - $54000; 4 persons - $59,950
Unit 203, Two Bedrooms Two Baths, 40% of Area Median Income: 2 persons -$38,400; 3 persons - $43,200; 4 persons - $47,960
Please contact the Five Points Lakeview for an application and more information at 773-308-6806 or info@fivepointslakeview.com or https://fivepointslakeview.com/
Applicants with vouchers or other third-party subsidies are welcome to apply. These units are subject to monitoring, compliance, and other restrictions by the City of Chicago’s Department of Housing. For more information visit https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/sites/affordable-requirements-ordinance/home.html
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Arts & Entertainment
Event highlights of the week!
SportsWise
Ron Madere has been StreetWise's Magazine Sales Specialist for 22 years, and in this special edition of SportsWise, the team interviews him about his favorite sports during his retirement party.
Cover Story: Protest Songs
Bruce Springsteen wrote and recorded "Streets of Minneapolis" within days of Alex Pretti’s killing, continuing a long tradition of songs as protest against violence and repression.
inside StreetWise
StreetWise vendor Lee A. Holmes shares his keys to success, and why he never stops learning. As told to his wife, StreetWise vendor Paula D. Holmes.
From the Streets
Advocates in favor of Susan Cappello's appointment to head Chicago Animal Care and Control and those preferring a national search to replace her met with the mayor's office before her confirmation to form a working group regarding CACC.
The Playground
THIS PAGE: Bob Dylan (in 1965) is known for his "protest songs" (Albert Grossman Management photo). DISCLAIMER: The views, opinions, positions or strategies expressed by the authors and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or positions of StreetWise.
Dave Hamilton, Creative Director/Publisher dhamilton@streetwise.org
Julie Youngquist, Executive director jyoungquist@streetwise.org
Ph: 773-334-6600 Office: 2009 S. State St., Chicago, IL, 60616
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT RECOMMENDATIONS
Compiled by Dave Hamilton
Taken Heritage!
‘Dispossessions in the Americas’
“Dispossession”—the deprivation of land, culture, language, or all three—has been a defining condition across the Americas, initiated by European colonialism. The exhibition “Dispossessions in the Americas: The Extrac tion of Bodies, Land, and Heritage from La Conquista to the Present” brings together more than 40 works by 36 contemporary artists from across Latin America whose creative output broadly seeks to critique and unsettle the long-standing politics of dispossession. Featuring photographs, videos, installations, performances, sculptures, and paintings, all produced between 1960 and 2025, the exhibition examines the enduring legacies of colonialism, showing how dispossession continues to shape Indigenous, Afrodescendant, Queer, and Trans communities. On display Friday, April 17 - July 18 at Wrightwood 659, 659 W. Wrightwood Ave. Included with museum admission. Tickets must be purchased in advance at www.wrightwood659.org
Pop Goes the Music!
‘Building American Pop’
Chicago a cappella (CAC), Chicago’s premier unaccompanied vocal ensemble, presents “Building American Pop,” a musical time capsule revisiting the irresistible pop classics that evoke the songwriting genius of the Brill Building era of the 1950s and ’60s, with WTTW’s Geoffrey Baer. Touring throughout Chicagoland April 19-26, the “Building American Pop” concert series kicks off on April 19, 3 p.m., at the Studebaker Theater in the historic Fine Arts Building (420 S. Michigan Ave.), Chicago’s own hotbed of artistic activity. The ensemble then returns to Nichols Concert Hall (1490 Chicago Ave., Evanston) on April 25, 7:30 p.m., and to the McAninch Arts Center (425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn) on April 26, 3 p.m. “Building American Pop” is a full-length concert program, and tickets are $30-$60 at chicagoacappella.org
Bold New Work!
‘safronia’
Lyric Opera of Chicago continues its commitment to bold, new work with the world premiere of “safronia,” a landmark musical composition commissioned from Chicago’s first Poet Laureate, the interdisciplinary artist avery r. young. Presented for two performances, April 17, 7 p.m. & 18, 7:30 p.m., at the Lyric Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive, “safronia” is an American story told through blues, gospel, and funk that places the Great Migration centerstage. Part family saga, part American reckoning, “safronia” follows the Booker family as they journey from the North back to their Mississippi hometown to lay their father’s ashes on land they were forced from. W hat begins as a burial ignites a volatile confrontation with memory, inheritance, and the unfinished business of history. Blending folklore, poetry, and gospel-rooted sound with Lyric's orchestral sweep, young's work is at once intimate and seismic. It is a Chicago-born story that speaks to the nation. Tickets start at $55 at lyricopera.org
Chicago in Art!
‘Impressions of a City: Drawings by Marvin Young’ The City of Chicago and its people are celebrated in this exhibition of works by Chicago-based artist Marvin Young. A lifelong resident of Chicago’s South Side, Young joined Arts of Life’s progressive studio for artists with intellectual and physical disabilities in 2024. Using graphite, colored pencil, crayon, pen and marker, Young creates vivid drawings that reflect his community and personal history, capturing imagined and remembered urban scenes alongside large-scale portraits. Young’s architectural landscapes feature vintage Chicago walk-ups, brownstones and high rises framed by bright skies and classic cars, taxi cabs, police officers, and bustling city life. On display through August 23 at the Intuit Art Museum, 756 N. Milwaukee Ave. Learn more at art.org
Worldly Cinema!
42nd Chicago Latino Film Festival
The Chicago Latino Film Festival (CLFF), a division of the International Latino Cultural Center in Chicago, presents the longest-running Latino film festival in the United States. For over four decades, it has celebrated Latino culture, arts, and realities through the powerful medium of cinema. CLFF continues its vital mission of showcasing exceptional Latino filmmaking while building bridges of cultural understanding through the universal language of film. Playing April 16 - 27 at Landmark Century Cinema, 2828 N. Clark St. For a full schedule and tickets, visit chicagolatinofilmfestival.org
Laughs & Reflection
‘The Movement You Need’
Emmy and SAG Award winner Brendan Hunt (Ted Lasso’s co-creator/writer/“Coach Beard”) presents his hilarious new one-man show fueled by bittersweet memories of his Chicago childhood, a love for The Beatles that got him through it, and the tongue-tied moment he met Paul McCartney. “The Movement You Need” is a laugh-filled love letter to the family that makes us, the music that shapes us and the crazy shit life throws our way. Playing April 19 - May 10 at Steppenwolf, 1650 N. Halsted St. Tickets start at $55 at steppenwolf.org
Defying Gravity!
Broadway Rave
Calling all Musical Theatre nerds, drama geeks, actors, actresses, theatre lovers, and more! Visit the Broadway Rave, a Broadway Dance Party celebrating the best in showtunes and musical theatre. Sing along to all of your favorite Broadway hits while dressed up as your favorite character. There will be surprise guests from some of your favorite Broadway shows! Friday, April 17, 9 - 11 p.m., at Subterranean, 2011 W. North Ave. Tickets are $27 at broadwayrave.com/shows
Nevermore!
‘The Curious Life of Edgar Allen Poe’
“The Curious Life of Edgar Allan Poe” is a groundbreaking new ballet by Julianna Rubio Slager and Glorielle Niedfeldt and performed by Ballet 5:8, blending classical and African Diaspora movement. Supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities as part of America 250, it reimagines Poe’s stories as a redemptive exploration of grief, beauty, and moral awakening. One-night-only, April 18, 7:30 p.m., at the Harris Theater, 205 E. Randolph St. Tickets start at $20 at harristheaterchicago.org
Opa!
Annual Greek Independence Parade
Greektown Chicago will once again welcome the annual Greek Independence Parade hosted by the Federation of Hellenic American Organizations of Illinois on Sunday, April 19 at 2 p.m., on Halsted St, moving north from Van Buren St. to Washington Blvd. Celebrating Chicago’s Greek American community and the rich Greek culture and history, it also upholds the Hellenic ideals of freedom and democracy. For more information, visit GreektownChicago.org
Brought to Life!
‘Drawing with Metal: Sculpture by Bill Brady
“Drawing with Metal: Sculpture by Bill Brady” is the largest solo exhibition of the artist’s work outside his native Pennsylvania. Known for transforming tin-plated steel and welding rods into forms that evoke figures, machines, spacecraft and whimsical abstractions, the retrospective features more than 40 dynamic sculptures alongside images from Brady’s sketchbooks. It features a selection of works made over five decades, providing insight into the imaginative sources behind the artist’s practice. On display April 10 - October 4 at the Intuit Art Museum, 756 N. Milwaukee Ave. Learn more at art.org
A Streetwise legend's 2¢
John: This is a very special SportsWise edition, where we are paying tribute to StreetWise Magazine Sales Specialist Ron Madere, who is retiring. We appreciate what he has done for the StreetWise crew for the past 22 years.
Percy : What got you interested in becoming a sports fan?
Ron: I played sports when I was younger, so I just naturally in my adult years continued to follow sports.
Percy : What are your favorite two sports?
Ron: Basketball and football.
Allen : Thank you for your 22 years of service here at StreetWise. What is better about sports today than back in the day?
Ron: Back in the day, it wasn’t as open, you didn’t have all ethnic groups participating. You didn’t have the best of the best.
John: Thank you for your service, Ron. What is your most memorable sports moment?
Ron: I think the walk-off home run off the Brooklyn Dodgers’ Ralph Branca that Bobby Thomson hit to send the New York Giants to the World Series.
John: You mean in 1951? Any others?
Ron: When the Brooklyn Dodgers’ Jackie Robinson bunted down the first base line and knocked the Giants’ Sal “the Barber” Maglie down. [That was Maglie’s nickname because he gave “close shaves:” he pitched inside to hitters. The April 1955 bunt was retaliation for Maglie’s knockdown pitch to Robinson, a former UCLA running back, who hoped to lure Maglie off the mound to first base and then crash into him. Instead, second baseman Davey Williams took the hit.]
Russell: Thanks for 22 years. Glad you could join us today. Where do you see sports headed down the road?
Ron: I see it expanding into Europe. After a while, every sport will be international.
Russell: What advice would you give young players getting into sports?
Ron: I would tell them to get a good agent, so they could avoid pitfalls.
Allen : Who is your favorite individual in sports?
Ron: Michael Jordan.
John: That got all of us excited. Everyone knows he’s the greatest player on the planet. We want to thank you. It’s not going to be easy, but good luck and godspeed to you.
Percy : Thanks for all of your time, your inspiration to me.
Stay happy, stay strong, stay blessed and stay WISE.
Russell: Thank you for being a grandfather to me. You made me work harder. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be here.
Allen : Thank you for your 22 years and good luck in whatever you choose to do. Come back and visit us.
Percy : Thanks for all the tough love.
John: Thanks for all the good and bad we’ve had at StreetWise. You’ll definitely be missed. Happy retirement.
Any comments, suggestions or topic ideas for the SportsWise team? Email StreetWise Editor Suzanne Hanney at suzannestreetwise@yahoo.com
Vendors Percy Scott, John Hagan, Russell Adams, and A. Allen chat with Ron Madere about the world of sports.
A CELEBRATION
'Which side are you on?':
American Protest songs have
emboldened social movements for generations, from coal country to minneapolis
by Ted Olson
The presence of Department of Homeland Security agents in Minnesota compelled many people there to use songs as a means of protest. Those songs were from secular as well as religious traditions.
On Jan. 8, 2026, the day after Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Jonathan Ross allegedly killed Minneapolis resident Renée Good on Portland Avenue, an anonymous post appeared on Reddit that featured an uncredited text clearly adapted from the lyrics of a Depression-era protest song from Appalachia, “Which Side Are You On?” The Reddit text criticized the recent federal presence in Minnesota and implored Minnesotans to take a stand.
In our town of Minneapolis, There’s no neutrals here at home. You’re either marching in the streets or you kill for Kristi Noem Which side are you on, Oh which side are you on?
Which side are you on, Oh which side are you on?
ICE is a bunch of killers who hide behind a mask. How do they get away with this?
That’s what you have to ask. Which side are you on …
For centuries, songs have served as vehicles for expressing community responses to sociopolitical crises, whether government repression or corporate exploitation. “Which Side Are You On?” resonated with Minnesotans, in part because it has been recorded by numerous artists over the decades.
The song dates back to another societal struggle that occurred in another part of the United States during another crisis moment in American history. “Which Side Are You On?” has consoled and empowered countless people for generations during struggles in red as well as blue states. It has also inspired people to write new protest songs in the face of new crises.
Birth of a protest anthem
“Which Side Are You On?” was composed in 1931, a woman’s spontaneous response to a coal company’s effort to prevent miners in Harlan County, Kentucky, from joining the United Mine Workers of America. Those miners hoped the labor union would improve their working conditions and overturn imposed reductions to their wages.
In support of the coal company, sheriff J. H. Blair and armed deputies broke into the house of union organizer Sam Reece to apprehend him and locate evidence of union activity. Reece was in hiding elsewhere, but his wife, Florence, and their children were present. After ransacking the house, the sheriff and deputies left.
Florence tore a page out of a calendar and jotted down lyrics for an impromptu song, which she recalled setting to the melody of a Baptist hymn “I’m gonna land on the shore.” Others have observed that the melody in Florence’s song was similar to that of the traditional British ballad “Jack Monroe,” which features the haunting refrain “Lay the Lily Low.”
“Which Side Are You On?” channeled Florence’s reaction to that traumatic experience. Throughout the 1930s, she and others sang the song during labor strikes in the Appalachian coalfields, and the lyrics were included in union songbooks. Then, in 1941, the Almanac Singers, a folk supergroup featuring Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger, recorded the song, and it reached many people beyond Appalachia.
Since then, a range of musicians – including Charlie Byrd; Peter, Paul and Mary; the Dropkick Murphys; Natalie Merchant; Ani DiFranco; and the Kronos Quartet – performed “Which Side Are You On?” in concert settings and for recordings. A solo live performance with a concert audience joining the chorus was a focal point of Seeger’s “Greatest Hits” album in 1967.
The Academy Award-winning documentary film “Harlan County U.S.A.” (1976) included a clip of Florence Reece
singing her song during a 1973 strike. “Which Side Are You On?” was translated into other languages – a testament to its universal theme of encouraging solidarity to people confronting authoritarian power.
Protest songs of the modern era
While the American protest song tradition can be traced back to the origins of the nation, “Which Side Are You On?” served as a prototype for the modern-era protest song because of its lyrical directness. Many memorable, risk-taking protest songs were composed in the wake of, and in the spirit of, “Which Side Are You On?”
Noteworthy are numerous protest classics in the folk vein, epitomized by a sizable part of Woody Guthrie’s repertoire, by early Bob Dylan songs like “Masters of War” (1963), “The Times They Are a-Changin’” (1964) and “Only A Pawn in Their Game” (1964), and by Phil Ochs’ mid-1960s songs of political critique, such as “Here’s to the State of Mississippi” (1965).
But protest songs have hailed from all music genres. Rock and rhythm and blues, for instance, have spawned
many iconic recordings of protest music: Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come” (1964), Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth” (1966), Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Fortunate Son” (1969), Edwin Starr’s “War” (1970) and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young’s “Ohio” (1970) among many others.
Blues, country, reggae and hip-hop have spawned broadly inspirational protest songs, and jazz too has yielded classic protest recordings, such as Abel Meeropol’s “Strange Fruit” (1939), popularized by Billie Holiday, and Gil ScottHeron’s 1971 recording of the jazz-poem “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised.”
Indeed, there are so many enduring contributions to the American protest song canon that a list like Rolling Stone’s recent “100 Best Protest Songs of All Time” is only the tip of the iceberg. Regardless of the genre, effective protest songs retain their power to move and motivate people today despite having been composed in response to past situations or circumstances. And protest songs from the past are often adapted to help people more effectively respond to the crisis of the moment.
Florence Reece (scan unknown). Right: The artwork for cover versions of "Which Side Are You On?' by Pete Seeger and Charlie Byrd. The cover artwork for the Harlan County
soundrack.
Songs for this moment
“Which Side Are You On?” was sung – and its theme invoked – in Minnesota throughout January 2026. On January 24 shortly after Border Patrol agents allegedly killed Alex Pretti on Nicollet Avenue, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey referred to the song’s title during a public address to his constituents: “Stand up for America. Recognize that your children will ask you what side you were on.” That same day, the grassroots organization 50501: Minnesota posted online an appeal to those in power: “[E]very politician and person in uniform must ask themselves one question –which side are you on?”
The next day, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz acknowledged divisions in the U.S. during a televised briefing, urging citizens in his state and across the nation to consider the choice before them: “I’ve got a question for all of you. What side do you want to be on?”
People protesting ICE and Customs and Border Protection actions in Minnesota and elsewhere have been singing
“Which Side Are You On?” and other well-known protest songs, but musicians have also been writing new protest songs about the crisis. On January 8, the Dropkick Murphys posted on social media a clip of “Citizen I.C.E.,” a revamped version of the group’s 2005 song “Citizen C.I.A.,” augmented by video of the January 7 fatal shooting of Renée Good. On January 27, British musician Billy Bragg released “City of Heroes,” which he composed in tribute to the Minneapolis protesters.
Following suit was Bruce Springsteen, a longtime champion of the protest song legacy. On January 28, Springsteen released online his newly composed and recorded “Streets of Minneapolis.” Millions of people around the world heard the song and saw its accompanying video.
On January 30, Springsteen made a surprise appearance at the Minneapolis club First Avenue, performing his new song at the “Defend Minnesota” benefit concert, organized by musician Tom Morello to raise funds for the families of Good and Pretti.
Making a difference
On the day Pretti was shot dead, hundreds of Minneapolis protesters attended a special service at Minneapolis’ Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church. Pastor Elizabeth MacAuley, in a televised interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper, reflected on the role of song in helping people cope: “It’s been a time when it is pretty tempting to feel so disempowered. … [T]he singing resistance movement … brought out the hope and the grief and the rage and the beauty.”
Cooper asked: “Do you think song makes a difference?” MacAuley replied: “I know song makes a difference.”
Ted Olson is professor of Appalachian Studies and Bluegrass, Old-Time and Roots Music Studies at East Tennessee State University. Courtesy of The Conversation. www.theconversation.com
Right: Bruce Springsteen and Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine perform on January 30, in a concert in Minneapolis in protest of federal agents’ actions in Minnesota (Alex Kormann photo).
Vendor Lee Holmes: Always learning & Yearning to give back
by Paula D. Holmes
Lee A. Holmes vendor as told to Paula D. Holmes, his wife who is also a vendor.
I was born on the West Side of Chicago to Melvin and Melvina Holmes. I grew up on the Far South Side, what they call the Wild Wild Hundreds: 118th and Harvard.
I was living in the shelter and his young man named Maurice showed me around Uptown: where I can go eat, wash up, etc. He also took me up to Inspiration Corporation and StreetWise, where I met Greg, the vendor director, who told me about some of the benefits of being a StreetWise vendor.
I've been selling StreetWise for about 10 plus years now. You can find me on Clark and Deming, the Walgreens at Clark and Wilson and Mariano's at Roscoe and Western. I have been selling on Clark and Deming since I started selling StreetWise. I have been on Clark and Wilson for a few months and I have been at Mariano's at Roscoe and Western for over 7 years.
I have different styles for selling my magazines. One of them is, I have a Throwback Tuesday, while I play music and ask the people if they can guess the artist or the song, then they get a free magazine. Of course, it would be a week old, but they get a free magazine and music is the key. When I'm out there, I play jazz, blues, hip-hop and sometimes country. I'm also learning to use social media like Facebook, TikTok etc.
In Roscoe Village I didn't know My Eye Doctor was there, so I go there to get my eyes examined every year for a new pair of glasses. At Clark and Deming, there's a Catholic Church down the street – St. Clement’s – that I didn't know about. I also go there to sell magazines on Sunday.
Chicago is a very strange city to me: you have good and bad here. But what I like most about Chicago is being downtown on the Magnificent Mile learning about Open House Chicago and visiting some of the places StreetWise magazine covers every year.
I have learned quite a few things while selling StreetWise magazine: how to budget better, do my magazine inventory, brush up on my customer skills and selling skills and again I'm learning to use social media to build my brand, which is the “Awesome Ones” [Paula and me]. I also met some very nice people while selling StreetWise magazines.
A challenge I have faced? Panhandlers trying to run me off the corner. People trying to stick me up. But the biggest challenge is how do you get those that just walk past you and act like they don’t see you to acknowledge you and better yet, to buy a magazine. My wife [you] came up with a way for me to do that. She puts out some of the old magazines in St. Clement’s.
My goals are to go back to the real estate institute and finish studying for my real estate license, broker license, and property management license. Another goal is to go to culinary school at the YWCA in Evanston. They will start
in April. I also want to become a housing counselor. I'm passionate about keeping low-income housing in Chicago but reality tells me it’s not so. I want to own my own home and open up a kiosk at a CTA station.
For fun I like playing chess, reading books, talking to my children and grandchildren, visiting my in-laws, going to the movies with my wife, and dinner. I enjoy cooking.
Also, I'm very passionate about addressing food deserts, some of the crime that's taking place in the neighborhood, as well as learning. I give graditute to all those that support me and my brand: what we stand for. If you see me on the street, walk up and get to know me as a person, as a vendor, as a human. I give gratitude to all and to all have a safe and blessed year.
Lee Holmes, left, and Jerry Grant, a customer at St. Clement's Church. "I think I have known Lee for over 5 years. He is a steady, well-kept individual who always has a welcome smile and a kind word. We have gotten to know each other better over time through our weekly conversations after Mass on Sunday. I rely on Lee to provide me with my weekly copy of StreetWise. I love to read the public interest stories and the sporting events predictions. I have been a constant supporter of this great publication and the value it brings to our community ever since they started. I am very grateful for my friend Lee and for StreetWise."
Working Group
Formed to assist Newly appointed E.D. of CHicago Animal Care and Control
by Suzanne Hanney
The day before Chicago City Council confirmation of Susan Cappello as executive director of Chicago Animal Care and Control, top advisors to Mayor Brandon Johnson met with advocates and aldermen to form a working group regarding the city’s tax-funded animal shelter.
“Seeing the handwriting on the wall that she was going to be approved, we asked for a meeting with the mayor’s office to lower the temperature and come to agreement on some next steps,” Jason Liechty, director of policy and zoning in the office of Ald. Ruth Cruz (30th ward) told StreetWise.
Liechty said that the March 17 meeting included Jason Lee, a senior advisor to Johnson; Emily Melbye, director of the City Council intergovernmental affairs team; Alds. Cruz, Gilbert Villegas (36th ward), and Nicholas Sposato (38th ward), and advocates, volunteers and representatives from rescue groups.
Liechty said Cruz and Villegas secured a commitment from the Johnson administration for a working group that is “balanced so that it is not one-sided on either side:” those who wanted Cappello to be elevated to executive director after three years as acting executive director, and those who wanted a national search to replace her. Cappello had been deputy director, a position left vacant during the three years.
The intention is “to come up with solutions in an ongoing, sustained way,” Liechty said, “to bring in voices from those constituencies that had spoken up and said they were not represented. We are hopeful this will
be helpful to Sue. It’s not meant to usurp her authority or be a source of criticism, but to be helpful, bring in more help to take advantage of the attention animal care has been getting. [CACC] has been overlooked. It isn’t getting the support a city our size would have.”
CACC has reacted to public outcry over conditions at the animal shelter, he said, by hiring a manager for volunteers.
Cruz and Villegas had circulated a letter at the February 18 City Council meeting asking Johnson to pause Cappello’s appointment. They called for a national search by April 1. The measure had the support of 17 on the 50-member City Council.
The letter said that animals were getting only 15-minute respites from their cages every three days, thanks to volunteers. Volunteers, CACC staff members and animal rescues said that speaking up led to retaliation from Cappello, such as being fired or eliminating partnerships.
“We’ve been rescuing animals from the city shelter for 18 years, and over the last 3 years I’ve watched the shelter decline in a way I’ve never experienced before,” wrote Heather Owen, executive director and co-founder of One Tail at a Time rescue and a CACC commissioner from 2019-23.
understands the relationship between her job and mental and behavioral health, her job and community safety and affordability.”
CACC took in 14,800 animals in the year ending October 2025, a 12-year record high. It euthanized 1,720 cats and dogs, based on medical, behavioral and space-based decisions, up from 1613 the year before. There were also an unprecedented 2,652 adoptions, as well as 816 strays returned to their owners and 7,195 transfers to rescue partners such as PAWS Chicago, One Tail at a Time and others.
CACC is at capacity (220 dogs and 200 cats) every day, said Armando Tejeda, CACC public information officer. Adoptions and rescues would have to number 50 to 60 animals daily to keep up with intake: strays and owner surrenders. The latter is fueled by “post-pandemic housing instability, inflation and the ongoing affordability crisis,” including rising veterinary and food costs.
Announcing her appointment February 12, Johnson said that “at all our cabinet meetings, [Cappello]’s been right there at the forefront, not just contributing to animal care but contributing to the wholeness of our city…She
During the City Council Committee on Health and Human Relations meeting that preceded full City Council confirmation, Ald. Jessie Fuentes (26th ward) said to Cappello, “The political reality is, you’re going to be appointed.”
The City “has neither the time nor the money” for a national search, Fuentes said. In June, it will be facing a much harder budget cycle, and might even claw back the $650,000 added to CACC’s budget for eight positions to strengthen field response, intake and animal care. CACC’s $8.1 million budget is still below that of Los Angeles, New York and Houston.
Advocates from PAWS Chicago praised Cappello’s ability to leverage partnerships, such as their own 360@CACC, which provides pet owner support to keep animals from being relinquished; and The Big Fix spay/neuter.
Kelley Gandurski, executive director of CACC under Mayors Rahm Emanuel and Lori Lightfoot, said the problem “is not a management failure but systemic:” backyard breeding of pit bulls who wind up at CACC.
