Kyler Winfrey Digital Media Specialist/Good Neighbor Campaign liaison
Paul Goyette Photographer
EDITORIAL BOARD
Morris Reed Westside Health Authority/CEO
Karl Brinson Westside Branch NAACP/President
Bernard Clay
Introspect Youth Services/Executive Director
Michael Romain Village Free Press/Publisher
CONTACT US at stories@ourculture.us
VISIT US ONLINE at ourculture.us
OUT & ABOUT [ [
N W Food & Liquor co-manager Mohamed "Mo" Gaamoom helps a customer inside the Austin store. | PHOTO BY KENN COOK JR.
Westside Health Authority hosted its annual Christmas party at the Columbus Park Refectory in Austin on Dec. 14. The annual event featured free food, raffles, music, and more.
PHOTOS BY KENN COOK JR.
Legler Library To Focus On Archiving Westside Stories
The Culture photographer Kenn Cook Jr., named Legler’s artist-in-residence, wants to build the Westside’s cultural memory
By MICHAEL ROMAIN Editor
The Culture staff photographer Kenn Cook Jr. was recently named Legler Regional Library’s 2025 artist-in-residence and the Westside native wants to use the designation to start archiving Westside memories.
Kenn will host a weekly open studio at Legler, 115 S. Pulaski Rd., for the rest of the year. He’ll invite Westside families to sit for photos he’ll take and digitize old family photos to preserve Westside history.
The artist-in-residence initiative is the result of a partnership between the Chicago Public Library and the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. Legler hosted
a kickoff event for Kenn on Jan. 16, where he debuted his open studio space in the West Garfield library.
“I was blown away because there were people from all over the city,” Kenn said, recalling the Jan. 16 event. “A few people came and said they hadn’t been to Legler since they were children. One lady said this is the library she grew up in and it was her first time back since her youth.”
Kenn said in addition to the photo project, he’s asking Westsiders to submit oral histories that he can save for future reference.
“I want to build community and I want people on the Westside to feel like they have an opportunity to tell their story,” Kenn said. “I also want to push back against this idea that Black people are running away from the West-
side. I want to encourage people to live and stay here. I want people to see my work and believe that the Westside is beautiful.”
Kenn’s artist-in-residence comes on the heels of his #MyWestSideStory photo project, a series of humanizing photos from across the Westside that appeared in a photo exhibit sponsored by the Westside Branch NAACP and that appeared in The Culture last year.
Learn More
To connect with Kenn, email him at kenn@bykenncook.com or visit his website at kenncookjr.com.
To learn more about Legler, visit the library’s website at chipublib.org/locations/42.
The Culture staff photographer Kenn Cook Jr. is Legler Regional Library's new artist-in-residence. PHOTOS BY PAUL GOYETTE
Kenn Cook Jr. said he wants to help tell the stories of regular Westsiders and archive local memories.
Where Everybody Knows Your Name
Westsiders say N W Food & Liquor in Austin is like family
By MICHAEL ROMAIN Editor
After the murder of Georgy Floyd in 2020, several businesses near the corner of North and Laramie avenues in Austin were looted. But N W Food & Liquor, 5174 W. North Ave., was spared because community members stood vigil around the store’s perimeter, some watching eagle-eyed from their cars.
Mohamed “Mo” Gaamoom, the store’s co-manager, said he got nearly 300 Facebook requests after people saw the outpouring of love on social media.
“They wanted to know what I’m doing,” said Mo, 51. “Since the store opened in 1989, the owners wanted to make friends with everybody. The owner, Nasser Yafai, would visit families in the community—home by home.
“He told me, ‘Anytime there are churches, school programs, nonprofits, block clubs that need something, be there for them,’” Mo recalled. “When our customers pass away, we go to their funerals and give them a little money to help.”
To demonstrate Mo’s point, a collage of obituaries showing late customers looms over the store’s entrance—a powerful illustration of the deep personal bonds forged in the store over the years. Mo said he’s worked at the store since 1997—the year he came to the United States from his native South Yemen. The store’s other
PHOTOS BY KENN COOK JR.
N W Food & Liquor co-manager Mohamed "Mo" Gaamoom said he considers his customers family.
Mohamed "Mo" Gaamoom has worked at the Austin liquor store for around three decades. Over the years, he's forged strong bonds with customers.
co-manager, Ali “Slick Slim” Ahmed, 60, has worked at N W since 1993. Security guard Howard Stephens, 66, said he’s worked at the store for 26 years. He pointed to a homeless man asleep in a chair near the store’s entrance.
“Mo lets people like that come in here and sleep,” Howard said. “We give him some food and things. We try to help on all levels. We’re just nice people. It’s not about how much I make, it’s about the community.”
“This store isn’t going anywhere,” said a longtime customer nicknamed Black Jesus, one of the residents who stood watch outside N W five years ago.
The 43-year-old said N W is more than a liquor store; it’s a community hub, a big family, whose value is measured less in dollars than in trust.
“You can be short .5 cents here, but not down the street,” he said. Sonya Hughes, who works for Westside Health Authority’s Good Neighbor Campaign, said she created the nickname for Black Jesus because of his flowing dreadlocks and calm demeanor. She echoed Black Jesus, saying the liquor store does more than sell alcohol.
“People come here to socialize, too,” she said. “Slim’s wife makes me breakfast in the morning. You know the song for ‘Cheers’? I feel like this store is like that. It’s where everybody knows your name.”
“We try to help on all levels. We're just nice people. It's not about how much I make, it's about the community.”
Obituaries of late store customers hang over the store's entrance.
Ali "Slick Slim" Ahmed said he's worked at the store since 1993.
A patron plays the lottery at the store in January.
How You Can Get Involved In the Fight for Maternal Health Equity
Midwives and family medical physicians are no longer allowed to deliver at West Suburban Medical Center, so activists are pushing back
By The Culture Team
Late last year, Resilience Health, the owner of West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park, announced that midwives and family medical physicians would no longer be allowed to deliver babies at the hospital.
The decision has left people like Dr. Paul Luning, the chief medical officer for the health organization PCC Community Wellness, scrambling to figure out alternative birthing arrangements for the 500 women who use the organization’s prenatal care services.
Resilience officials said they made the change due to concerns about insurance liability. They added that they offered “have PCC midwives work with our highly trained OBGYNs to continue to provide care stands and we are hopeful they will accept.”
At a press conference on Jan. 6, Luning said the offer was insufficient. He said West Suburban’s in-house OBGYNs don’t provide prenatal or post-partum care and aren’t adequate substitutes for PCC’s maternal care teams. He also said West Suburban only has one doctor assigned to labor and delivery. There used to be five.
“That is a huge problem for our patients, our women on the Westside who rely on this hospital for a safe space to deliver their babies and take care of their children,” Luning said.
Cook County Commissioner Tara Stamps said West Suburban’s decision “means fewer women have access to quality prenatal care, and fewer women have access to doctors they trust and midwives who listen to them and value their bodies … That means we are throwing women into a situation where their lives can be in jeopardy as a result of trying to give life.”
Get Involved
Sign a Change.org petition. | Google “Petition for Hospital Accountability and Birth Equity At West Suburban Medical Center” and sign it. The petition has more than 2,300 verified signatures and lays out a series of comprehensive demands related to maternal health equity on the Westside.
Read up on the issue. | Read WBEZ’s December 2024 report on complaints filed by midwives by Googling “Midwives and West Side officials push back after hospital cuts ties” and ABC 7’s January 2025 reporting on the Jan. 6 press conference by Googling “West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park ends delivery privileges for midwives, family doctors.”
Connect with others in the fight. | Contact the office of Cook County Commissioner Tara Stamps by visiting cookcountyil.gov/all-people/tara-stamps or calling (312) 603-4566. You can also email the organizers of a grassroots effort to protect Black and Brown mothers at the290ipo@gmail.com with any questions, comments, or concerns.
Cook County Commissioner Tara Stamps at a press conference on Jan. 6 outside of West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park.
PHOTO BY PAUL GOYETTE
Christina Waters, a West Suburban Medical Center patient and Oak Park village clerk, speaks at the Jan. 6 press conference. | PHOTO BY PAUL GOYETTE
City Gets Another $426M In Disaster Relief Funds
Westsiders Wondering How They Can Access the Money
By MICHAEL ROMAIN Editor
Nearly two years after a storm dumped almost 8 inches of rain on parts of Chicago, including Austin, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced additional funding for recovery efforts.
Various elected officials and representatives with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) gathered at Austin Town Hall, 5610 W. Lake St., on Jan. 8 to announce new funding for communities affected by the storm. The funds include $244 million for Cook County, $96 million for Cicero, and $426 million for Chicago.
Marion McFadden, HUD’s principal deputy assistant secretary for Community Planning and Development, said the U.S. Congress provided the funding in late December “and we turned it around immediately.” But that doesn’t mean the money will immediately be in af-
fected residents’ bank accounts. There’s still a process for deciding how the funds will be spent. The city is still spending down a separate $5 million pool of flood relief funds allocated by Mayor Brandon Johnson.
Lissette Castañeda, a Chicago Department of Housing commissioner, said the city will conduct a needs assessment to decide how best to spend the funding and hold at least one community meeting.
Jacqueline Reed, chairwoman of the Westside Long-Term Recovery Group (LTRG), a grassroots organization formed weeks after the disaster and provided free renovations and cleanings to around 200 Westside homes affected by the flooding, said she hopes some of the money flows to grassroots Westside organizations like hers.
“We’ve raised $100,000. We haven’t gotten any government money yet,” Reed said. “I’m frustrated and tired, but I’m hopeful now because the city is getting more money and we are well organized.”
Reed said her group has identified 1,600 Westside homes
Stay Informed
If your home was affected by the 2023 floods and you want to know how to access additional funding, visit westsideltrg.com, email WestSideLTRG@gmail.com, or call (773) 9090-8502.
You can also contact Kimberly Danna, a field office director with HUD, at (312) 913-8662 or kimberly. danna@hud.gov.
that need renovations. Virgil Crawford, an activist and LTRG member, said HUD knows about 400 of the homes that LTRG has identified.
Morris Reed, Jacqueline’s son and the CEO of Westside Health Authority, a social service nonprofit based in Austin, said renovating a single Westside home is more than a notion since the homes often are older with unique needs such as lead abatement. He said many contractors aren’t qualified to do lead abatement.
“Many Westside homes were built before 1978 and weren’t equipped with the kind of sewage systems to protect against flooding and mold that you see in suburban homes,” Morris said, adding that the true cost of fully restoring Westside homes affected by flooding could cost around $100,000 per home.
Westside Health Authority CEO Morris Reed (pictured in the green jacket), and Jacqueline Reed (pictured in orange), speak with Ald. Emma Mitts (in white), and Mayor Brandon Johnson after the Jan. 8 press conference. | PHOTO BY KENN COOK JR.
Jacqueline Reed speaks during the Jan. 8 press conference in Austin. | PHOTO BY KENN COOK JR.
Elected officials and community members pose with a dummy check at Austin Town Hall on Jan. 8. | PHOTO BY KENN COOK JR.
EVENTS & RESOURCES [ [
Saturday, Feb. 8, 1 p.m. and 7 p.m., Kehrein Center for the Arts, 5628 W. Washington Blvd. | Orbert Davis’ Chicago Jazz Philharmonic will present the world premier of Ellingtonia: A Tribute to Duke. The piece is honors cultural icon, musician, composer, arranger and conductor Duke Ellington. Tickets are $1/person. For more information or to register, visit kcachicago.org.
NEED TO RENEW?
The Illinois Secretary of State will host a Mobile DMV on Tuesday, March 4, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Trina Davila Center, 4312 W. North Ave. Services will include new and renewal ID cards, driver’s license renewals, sticker purchases, and real ID. Contact Katie Tapert-Mercado at (312) 744-2014 for more info.
COOK COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE ON MATERNAL HEALTH
Nearly 90 women die each year in Illinois while pregnant or within one year of pregnancy, according to state public health data. Black women in Illinois and Cook County are two to three times more likely than white women to die from a pregnancy-related condition, such as blood pressure disorders, heart disease and infections; yet 90 percent of these deaths are preventable.
Facts like these are the reasons why Cook County Department of Public Health recently launched EveryMotherEveryChild.org, a new microsite dedicated to helping expectant mothers achieve optimal health before, during and after pregnancy.
“Pregnancy-related deaths are a public health crisis in Cook County, and so are the disparities in maternal health
Thursday, Jan. 23, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m., Three Crosses of Calvary MB Church, 4445-47 W. Madison St. | The Westside Health Authority’s Good Neighbor Campaign and the Mercy Community Development Center will host Golden Gatherings Senior Activities featuring games, music, snacks, and fun. For more info, call (708) 217-5108.
Friday, Jan. 24, 1 p.m., Mercy Community Development Center, 4445 W. Madison St. | Partner for a Better Community will host the grand opening of Good Neighbor Madison and the Mercy Community Development Center. For more info, call (773) 786-0249.
Saturday, Jan. 25, 11 am. - 1 p.m., GSJ Family Center, 1256 N. Waller Ave. | Join Imagine Animation at the GSJ Family Center, where participants will learn how to create their stories and characters and bring their visions to life through animation. To enroll, text (773) 320-5004 or email sowens@ gsjcenter.org.
Monday, Jan. 27, 5 - 7 p.m., GSJ Family Center, 1256 N. Waller Ave. | The GSJ Center and Beyond Hunger will host Let’s Talk About Healthy Solutions. With dinner provided, this event will be about healthy lifestyle changes everyone can make for a healthier life.
Monday, Jan. 27 - Thursday, Jan. 30 | BUILD Chicago, 5100 W. Harrison St. | BUILD will host a Restorative Justice 4-Day Training. These events include a speaker workshop series, a documentary/movie screening and discussion, restorative justice training, peace circles, and more. For more info, call (773) 227-2880 or visit buildchicago.org.
Friday, Feb. 7, and Saturday, Feb. 14, noon, Sinai Community Institute Townhall, 2653 W. Ogden | Matt Stennis, a sports performance trainer, will lead Flex Fridays Move & Groove events featuring free and fun community exercise classes to keep you moving. Please wear athletic clothes and gym shoes and don’t forget to bring water and a towel.
outcomes,” said Dr. LaMar Hasbrouck, chief operating officer of Cook County Department of Public Health.
“EveryMotherEveryChild.org is a tool that raises awareness about the importance of maternal and child health and gives expectant mothers, regardless of their socioeconomic status, information that can help them have better health outcomes for themselves and their new babies.”
The website advises expectant mothers to work with their medical providers to manage chronic conditions, like diabetes
or high blood pressure during pregnancy, and provides tips on nutrition and exercise. For the period after pregnancy, the website offers guidance such as using cold wash cloths or ice packs to reduce swelling and pain, waiting 24 hours before giving newborns their first sponge bath, and feeding them every two to three hours. The website also offers a wealth of health resources, such as doula and midwifery services and fact sheets on topics like prenatal nutrition, prenatal doctor visits and breastfeeding.
Illinois Bill Could Raise Age for Mandatory License Renewal Driving Test for Seniors
No other state requires an age-based driving test for license renewal
By ASHLEY SORIANO Medill Illinois News Bureau
CHICAGO – Older drivers in Illinois could face fewer barriers to renew their driver’s licenses next year as part of a bill that would raise the age for the state-mandated annual driver’s test from 79 to 87.
Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias announced support for House Bill 1226 earlier this month, joined by lawmakers from both parties. The measure, dubbed the Road Safety and Fairness Act, would impact roughly 350,000 Illinoisans, according to Giannoulias.
Illinois is the only state that requires a driving test for seniors based on age. Currently, people 79 and above are required to take a road test to renew their license.
The proposed bill comes after years of efforts by some lawmakers and advocates to raise the “behind-the-wheel” driving test age and to establish procedures to report unsafe drivers.
“Age alone does not necessarily determine if someone should or should not have a driver’s license,” said Giannoulias, whose office oversees driver’s license issuance and vehicle registration, at a news conference on Jan. 14. “A birthday is not an accurate gauge of one’s ability to get behind the wheel safely.”
Older drivers tend to have lower crash rates, according to state data. In 2023, the crash rate for drivers aged 75 and above was 24.61 per 1,000 drivers, which was lower than any other age group, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation. The low crash rate has been consistent since at least 2018, according to the Secretary of State’s Office’s 2023 Study on Age-Related Driving Abilities.
The crash rate is more than double for many other age groups.
Before the pandemic, the road test for senior drivers applied to people over the age of 75 but a temporary measure raised the age to 79. This became permanent last year after a study from the secretary of state’s
office found the number of crashes did not increase significantly in each age range.
The Road Safety and Fairness Act would also allow relatives to report unsafe drivers.
Illinois is one of only five states that do not allow immediate family members to report concerns about a relative’s driving ability, but the new legislation, in partnership with AARP Illinois, would change that.
The proposed legislation would eliminate the driving test for some, but it would still require renewals at a DMV location every one to four years, depending on age.
Every four years, 79- and 80-year-olds will still need to renew their licenses in per-
son, while drivers between 81 and 86 years of age will need to renew every two years in person. Those 87 and above will renew annually in person, and a vision test is required for all age groups.
The bill moves Illinois closer to being consistent with other states’ driving requirements, although it remains one of the strictest states when it comes to license renewal for older drivers.
The Road Safety and Fairness Act will be considered in the upcoming spring General Assembly session. If passed and signed by the governor, the changes would take effect July 1, 2026.
Ashley Soriano is a graduate student in journalism with Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications, and a Fellow in its Medill Illinois News Bureau working in partnership with Capitol News Illinois.
Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.
Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias is joined by Republicans, Democrats and advocates for aging Illinoisans at a news conference announcing a bill to increase the age for the state-mandated annual driver’s test from 79 to 87. | PHOTO BY ASHLEY SORIANO, FOR MEDILL ILLINOIS NEWS BUREAU
PERSPECTIVES [ [
Reflecting on the Westside’s Promise Since the Riots
“Riots are the language of the unheard.” — Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
On April 4, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated and his legacy suffered a setback. He was a messenger of hope, peace, love, and respect, but his assassin(s) did not care about him. Dr. King’s supporters revolted upon hearing the news of his death and riots rocked cities like Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and Chicago,
During those times, trust was lost, and chaos took over, resulting in prolonged economic and psycho-social reactions. For African Americans nationwide, King’s death was another attack where violence was used to silence a peacekeeper. For Chicagoans, King was an ally to them and his death was a great loss. That loss was particularly felt on the Westside of Chicago, where King moved in 1966 to focus on living conditions for African Americans.
During King’s death, racism was heavily saturated in the lives of African Americans, resulting in decrepit housing options, weak job opportunities, and insufficient political representation. Even King’s presence in Chicago’s Marquette Park community sparked violent responses from the white residents of that area.
Still, African Americans were working toward creating community-based economic and social designs to help their communities and families.
A long-time Austin friend explained how a black middle class was developing during King’s death. She told me stories about black wealth and the beauty and freedom of securing those achievements.
In conversations with another lifelong Austin
resident, I learned how the riots are associated with the lack of businesses and economic focus on the Westide. She said that the riots caused a lot of harm to businesses. Another person who lives on the North Side, but remembers the King’s disturbances also explained how the riots destroyed the trajectory of the area. He talked about the booming businesses on Madison, how the neighborhood was thriving before the riots, and how it’s become less hos-
pitable ever since.
African Americans have had a strong presence on the Westside since migrating from the Jim Crow South. Their stories of struggles and perseverance have become themes of conversations at community meetings, religious events, and in political and educational settings. Other groups have since left the area to move to the suburbs.
In his 1967 book, “Where Do We Go From
Here: Chaos or Community?” Dr. King utilized a philosophical approach to detail the economic history of African Americans from the “plantation” to the “ghetto.”
“The problem of transforming the ghetto is, therefore, a problem of power—a confrontation between the forces of power demanding change and the forces of power dedicated to preserving the status quo,” he wrote.
Dr. King also discussed changing environments and adapting to newer social dynamics. King explained this by saying:
“Nothing could be more tragic than for men to live in these revolutionary times and fail to achieve the new attitudes and mental outlook that the new situation demands.”
According to the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP), in 2022, Austin’s demography was 5% white, 19% Latino, and 73% Black.
As the community evolves, what is the way forward? Should the Westside remain the social services hub it has become, combined with plentiful mom-and-pop stores and restaurants?
Should the Westside replicate the robust economic undertakings of Oak Park and the West Loop? The area has unique historical dynamics to assist residents in defining and determining how the neighborhood should look now and in the future.
Collaboration between the city, state, private investors, and nonprofit agencies has produced new housing developments, workforce programs, and medical infrastructure. Whatever the case, as King said, new conditions require new thinking.
— Anousheu Alie, Austin writer
The Case for Guaranteed Income and Investing in Public Mental Health Services
As a University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) student with Westside roots and medical aspirations, I’ve been considering the health challenges in my community of origin. Of course, we need deep, systemic change. But that’s a heavy lift and will require time and collective action. In the meantime, where should we push first to make an immediate difference?
My study has found that two priority inter-
ventions could be effective practical solutions: guaranteed income and investing in public mental health clinics and services.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, where people are born, live, work, play, and worship helps determine their health and quality of life. Neighborhood public schools and educational infrastructures are key determinants of health.
But on the Westside, schools are generally underfunded and under-resourced. According
to a Loyola University Chicago study, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) play a role in furthering racial injustice. In 2013, CPS closed multiple schools on Chicago’s Westside. The school district’s funding formula has also diverted funds from the remaining neighborhood schools, resulting in learning gaps between Westside students and those in better-funded schools. Why is this a health matter? Because lack of education is linked to negative healthcare and economic outcomes like chronic diseases and
joblessness. Census Bureau data reveals that employment on the Westside decreased by 19.5% from 2021 to 2022. The most common jobs held by Westsiders are in restaurants/ food services, elementary education, and lower-skill construction labor. Economic instability is a big deal in our social reality.
Good healthcare policy can play an important role in determining medical access and quality healthcare for poor- and working-class Westsiders. For instance, while the govern-
Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy is felt on the Westside. | WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Don’t Lose Your Property! What to Do if Your Taxes Were Sold at the Cook County 2022 Annual Tax Sale
BY MARIA PAPPAS Cook County Treasurer
The 2022 Annual Tax Sale, conducted by my office and directed by Illinois law, was probably a worrisome process for property owners whose property taxes were delinquent and sold. Understanding how the process works and what steps to take can make the difference between catching up on your taxes or risking losing your property.
Each year, delinquent property taxes are offered at the Annual Tax Sale so local governments receive the revenue needed to operate. The property is not sold, but a third party pays the outstanding tax amount and places a tax lien on the property.
The tax buyer then receives the right to
repayment of the taxes, with applicable interest—or the right to go to court to request ownership of the property, if payment is not received. Tax buyers may not make changes to the taxpayer’s information or take any action regarding the property before obtaining a tax deed through the court.
If your taxes were sold at the Annual Tax Sale, here are the next steps:
Request an “Estimate of Redemption”: This document is obtained through the Cook County Clerk’s Office. It will provide a detailed calculation of the total amount you need to pay to redeem (payback) the taxes
ment provides affordable healthcare through Medicare and Medicaid, not everyone qualifies for those programs. Moreover, many people get healthcare through their employers, but freelance, part-time, and lower-skill construction work often doesn’t provide adequate coverage.
Given these structural limitations, any proposed solution to these obstacles to wellness on the Westside needs to be foundational. A solid Guaranteed Income (GI) program can be one such foundational proposal.
for your property.
Redeem your taxes: You have the right to regain control by paying the tax buyer the amount they paid at the Annual Tax Sale, plus applicable interest. This process, called redemption, is also handled through the Cook County Clerk’s Office.
Once a tax buyer acquires your tax debt in the Annual Tax Sale, the only way to redeem your delinquent taxes is to pay the debt, interest, and fees in a single payment. Partial payments are not accepted. That is why it is crucial to redeem your taxes as soon as possible to avoid an increase in the
GI programs provide regular payments to people who are low-income or below the poverty line and struggling to meet their subsistence needs. GI funding can come from state, local, and private funds.
Studies show that in Austin, 26% of residents are under the poverty level compared to around 17% in the rest of Chicago. A robust GI program could provide qualified residents with at least $500 to $1,000 a month, making a huge impact on their lives.
They could pay for childcare and emergencies, among other things. The money might also help people find better jobs or continue their education.
Chicago recently faced some decisions about its existing GI pilot program. Mayor Brandon Johnson was pressed to maintain funding for the city’s GI program in this year’s budget. Current program participants held press conferences about the program’s impact on their lives. Tonia Hill of The Triibe news outlet interviewed Austin resident Deon Hodrick, who said he knows how “life-changing” GI programs can be.
“I hope they don’t discontinue the program because it’s helping many people […] from disenfranchised neighborhoods,” he said.
In addition to GI programs, investing in public mental health services is another practical solution rooted in the foundational factors that drive health and wellness outcomes.
Public health services generally have greater stability and lower staff turnover than privat-
amount owed.
Property owners have two-and-a-half years to redeem sold taxes for residential properties and approximately one year to redeem sold taxes for commercial properties. After this period, the tax buyer can go to court to obtain ownership of your property.
If your 2022 delinquent taxes were sold at the Annual Tax Sale in December 2024 and you are unable to redeem your taxes, consider seeking an attorney about other options available to resolve your situation.
Acting quickly, understanding the process, and taking advantage of available resources will help you resolve this situation and maintain control of your property.
You’ll find more information on my office’s website: cookcountytreasurer.com.
ized ones. Unfortunately, half the city’s mental health clinics were closed in 2013. They all should be reopened and made accessible in all communities with high levels of crime, poverty, and mental illness. This is an important step in addressing some of the trauma that people in the community face and in helping residents get and keep jobs.
Mayor Johnson has started to deliver on his campaign promise of reopening those closed clinics around the city. For example, this month the mayor oversaw the reopening of Roseland’s mental health clinic on the Southside.
Dr. Olusimbo Ige, a commissioner with the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH), said in a statement released on Jan. 8 that the expanded mental health services, which include crisis response from trained mental health clinicians “will ensure that residents experiencing a mental health challenge can receive the immediate care they need from mental health professionals as well as connection to resources to address their unmet health and social needs.”
Implementing robust GI programs and investing in public mental health services are foundational policies that create opportunities for Westsiders to become active agents in their liberation, and enhance their capacity to push for even more policy interventions that can improve their communities.
— Shelby Giloth, Westside native
Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Olusimbo Ige at the reopening ceremony of the Roseland mental health clinic in January. | COURTESY CHICAGO DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH/FACEBOOK
