February 28 - March 5, 2024

february 28 - March 5, 2024 Vol. 32 No. 09

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4 Arts & Entertainment 6 SportsWise

Event highlights of the week!

The SportsWise Team chats about the state of Chicago sports teams.

8 Cover Story: Evicted

The "Evicted" exhibit at the National Public Housing Museum in River North shows how the foreclosure crisis has continued long past the Great Recession, "leaving a deep and jagged scar" on the next generation of low-income Americans.

NPHM Executive Director Dr. Lisa Yun Lee discusses how the federal government subsidizes private sector housing with the mortgage deduction and Museum Educators from Red Line Service with lived experience of homelessness add their perspective.

12 From the Streets

The proposed Bring Chicago Home ordinance to fund homeless services, from supportive housing and wraparound services to Single Room Occupancy hotel preservation and homelessness prevention.

15 The Playground

ON THE COVER: A U.S. map of moving boxes in the Evicted exhibit shows the annual number for each state. THIS PAGE: Evictions hurt some communities more than others, as shown in this graphic from the exhibit at the National Public Housing Museum (Suzanne Hanney 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

StreetWiseChicago @StreetWise_CHI

Suzanne Hanney, Editor-In-Chief

suzannestreetwise@yahoo.com

Amanda Jones, Director of programs

ajones@streetwise.org

Julie Youngquist, Executive director

jyoungquist@streetwise.org

Ph: 773-334-6600 Office: 2009 S. State St., Chicago, IL, 60616

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT RECOMMENDATIONS Compiled by Dave Hamilton

Get Jiggy With It!

Trinity Irish Dance Company The Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Ida B. Wells Drive, presents Chicago’s own internationally-renowned Trinity Irish Dance Company (TIDC). “Sophisticated and commanding” (Los Angeles Times) and “impossibly complex” (New York Times), TIDC is the birthplace of progressive Irish dance, an innovative movement genre that “ushered in a new era for Irish step dance” (Chicago Tribune). Considered a performing arts treasure by critics and enthusiasts worldwide, TIDC celebrates a unique vision that fuses vibrant Irish traditions with ever-evolving American innovation. TIDC dazzles with hard-driving percussive power and aerial grace while sending a clear message of female empowerment. Fresh off a month-long tour of Japan (the company’s 8th, making them the most toured foreign dance company in Japan’s history), and in the midst of a 17-city USA season, TIDC returns, presenting a mixed repertory program with two highly-anticipated world premieres, special guest artists, TIDC classics, and live music from the ever-popular TIDC Band. Kicking off the St. Patrick’s Day season on Sunday, March 3 at 3 p.m.

Tickets start at $25 at auditoriumtheatre.org

Brainstorm the Future!

Night of Ideas A global event, taking place simultaneously in more than 100 countries and 20 US cities, Night of Ideas invites thought leaders and performers to engage the public in an evening of discussions around major, contemporary global issues. Chicago’s Night of Ideas takes place at the Chicago Architecture Center, 111 E. Wacker Drive, on February 28. Free and open to the public, this celebration of thoughts welcomes inspiring voices from academic, artistic and civic communities drawing on on this year’s theme, “Outside the Lines.” Explore the Chicago Architecture Center after hours during this drop-in event from 5-9 p.m. Engage in intellectual talks, panels, book signings, and performances, on topics like the future of the Great Lakes, food deserts and urban farming, gentrification, housing policy and lending disparities against the backdrop of Chicago at night. Registration recommended at architecture.org

The Odd Couple!

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

‘Skunk and Badger’ Lifeline Theatre and Artistic Director Ilesa Duncan present the world premiere production based on the book by Amy Timberlake and illustrated by Jon Klassen. The play navigates the rocky road of two very different roommates. “All Skunk wants is a home where he feels safe, accepted, and cared for,” shares the promotion’s Director Brian Tochterman. “Just like Skunk, human beings are social animals who long for connection and community. Skunk and Badger both show us that it’s not only possible to accept each other’s differences but that real communication and connection, even when difficult, is far more fulfilling than studying rocks alone in the dark. I don’t care if you’re 4 or 34, I promise that you will find something worthwhile and entertaining in this story and in the artistry that has brought it to life.” “Skunk and Badger” runs at Lifeline Theatre, 6912 N. Glenwood Ave. in Rogers Park, from March 2 – April 7, Saturdays and Sundays at 11 a.m. & 1 p.m. Tickets are $20 at lifelinetheatre.com

Showing His Dark Side!

‘The Smuggler’ Jackalope Theatre Company launches its 16th season at Edgewater’s Berger Park, 6205 N. Sheridan Rd., with the Chicago premiere of the solo performance “The Smuggler,” now – March 16, Mondays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. Tim Finnegan is a clever and enterprising Irish immigrant tending bar on the island of Amity, an affluent summer enclave off the coast of Massachusetts. W hen his child falls ill and he loses his job, Finnegan is drawn into the dark world that exists only in the shadows of the wealthy island. “The Smuggler” has been called “Terrific” by The New Yorker, “Spellbinding” by DC Metro Arts and a “Ripping Yarn” by the Boston Globe. One part “Breaking Bad,” one part Beowulf, "The Smuggler" is a modern tale of corruption, morality and giant rats that asks what it means to call yourself a “citizen.” Tickets are $15-25 at JackalopeTheatre.org or by calling the box office at (773)340-2543.

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Keep it Green!

Aimée Beaubien ‘Through the Hothouse’ Aimée Beaubien showcases her innovative techniques in "Through the Hothouse." The installation transforms a 92-foot-long hallway into a green corridor by integrating elements such as plant matter, weaving, photographs, and 3D drawings. This immersive garden of strange and enticing forms symbolizes the intricate interplay between ecological, social, and cultural concerns. Beaubien’s work challenges common assumptions about landscape and raises important questions about preservation, conservation, and care for green space within the built environment. On display at the Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave., March 2 - June 2. FREE.

Nom Nom Nom!

North Side Restaurant Week Several of the friendly neighborhood Chambers of Commerce have joined forces to showcase the abundance of great restaurants to be discovered on the North Side. North Side Restaurant Week is a great way to explore cuisine and fine dining at restaurants throughout our diverse communities. Enjoy flavors spanning the globe - from Argentinian, French, and Italian to southern comfort food, new American classics and more. Restaurants in Lincoln Square, Ravenswood, Andersonville, Edgewater, Northcenter, Rogers Park, and Uptown will show off their wide range of dining options throughout the week with special prix fixe menus to enjoy March 1 - 15. Learn more at northsiderestaurantweek.com

Nom Nom Nom (as well)!

Greektown Restaurant Week Greektown Chicago Restaurant Week returns March 1-7, featuring discounts and special offers of iconic Greek dishes from staple Greektown restaurants and bars. Greektown Restaurant Week celebrates Greek cuisine in anticipation of Greek Independence Day in late March.

For more information, visit GreektownChicago.org

Celebrate Community!

Chicago Danztheatre ‘Meditations on Being’ Stories from and about the community are told through dance, storytelling, poetry, music, video installations and art. “Meditations on Being'' explores what we know about the people we see everyday, the nature that surrounds us and the gift of the moment. The production reflects on what ones remembers. Is it playing with our friends on the playground, the sound of water or the beating of our heart when in solitude? March 1 - 9 in the Auditorium at Ebenezer Lutheran Church, 1650 W. Foster Ave, at 8 p.m. Fridays & Saturdays. Tickets are suggested donations of $10-$20. DanzTheatre.org.

A Contemporary Twist!

'The Penelopiad’ It’s her turn. Penelope has waited 20 years for her husband to return from the Trojan War. Now, as authorial control shifts to Odysseus’ long-suffering wife—and the 12 faithful maids who have long tended to her—we discover a new perspective on the domestic vigil. This ancient tale told anew by “one of the most admired authors in North America” (NPR) gives voice to those left behind. An unexpected remix of Homer’s The Odyssey, told by the celebrated and subversive author Margaret Atwood (“The Handmaid’s Tale”). At the Goodman Theatre, March 2 - 31. Tickets start at $25 at goodmantheatre.org/show/the-penelopiad

Shake It Off!

Swift Serenades Step into Swift Serenades, a limited edition Taylor Swift karaoke cocktail bar that promises an unforgettable experience for fans of every era. There’s more going on than karaoke: create your own Eras-inspired friendship bracelet, write a "Dear John" letter to the ex who stole your red scarf, sip on handcrafted themed cocktails like Lavender Haze and Champagne Problems, and showcase your style for a chance to win dazzling prizes. The event is filled with lip-sync battles, prizes, and more, making this the ultimate celebration of all things Taylor Swift.

At Bourbon on Division, 2050 W. Division St., Friday - Sunday March 1 - 15. Tickets are $40 for a 90-minute time slot at https://feverup.com/m/150258

www.streetwise.org

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Vendors (l-r) John Hagan and Russell Adams and William Plowman chat about the world of sports.

The State of Chicago Sports John: Just like there is a Presidential State of the Union address, we’re going to address the State of Chicago Sports Teams.

Russell: I'm a diehard Chicago fan. I’m a Cubs fan and a Sox fan – because they’re both in Chicago, right? My favorite teams are the Killer Bs: Blackhawks, Bears and the Bulls. The Blackhawks right now are not doing too good. But they got a lot of draft picks coming up, they gave me three Stanley Cup Championships, so I'm cool.

The Bulls, they didn’t make any trades on deadline, they stayed put.

SPORTSWISE

The Bears: they should be in good shape. They got draft picks, money to spend in free agency, should be big improvements. They won three games last year, seven this year, that’s a big improvement. If they win three more games next year, that should get them into the playoffs.

William: Overall, we still don't have very good teams, but I love Chicago just enough I root for them all anyway.

The Cubs are probably about the best of all. The White Sox: they don’t quite have the consistency they did not that long ago. But I'm happy because midway through the 2000s, the White Sox had their big World Series championship and then about a de-

cade later, the Cubs in 2016.

And the Bears, well they're looking maybe a little better, they might stand a chance in the future. The Blackhawks, it's been a while since they've had any championships, but at least they did get a few not that long ago. And the Bulls. Well, they really need to start getting decent players. I don't expect them to do what they did in the 1990s, because they don't have Michael Jordan anymore. You see that maybe once or twice in your lifetime.

John: Except for the Cubs, I would say the State of Sports right now is not good, but it could change with the Chicago Bears. The big question is, what are they gonna do in the NFL Draft? What are they going to do in free agency this upcoming offseason?

Right now, I'm in limbo with them.

The Chicago White Sox got to get the mindset of getting better players. They talk about moving over to a stadium on Clark and Roosevelt. They need to get the team’s ducks in order first.

They're not good. The Chicago Blackhawks? They need to do a better job of building a team around Connor Bedard because he seems like a special player.

The Chicago Bulls? I would have traded Zach LaVine to Golden State for Draymond Green but it's not gonna happen, as of February 9. It was about salaries and salary caps. The Cubs? They got Craig Counsell, a Grade A manager, different players gaining experience.

What the Cubs need is a bullpen. If they can get that bullpen mastered, I see them making a realistic push towards the playoffs.

Russell: The White Sox need help. I don't see them going nowhere in the near future.

The Cubs have a chance, give ’em a few years, they might make the playoffs.

William: I would like to see us have two football teams, because the Bears are a monopoly. If we had two teams, then the Bears would probably try harder. I would like to see Chicago have both an AFC team and an NFC team, two teams on the other leagues too, two basketball teams and/or hockey teams.

New York and Los Angeles both have two of each. We need to catch up with them.

Above all, better game play.

Any comments, suggestions or topic ideas for the SportsWise team? Email StreetWise Editor Suzanne Hanney at suzannestreetwise@yahoo.com

Staying healthy in Cold & flu season When the weather shifts in temperature, the cold and flu season has begun. The flu (influenza) and the common cold share many of the same symptoms. Both are contagious illnesses that affect the respiratory system and are spread through viruses. How can you tell if your symptoms are a cold or the flu? Here’s how: Cold symptoms are usually milder, develop over time, and can include: • Fever • Runny or stuffy nose • Sore throat • Cough • Sneezing • Fatigue • Muscle aches • Headaches

by Dr. Marina Claudio

Flu symptoms can be more severe, appear suddenly, and can include: • Fever (often higher than one that’s due to a cold) • Stuffy nose • Feeling like you want to vomit (nausea) • Chills • Sweats • Fatigue • Muscle aches • Cough • Headaches • Loss of appetite • Vomiting and/or diarrhea (more common in children) Whether or not you have a cold or the flu, be sure to take steps to feel better while your body fights the virus: • Get lots of rest • Stop smoking • Drink lots of fluids • Avoid alcohol • Gargle with warm salt water a few times a day to help your sore throat feel better • Use saline (saltwater) nose drops or sprays to help loosen mucous and hydrate dry nasal passages • Use a humidifier • Take medicine recommended or prescribed by your provider • Get the annual seasonal flu vaccine early in the season!

Call your provider if you have the following symptoms: • High fever that lasts for more than a few days • Symptoms that last for more than 10 days or get worse instead of better • Trouble breathing or shortness of breath • Severe sinus pain in the cheeks or forehead • Severe or constant vomiting • Confusion https://familydoctor.org/is-it-a-cold-or-the-flu/

Dr. Marina Claudio is a board-certified family physician who has been in practice since 2003. She is currently a Medical Director at Molina Healthcare of Illinois/Wisconsin. She's a graduate of the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago and completed her residency in Family Medicine at the UIC/Advocate Illinois Masonic Family Medicine Residency Program.

HEALTHWISE

Viruses that cause colds and the flu have no cure.

Over-the-counter medicines help to lessen symptoms. There are a few prescription anti-viral medications available to help treat flu symptoms. Here is what you can do to protect yourself and others from getting sick: • Wash your hands frequently to stop the spread of germs • Eat healthy, exercise and get enough sleep to boost your immune system • Cough and sneeze into your elbow to avoid the spread of germs • Clean surfaces like countertops, door handles and light switches with antibacterial products • Stay home when you are sick • Avoid contact with people who are sick • Get a flu shot early in the season.

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THE EVICTED EXHIBIT ON DISPLAY AT THE NATIONAL PUBLIC HOUSING MUSEUM

by Suzanne Hanney

The eviction crisis has extended long past the Great Recession of 2008-9, with devastating consequences for lowincome Americans, according to an exhibit at the National Public Housing Museum (NPHM) in River North.

Service has Museum Educators on site, who add context to the exhibit by recounting their own experiences. (See sidebar, page 11).

In 2016, there were 3.7 million eviction filings in the US, but in 2009, at the height of the foreclosure crisis, there were only 1 million – less than a third as many. What’s more, these numbers recur every year.

Causes of the eviction crisis have developed over the last 20 to 30 years: • Incomes have stagnated • Rent keeps rising • Government programs do not fill the need for affordable housing.

“Our cities have become unaffordable to our poorest families, and this problem is leaving a deep and jagged scar on the next generation,” according to the “Evicted” exhibit, based on the book, “Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City” (Crown: 2017) by Matthew Desmond.

“America is supposed to be a place where you can better yourself, your family and your community, but this is only possible if you have a stable home.”

Eviction starts with a knock on the door that brings the sheriff or marshal, who rip away the stability that comes with having a home. The exhibit challenges visitors to face one of 21st century America’s most devastating problems and provides a call to action.

“Eviction is not just about the loss of private space and possessions. It often leads to a spiral of hard times, causing a domino effect on everything from physical to mental health, to job performance and school stability,” according to the exhibit. “Eviction is not just a condition of poverty. It is a cause of poverty,” as Desmond wrote.

COVER STORY

Videos and label tags show the panic faced by low-income renters as their court date nears. Roughly 90 percent of landlords are represented by attorneys in court, but the opposite is true for tenants. Yet in criminal cases, the right to an attorney is enshrined in the legal system.

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The suddenness of the actual eviction can mean that families are plunged into homelessness. They lose cherished family heirlooms, vital documents and medications – sometimes even the family pet. Possessions are either left on the street for possible vandals or shrink-wrapped and put into storage at exorbitant monthly fees.

Without housing, tenants’ lives become chaotic, so that it becomes impossible to plan for the future, whether that means future schooling or a new job. A strength of the exhibit is its partnership with Red Line Service, an art organization led by people experiencing homelessness. Red Line

‘THE RENT EATS FIRST’ Among extremely low-income renters, 89 percent (11 million people) are cost-burdened by housing: they pay more than 30 percent of their income on rent. Eight million people are severely cost-burdened: they pay at least 50 percent of their income on rent. As a result, they have little money left over for food, medicine, clothing, transportation, emergencies, or entertainment.

“Because the rent eats first,” as the exhibit says.

A strong visual in the exhibit is a map of the United States formed by brown corrugated paper moving boxes for each state. Maryland has the highest number of annual evictions, with 628,873, because its laws allow landlords to file with no prior notice, following nonpayment of rent (although tenants may stay if they pay their balance before a judge’s ruling).

California, proportionally larger in population, has 150,380 evictions annually. If the tenant pays the rent or vacates the property before the eviction is finalized, the document is sealed, to protect the tenant’s record.

In Illinois, there are 58,687 evictions a year; Cook County imposes a moratorium if the temperature is below 15 degrees.

The exhibit also connects the dots on why the eviction crisis has worsened the shortage of affordable housing. Among foreclosure sales, 37 percent do not become owner-occupied, which is to say, they become investment properties, or rentals. They are lost as affordable housing stock.

Opposite Page: Author Matthew Desmond (Penguin Random House photo).

This Page: A U.S. map uses moving boxes to display the number of evictions for each state (Nolasco Giovanni Photography).

Bottom Row: Interactive displays at the Evicted exhibit show statistics about the housing crisis (2 photos

by Nolasco Giovanni Photography).

A quote from an evicted tenant on display at the exhibit (Suzanne Hanney photo).

But isn’t a landlord crisis. Americans as a nation are responsible, said Dr. Lisa Yung Lee, NPHM executive director.

“There’s a lot of scholarship and analysis about the foreclosure crisis and predatory lending,” Dr. Lee said. “As the National Public Housing Museum, I would argue that the biggest change in our nation is, the government doesn’t feel the need to be responsible to its people and we have not as robust a commitment to a commonwealth.”

GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIZES PRIVATE SECTOR HOMES

Many people may also be unaware that the majority of government spending goes not to affordable housing, but to homeowners, thanks to the mortgage deduction on income taxes, as the exhibit notes. Homeowners can deduct the annual interest paid on the first $750,000 of a home mortgage The role of the federal government in subsidizing housing was on their federal income tax returns. The mortgage deduction cost the federal government $71 billion in 2015, more than established with the National Housing Act of 1937. double the $29.9 billion spent on Section 8, which provides “Even though things weren’t perfect in the 1930s, there was a housing vouchers for low-income renters. sense public housing was critical to our nation, an investment the government was willing to make,” Dr. Lee said. “We don’t “People often think that the government is only assisting peohave the same commitment in our government, and there is ple who are on welfare rolls or people who are houseless,” a lack of public will. That is what this exhibit is trying to incite Dr. Lee said. “There’s a lot of stereotypes about who these in people: a movement away from housing simply as a com- people are. We want people to understand that there is much more money going to the mortgage deduction than there is to modity to housing as a human right.” public housing and for addressing the homeless epidemic in the United States.”

www.streetwise.org

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The Evicted exhibit notes that the U.S. has a shortage of 7.4 million affordable and available rental homes for extremely low-income renter households: 35 units for every 100 of these households.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) assists about 4.8 million households with poverty-related housing: a combination of brick-and-mortar units and Section 8, or Housing Choice Vouchers. With the latter, households pay about 30% of their income in rent to a private-sector landlord and the federal voucher pays the remainder.

“Section 8 was a move towards privatization,” Dr. Lee said of the HUD program begun in 1974. There were 200,000 Housing Choice Vouchers nationwide last year, according to Roger Valdez, director of the Center for Housing Economics, in a blog for forbes.com.

“What begs the question for me is, will we ever have housing equity in a world where housing is in the hands of the private marketplace,” Dr. Lee said. “We need to make housing a human right, we need to have many more units and we need to re-envision what housing is in the United States. And in Cook County, we should evaluate when we took down units, how many we need to replace, how do we hold the City and the Chicago Housing Authority accountable?” She also referred to the need for passage of the Bring Chicago Home referendum, which would raise the Real Estate Transfer Tax to add upwards of $100 million to Chicago’s expenditures against homelessness. (See story, page 12).

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STARTING A CONVERSATION ABOUT PUBLIC HOUSING The public policy solution is more public housing, but what form will the American public accept? Chicago tore down its high-rise Robert Taylor Homes and Cabrini-Green, although seniors still live in taller buildings.

“When people come to the National Public Housing Museum, those are exactly the kinds of questions we need to grapple with,” Dr. Lee said. “Rich people live in high-rises all the time and it seems to work. It’s not the built environment, it’s the investment in the resource. High-rise public housing works in other nations. It was the disinvestment and lack of care of the buildings that led to the problem.

“Right now, there is only one stereotype about public housing, and that is based on myth and racialized stereotypes,” she said.

The National Public Housing Museum instead tries to present what board member and former Henry Horner Homes resident Crystal Palmer calls “the good, the bad and the ugly.” Francine Washington, another NPHM board member and public housing resident, calls it “the in-laws and the outlaws,” Dr. Lee said.

NPHM is now in temporary headquarters at 625 N. Kingsbury St., However, ground was broken in October 2022 for a permanent venue that will open this summer at 1322 W. Taylor St., the last remaining building of the ABLA (Addams, Brooks, Loomis, Abbott) Homes. The museum will use a rotating collection of everyday objects from across the ages

A wall mural on display at the exhibit shows an eviction in process. Inset: A quote from the National Low Income Houseing Coalition (both photos by Nolasco Giovanni Photography). Right: Efrin Paderes stands next to a display that shows the personal belongings of an evicted tenant (Suzanne Hanney photo).

EFRIN PADERES & THE IMPACT OF EVICTION “People don’t realize housing is necessity until they lose it,” says Efren Paderes, Red Line Services museum educator at the Eviction exhibit.

“You need to have a home to have a job because you need to compose yourself to be productive and you need to have a job to have a home,” Efren said.

“It’s interconnected. If you don’t have a stable place, a job seems secondary.”

to recreate the apartments of a Jewish family in the 1930s; Italian, Polish and Puerto Rican families adapting to changing neighborhoods; and a Black family during the Civil Rights era. It will reflect on housing in Chicago, New York and Houston; the latter with a tribute to George Floyd, who lived in the Cuney Homes there.

DJ Spinderella, who lived in the Louis Heaton Pink Houses of New York City, will curate a music room that tells the stories of other public housing residents who contributed to the soundtrack of America: Barbra Streisand, Jay-Z, Elvis.

“Evicted” runs through March 10 at the National Public Housing Museum, located at 625 N. Kingsbury St. Hours are Noon-6 p.m. Thursday and Friday and Noon-5 p.m.

Saturday and Sunday. Masks are strongly recommended.

Admission is FREE, no reservations required. nphm.org

Efren’s family came to the United States from the Philippines in the early 90s, after his mother’s sister petitioned for 13 years to bring them here. His father had been a World War II veteran who fought with the U.S. and could have come sooner, Efren said, but he chose to start his family in his homeland.

Efren, his mother and his father all worked at the Helene Curtis shampoo and skin care product plant at North and Kostner Avenues, which was sold to Unilever and closed at the end of the century, when it had 600 employees. Using their three incomes, the family had bought a home, but they lost it to foreclosure in 2008 when both parents had cancer, their treatment was not covered by insurance, and they died. Efren and his two younger brothers were essentially evicted, and they pooled their resources to rent a three-bedroom apartment. Eventually, however, each brother wanted to be on his own.

Efren ended up in an SRO from 2012 until he lost his job as a dishwasher during the COVID pandemic because he couldn’t pay rent. That first summer, he found shelter in a gazebo in a West Town park, but since then, he has spent nights on the CTA Red Line and Blue Line trains and days at Harold Washington Library.

He’s been robbed twice and assaulted twice. He’s also lost family items, except for some he’s managed to keep with friends or in a 5 by 5 storage unit.

During the cold weather in January or when it’s raining really hard, he’s been able to stay with a friend for whom he helped insulate an attic. He walks dogs, and three years ago, began working as a skate host at the McCormick Tribune ice rink in Millennium Park – a job checking wristbands or helping people get up when they fall that StreetWise Workforce Coordinator Rashawn Sanders found him.

“Rashawn made it easier for me to apply,” Efren said. “He made the resume and the whole process in under an hour where it would have taken me days to even finish the resume.”

Efren started with Red Line Services after he went to one of its artist demonstrations. He actively participates in watercolor and printmaking and has collaborated with the University of Miami School of Law Human Rights Program and Red Line Service to create impactful banners and slogans addressing houselessness.

Stable housing, Efren said, would mean that he could stop spending all his energy patching together jobs and shelter/storage situations. He could take courses in health care and plan for his future.

www.streetwise.org

11

Bring Chicago home campaign can raise funds to aid homelessness through tiered rett tax

by Suzanne Hanney

Jackie Bustamante grew up in a neighborhood of poverty and aged out of foster care at 18 to live with their sister, “who really didn’t have the stability to offer me the kind of home she wanted to offer me.” Bustamante was, like 1 in 4 former foster youth, effectively homeless within the first year on their own.

“There are many reasons, because of trauma and because there are not pathways for youth,” said Bustamante, who is phone and text bank coordinator for the Bring Chicago Home (BCH) campaign, as well as a restorative justice coach and trainer.

An affordable housing unit reserved for former foster youth in a building of working artists and formerly homeless people was Bustamante’s home from age 18 to 23.

“That was to me one of the most formative experiences I’ve had,” they said. “It brought so much stability [without which] I don’t think I would be able to live the healthy life I have now. I learned to be in community with my neighbors.”

Later, Bustamante obtained a voucher to San Diego State University. “I had the space to heal from past experiences and dream again in a way that I couldn’t when I was trying to get my needs met.”

FROM THE STREETS

“What struck me when I heard you tell that story this time is just how many kids in Chicago we are leaving behind by not having the resources for programs like that,” said Jimmy Rothschild, a community organizer at Jewish Council on Urban Affairs (JCUA). Rothschild and Bustamante led a January Zoom meeting with Indivisible Chicago Alliance on the March 19 BCH referendum to raise the Real Estate Transfer Tax (RETT). Upwards of $100 million annually in new money would go to homeless services in Chicago.

The reason for the push by JCUA, the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, the Chicago Teachers Union, ONE Northside and others, is that over 68,000 people in Chicago are experiencing homelessness in shelters, on the streets, or doubled up with friends, Rothschild said. At any one time, 5% of students in Chicago Public Schools are homeless. One in 4 (26%) of Black students will experience homelessness while in the CPS system.

Even doubled up with friends, people are very vulnerable, Rothschild said. They might be sleeping on the couch, but they can’t keep many possessions with them, and many federal definitions of homelessness exclude them, so they don’t qualify for programs.

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Housing provides not just physical security, but mental health, Bustamante said. “Imagine somewhere where you can’t really rest, or privately cry when you’re having a tough day, or cook a warm meal.”

The RETT is a one-time tax people pay when they are purchasing property in Chicago. It is now 0.75%. Mayor Brandon Johnson worked out a compromise last fall that would lower the RETT for less expensive properties and raise it for the remainder: • The first $1 million of property valuation, now taxed at 0.75%, would be taxed at 0.6%.

• $1 million to $1.5 million valuation would be taxed at 2%.

• Property valued above $1.5 million would be taxed at 3%.

A buyer of a home valued at $324,000, for example, would pay $1,944, (instead of $2,430 at the old RETT) according to slides during the Indivisible Chicago Zoom presentation.

Meanwhile, a $1.25 million property would be taxed at a combined rate: • the first $1 million at 0.6% ($6,000) • the remaining $250,000 at 2% ($5000), which would equal $11,000.

A $3 million property would break down as follows: • $1 million at 0.6% ($6,000) • $500,000 at 2% ($10,000) • $1.5 million at 3% ($45,000) for a total of $61,000 Because the Chicago real estate market fluctuates, raising the RETT would bring at least $100 million annually, but possibly as much as $150 million or $160 million, said Doug Schenkelberg, Chicago Coalition for the Homeless Executive Director and treasurer of the ballot initiative committee, in a telephone interview.

The City of Chicago does not own any shelters or any housing. Will any BCH funds be used for brick-and-mortar shelters or for permanent supportive housing? If so, will city departments manage them or will existing nonprofits have to build it into their capacity?

The money would go to permanent supportive housing and wraparound services, administered by the Chicago Department of Housing (DOH) and the Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS), Schenkelberg said, and “depending on use, would go out to their existing network of providers who do this work every day and do it really well.

Slides from the Zoom meeting on Bring Chicago Home on March 19. Hosts Jackie Bustamante and Jimmy Rothschild of Jewish Council on Urban Affairs. (Courtey photos).

“Ideally, we see a great set of developers doing this work, who could do even more if they had the resources, so we could use that existing network to build the capacity to do more.”

Homelessness prevention will be a critical strategy, because keeping people housed is cheaper and better than rehousing them after homelessness. BCH could build upon the state’s 20-year model, he said. The state program requires people to document a temporary economic crisis beyond their control before receiving aid, as well as their ability to meet the rent or utility bill in the future.

Single Room Occupancy hotel preservation is another potential use of BCH funds, Schenkelberg said, although there is no standing list of buildings. DOH cut the ribbon on the Covent Apartments, 2653 N. Clark St., last November. The Covent was one of roughly 3,700 SROs built by 1915 for working people. However, SROs gained a reputation as substandard housing by the 1960s and by the 1980s, 80 percent of Chicago’s 38,000 SRO units were lost. The Covent’s 64 rooms have been renovated into 30 apartments, each with its own kitchen and bath. There’s a community lounge, patio and new elevators. All units are for singles making 30 to 50 percent of the Chicago median income, or $23,190 to $38,650.

Passage of the referendum would be followed by a Chicago City Council ordinance that would require a 15-member community advisory board, appointed by the mayor. Five members would have lived experience of homelessness and three would be from community organizations.

Tynetta Hill-Muhammad, South Side field organizer with the BCH campaign, received her lived experience as a 20-yearold student at the University of Illinois-Chicago. There was an issue with her student loans, she couldn’t afford to live on campus and she didn’t have family here, so she was told she had to go.

Hill-Muhammad instead was offered someone’s couch in the Austin neighborhood for five months. She saved $3,000: up at 5 a.m. for her first job, then classes, back to another job until 11 p.m., then the CTA Green Line to the No. 85 Central bus (or walking in the dark). She found two roommates through people at school, paid a security deposit, bought a bed, and moved to the South Side.

But living with a scarcity mindset, she said, meant a constant state of fear that distracted her from her goals. “It was more important for me to afford where I was living than to complete school.” However, she terms herself “blessed” to have done so. She doesn’t wish the same experience on any of her contemporaries in what she termed disinvested areas of the South and West Sides.

“A lot of Black Chicagoans experience a scarcity mindset, living in a space where they are not sure where to get their next meal or paycheck to paycheck. They should not have to live a tale of two cities.”

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Streetwise 2/29/16 Crossword To solve the Sudoku puzzle, each row, column and box must contain the Sudoku numbers 1 to 9.

Crossword

Puzzle

Across ©2016 PuzzleJunction.com

59 Cave dweller 60 Destroy 62 Fruit dish 65 Young newts 66 Libertine 67 Backpacker 68 Kind of sauce 69 Soil 70 Clutter

7 Moldovan 39 Spread seeds cash 41 Social slight 8 Subjugate 42 Brief time 9 UK’s Thatcher out?

10 Personals, e.g. 44 Nautical rope 11 Vote of 45 Boiling mad support 48 Lace place 13 Gulf port 50 Chastise 15 Daughter of 51 Adorns Saturn 52 Fragrant Down 17 Improvise compounds 22 Moon of 54 Hoodwinks 1 ___-Lorraine Uranus 56 Quite a party 2 Central area of 24 Yes votes 58 Cowboy boot 26 Wine choice the retina attachment 3 Pictures 27 Flyspeck 60 Legal matter 30 Flock 4 Racket 61 NASA 5 Second wife 31 Select concern of Henry VIII 34 Supervisors 63 Polynesian 37 Type size 6 Stratford’s paste PuzzleJunction.com river Copyright ©2016 38 Forever 64 Fire preceder?

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Copyright ©2016 PuzzleJunction.com

lastSudoku week's answers Solution

Solution

Sudoku Solution

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1 Lamp part 6 Kind of car 10 It holds a yard 14 Spiral 15 Color quality 16 Spot 17 Restlessness 19 Boris Godunov, for one 20 Gentlemen (Abbr.)

21 Chair part 22 Medal recipient 23 Friendship 25 Suite spot 26 Lorgnette part 30 Bugged 32 Taconite, e.g. ©2016 PuzzleJunction.com 35 Fan palm 39 Riviera 67 Born’s partner 13 Its capital is 42 Museum destination Innsbruck 68 Speeder’s bane custodian 40 Flea market 18 Dogma 43 Thompson of deal Down 24 Suffix with “Howard the 41 Sterile meteor Duck” 43 Soup seeds 25 Euripides 1 Leveling 45 Washer setting 44 Flood play wedge 47 Young haddock 46 Thin strip 2 Blood pigment 26 City founded 48 Upholstery 47 Commence

by Pizarro 3 Skiing mecca fabric 50 Strike back 4 “Buenos ___” 27 Cupid’s 49 Membranous 53 Robin Cook 5 Superfluous counterpart sac thriller 6 Versatile truck, 28 ___ the wiser 51 Web site inits.

54 Calendar abbr.

29 Showy informally 52 Pavarotti, 55 Einstein, for bloom 7 Beethoven’s notably one 31 Scale down “Moonlight 54 Doorpost 60 Wedding item 33 Largish ___” 56 Sonoma 61 Possible combo 8 Write in code neighbor 63 Assortment 9 Adjudge 34 Agitate 57 Footnote abbr.

64 Mildew 36 Beach item 10 Wesley’s 58 It parallels a 65 Express a group 37 Guisado radius thought cooker 11 Good point 59 Palmist, e.g.

66 College VIP 12 Fifth wheel 38 Midterm, say 62 Append

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