Austin Weekly News 050124

Malcolm X College pays for 13 students’ travel to Kenya

West Side students who attended share what they learned from the spring break trip

By JESSICA MORDACQ Staff Reporter

Second-year Malcolm X Colle ge student Lakeith Lewis said his trip to Kenya last month seemed like the opportunity of a lifetime.

“My mind was so blown away to travel and get a new perspective historically, culturally, environmentally,” the computer science student said. “It was a phenomenal experience.”

That’s the impact organizers of the trip to Kenya hoped for when they created the itinerary. From March 15 through 24, 13 African American male students from Malcolm X Colle ge traveled to Kenya for free to learn about culture, identity and heritage For many of them, international travel was a first.

“It’s not the first time that Malcolm X has done study abroad programs, but it’s the first time that we’ve done a program of this size and magnitude

Mary Buchanan, 68, stands outside her home in West Gar eld Park on March 21, 2024, examining the recent construction to her front law n. She paid $12,000 to install a check valve to prevent waste water from owing into her home the next time her neighborhood oods. Her basement

By MEREDITH NEWMAN |

Credit: Victor Hilitski, for the Illinois Answers Project

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President David Sanders stands in the middle with Damian Wright directly to his right, King Navy standing slightly behind directly to his le , and Lakeith Lewis second from right in the photo.

ENYA TRIP

ip of a lifetime

from page 1

focus,” said David Sanders, President of Malcolm X Colle ge

When Malcolm X Colle ge received its retention data in 2021, though 72% of students came back to school semester after semester, only 57% of African American males returned to the colle ge, Sanders said.

So, Sanders for med a mentoring program for African American men, partnering stufaculty members who look like a semester. He said that, at the end of the semester, the school’s retention rate for students in the program was 93%.

Danny Davis, of the 7th Disich encompasses the Austin and rk neighborhoods of Chicago, the program’s success and enMalcom X Colle ge to apply for funding from Congress.

The college received $1 million, half of which is sponsoring five trips to African countries, including the recent one to Kenya.

“When we were talking to the students, they said they really didn’t know who they were, that society was trying to define who they were through their actions and behaviors, the way they were being treated, or the way that society was portraying them,”

Sanders said, “We felt that this would be an opportunity for them to get back to the homeland, to see their roots, where they came from.”

Students from the mentoring program were invited to apply to travel to Africa for free and take a corresponding course for class credit, as long as they had at least a 2.0 grade point average and no active for ms of discipline.

After four orientation sessions, the 13 students packed their bags, got on a plane and traveled to six heritage sites and several Kenyan communities, each coming back with their own perspective from the trip.

The students’ stories

Damian Wright — who’s focusing on financial business in his first year at Malcolm X Colle ge and grew up in East Garfield Park — said he went on the trip to Kenya to take advantage of the free opportunity to see a new country, and because his dad said it would be beneficial to experience environments outside of Chicago.

“He’s really pushed me to get out and try and see the world, and that’s something I’ve always wanted to do for myself,” Wright said.

King Navy is studying psychology, in his second year at Malcolm X Colle ge and also lives on Chicago’s West Side. He said he’s always wanted to go to Africa. The height of his trip was Kenya’s coast, where he said the students got the chance to interact with their tour guides more.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MALCOLM X COLLEGE

y Colleges

“I would have my little side conversations with them about culture, vision, all these other things” Navy said.

Another one of his favorite parts was toward the end of the trip, when the group visited “a poor part of Kenya,” said Navy, who wants to help at-risk youth in the future.

“The living conditions weren’ t the best, but they also weren’ t upset or crying,” Navy said. “They had a very uplifting, upbeat tempo.”

“The place where a lot of people thought I would be stressed out the most was actually the most peaceful to me,” Wright said of the same part of Kenya, “just because I grew up, I shouldn’t say ‘in that,’ but similar conditions.”

Wright said he also enjoyed interacting with his peers to understand their mindsets and how they experienced Kenya.

From Kenya to Chicago

When asked what lessons or values the students brought back with them from Kenya, Navy said his long-term goals included learning about how other people move through the world, their perceptions, and how they think about American culture.

“I’d like to keep exploring that, making sure that I learn as much about psychology

and

outside of the states’ norms and learning how other people view it,” Navy said. He added that it was difficult to compare the two places because Kenya and Chicago are not alike.

“It’s a ve ry difficult thing to t ry to bring back some of those cultural nor ms over there back to Chicago because we ’re, for lack of b etter wo rd s, built different,” Navy said. “They have to lean on each other for thing s, for b asic necessities,” he a dded, wh i le A mericans c an often buy wh at they want when they want it. “A lot of times, it can seem or feel li ke crabs in a bucket. We ’re so c ompetitive that, a lot of times, we lose sight of that c amaraderie.”

“Everybody out here is kind of doing things for themselves,” Wright ag reed. “I don’t think enough people realize, especially in African American communities and Hispanic communities, how much we can build when we work together.”

Wright a dded that he learned to be more open to moments that present themself to him.

“Moving forward, the one thing I can say is choosing to act on opportunity. I think there’s not enough of that done here in America,” Wright said. “I’ve been in situa-

tions where all you have to do is survive, and you couldn’t think about being sad. And I don’t think enough living is done in a lot of people’s lives, it’s kind of just surviving.”

“Just because you’re from somewhere doesn’t mean you have to stay somewhere,”

Wright added — a sentiment that Lewis has already considered.

“Being an IT professional, I would love to expand my horizons into another career field, in another continent,” Lewis said.

After returning from Kenya, he said he downloaded the Rosetta Stone app on his phone to start learning Spanish, and wants to learn Swahili.

Learning new languages works toward cultural competency, one of Malcom X Colle ge’s three goals when organizing these trips to Africa, Sanders said, along with student retainment and civic engagement.

“From my perspective, each one of these young men represents a power in and of themselves. But I don’t think that power has been revealed or that they’ve really reached their true destiny until you remove the barriers that stop them from getting there,” Sanders said. “Each person can make a difference, but it first starts with you seeing yourself as having the ability to make that difference.”

AU STIN WEEKLY news

Editor Erika Hobbs

Columnists Arlene Jones, Aisha Oliver

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Abrahamson, Gary Collins, Steve Edwards, Darnell Shields, Sheila Solomon, Eric Weinheimer

PHOTO COURTESY OF MALCOLM X COLLEGE

Cit

of Chicago students, faculty

sta pose for a photo before their trip to Kenya

May 1-8

BIG WEEK

A Growing Community Media Partnership

Apollo Chorus Spring Concer t: A French Festival!

Sunday, May 3 7 p.m., Kehrein Center

The Apollo Chorus invites you to revel in the artistry of composers who shaped the French musical landscape. Guest conductor Pierre-Fabien Roubaty leads the chorus. The program includes Poulenc’s Gloria, with its blend of exuberance, introspection and French air; motets by Saint-Saës, Fauré and Duru é, each contributing to a unique tapestry of transcendent harmonies; and the rousing Toreador March & Chorus from Bizet’s Carmen. It is free and open to the public. Tickets can be obtained at https://www.apollochorus.org/event-calendar/ 5628 W. Washington Blvd.

CPS Community Forum

Wednesday, May 9, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m., Richards Career Academy

Join Chicago Public Schools o cials as they discuss the distric t’s ve-year strategic plan. This is a community engagement session that will help CPS set priorities.

O cials will use the information to craft the plan. After it is approved by the CPS board and o cials secure local, state, and federal resources, o cials said, they will be able to use the plan to upgrade facilities to serve the needs of its sta , students and community. This is the nal session, so if you missed those on the West Side, you can still attend this one. Register at bit.ly/CPS-CommunityForum. 5030 S. Bishop St.

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avery r. young, Chicago’s rst poet laureate will lead “chi-soul workshops” at the Austin branch. The workshops are designed for any writers of any level to build poems and poetry manuscripts centered on the times and tales of Chicago. Workshops will take place the rst unday of each month, May through November, and include time to edit, workshop and present poetic works in a personal setting. Registration is required. Call 312-747-8184 or visit the website at https:// chipublib.bibliocommons.com/events/662a96121e57af2800417af1 for information and to sign up

One Summer Chicago

Application deadline: May 3

One Summer Chicago is o ering more than 28,000 paid opportunities to individuals ages 14 to 24 across public, private, and nonpro t sec tors. The Summer Youth Employment Program provides employment and internship opportunities for individuals aged 16 to 24, earning $15.80 an hour. Partnering organizations include the Chicago Park District, the Lincoln Park Zoo, and Lurie’s Children’s Hospital. For the 14 to 15-yearolds who are not yet old enough to work, the Chicagobility program o eer pathways the summer. Apply at

This free, drop-in program is designed for kids and families ages 4 and up. Activities will follow themes of nature and science, but with a special focus on learning, processing, and making personal connections to subject matter through art. Families can enjoy open-ended collaborative or individual projects, nature journal prompts inspired by the conser ecosystems and our place in them, in a calm and inviting atmosphere! This program is included in all reservations to visit the conser y. Free reser are available at: https://gar eldconser vator y.org/visit/. 300 N. Central Park Ave

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Prom season is upon us

Yes it’s that time of the year. All over social media, folks are posting the prom pictures. And I’ll tell you, some of these kids going to prom look like they should have graduated when I did over 50 years ago!

I mean they look old. Arms and legs tattooed up. No youthful glow anywhere radiating out of the girls. The boys are still tending to look young, but the girls are under tons of facial makeup, false eyelashes and weave.

The worst look to date are the girls with the so-called baby hair curls that look like two upside-down false eyelashes plastered on each side of their forehead

Some people are claiming the girls are spending over $2,000 on their dresses. Many of the dresses must have been custom-made because they don’t have the appearance of something you can just walk into a fashion boutique and purchase. And the color coordination between the girls and the boys runs the entire spectrum of the color palette. One popular sequins applique seems to be favored by a number of people. For some reason the front of the applique drops

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down and almost looks like a male jockey strap. When combined with sheer fabric, it is not a good look.

One young girl wearing that kind of dress has become the meme for folks questioning whether they would allow their child to wear it. The front of the dress is low cut. The bottom of the dress is a mer maid design that has become real popular. But for somebody 16 to 19 years old, the dress is way inappropriate. The intense sexualization of the girls makes me wonder how many are going to end up being single mothers because of prom night.

The backdrops for the prom pictures are going all out. No longer is the front yard the place to take a picture, nor are they setting up a photo booth backdrop situation. They are finding luxury cars, airplanes, horses, you name it. A couple of individuals have had their pictures photoshopped. My favorite is the Tesla, color-coordinated to their outfits.

Because of possible copyright rules, I can’t include a picture in this column. But you can always go to Facebook and do a search for prom pictures

FLOODING Vulnerability

from page 1

The electricity in Mary Buchanan’s home in West Garfield Park was not working – again.

The outage lasted four days, starting just after a crew dug up her front lawn to install a check valve in late March, in order to stop waste water from pouring into her basement. She told herself this $12,000 construction would be worth it if it means no more flooding.

Last summer, as historic rain pelted down on Cook County, Buchanan was left standing in the basement of her childhood home with dirty water wading up to her knees. Every day since has presented a new problem: discovering black mold scattered throughout the basement, having to replace the water heater and then getting denied for federal emergency funds.

The July 2023 storm – one of the costliest weather events in Chicago’s history – hit hardest in the city’s West Side and nearby suburbs. The storm upended Chicagoans’ lives and exposed the city’s longstanding vulnerabilities to flooding. In the wake of the storm, FEMA inspected 63,000 homes, and distributed up to $375 million in federal aid to home and business owners.

It also provided a look into a concerning future: The grip of climate change unyielding, winter and spring are expected to be wetter in Illinois while summer becomes even hotter. The downpour of rain will likely continue to be more intense for shorter durations and the locations where these flash flooding storms hit are less predictable, said Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford

The Illinois Answers Project interviewed a range of experts on flooding, climate and infrastructure to examine how prepared Chicago and the state are to combat the growing environmental threats its residents face, particularly from the problem of severe flooding. In this series over the next several weeks, Illinois Answers will explore how Chicago is trying to improve drainage in neighborhoods, how a promising flood prevention project got mired in bureaucracy, and how a state buyout program is helping residents when they have nowhere else to turn.

Flooding is the state’s most threatening natural disaster and touches every corner in Illinois, but communities of color and poorer areas often face the greatest risk

Mary Buchanan’s daughter was living in her basement apartment last summer when a major storm caused oodwaters to reach up to their knees. Almost a year later, she’s still working to repair the damage. March 21, 2024.

– particularly in the city of Chicago and greater Cook County. Sewer and stormwater infrastructure can often no longer handle the onslaught of water that comes from these heavy rainfalls, experts told Illinois Answers. Chicago also has one of the largest numbers of properties at risk for flooding in the coming decades, research shows

While a state task force has developed a long-range plan for flood mitigation across Illinois, Chicago has no equivalent roadmap.

Part of the city’s challenge is that multiple agencies share responsibility for flood mitigation in Chicago and Cook County. In an attempt to coordinate ef forts, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago has developed plans for new anti-flooding infrastructure for the South and West Sides, but the agency has refused to release them to Illinois Answers, saying the designs are not ready for implementation – despite their completion two years ago.

Angela Tovar, who leads the newly reconstituted Chicago Department of the Environment, declined interview requests with Illinois Answers but in an emailed statement said her office will “collaborate and advise” other city agencies on flood-related policies as it continues to staf f up, and that her team is working with the mayor’s office

kitchen are no more. The antique wood furniture that belonged to her mother had to be trashed.

The black mold that festered in her basement’s walls for months was finally removed in December. But Buchanan can’t seem to shake a cough. It gets so bad, she said, she finds herself nearly choking. At 68 years old, she is having asthma attacks for the first time in her life

Buchanan said her fixed income means she’s struggling to af ford the costs to repair her home and prevent future flooding.

“I want this house to stay in my family,” she said. “My mom worked too hard.”

Why Illinois is So Vulnerable to Flooding

Storms like those from last summer are no longer once in a decade

Scott Lincoln, senior service hydrologist for the National Weather Service forecast office in Chicago, said he could not recall the last time Cook County had two federally declared flood disasters during the same year, referencing storms on July 2 and Sept. 17 of last year.

This decade, though still in its infancy, has seen three extreme rainfall events –– the highest known number since 1950, Lincoln said.

on “outlining a strategic direction for water policy issues in the city.”

She is “committed to climate justice and climate resiliency in Chicago,” she wrote. “We know that climate change will only exacerbate long-standing flooding challenges in many of our neighborhoods. Too often those Chicagoans impacted by flooding are also overburdened by other environmental har ms.”

It’s been almost a year since the devastating flood hit the West Side, and Buchanan is among the many residents still struggling to repair homes that have been in families for generations. In the five decades that her family has lived there, she could only recall the basement flooding once, with minimal water that receded in an hour or so

“My mother would die if she saw it like this,” Buchanan said.

The basement apar tment, where Buchanan’s adult daughter lived, has been gutted down to its studs. She has had to replace the water heater and furnace and also fill out the painstaking FEMA applications, which took Buchanan hours to complete. Not to mention the subsequent denials and appeals.

Almost nothing in her basement was salvageable after the storm: The red plush carpet has been torn up. The bathroom and

“It’s not an if, it’s more of a when,” Lincoln said of the next extreme rain event. The state’s climate has gotten wetter in the springtime, which combined with rapid snowmelt and heavier rainfall means rivers in Illinois are often breaking records for highest peaks, said Ford, the climatologist who provides weather and climate data to Illinois farmers, policymakers and government agencies.

Non-river flooding, or pluvial flooding, “is equally or maybe even more so a problem” for Illinois, Ford said. That’s because heavy precipitation, lasting anywhere from an hour to a couple of days, can “just overwhelm the landscape.”

This type of flooding is also less predictable, Ford said. For example, scientists and state officials would be able to determine days in advance if the Mississippi River is going to flood the city of Quincy, allowing time for preparation, he said.

But with non-river flooding, it’s much more difficult, Ford said. These heavy rainfall events often occur outside of the areas where floodplains are diligently mapped.

How a city or town’s infrastructure will respond to flooding from a series of storms is complicated to predict, he said.

Wetlands and prairies, which once made up much of Illinois, work as a sponge to soak up rainwater – which ultimately reduced the

CREDIT: VIC TO R HILITSKI, FOR THE ILLINOIS ANSWERS PROJECT

risk of stormwater runoff and widespread flooding. But now many of these areas have turned into farms and cities and towns, filled with roads, parking lots and homes

As a result, these impervious areas prevent water from easily infiltrating into the ground, said Glenn Heistand, section head of the Illinois State Water Survey’s Coordinated Hazard Assessment and Mapping Program. Instead, it creates even more runoff that overwhelms stormwaters systems

Scientists with the Water Survey, housed at the University of Illinois, conduct research on various water issues. Heistand and his team work to identify areas in Illinois that are at high-risk for flooding as well as assess flood hazards. The team also works with towns and cities to help local governments understand the flooding risks they face.

Stormwater systems, Heistand said, were designed and built to handle a certain amount of water. The frequency and intensity of rain storms have upended the system’s ability to be effective. Towns and cities also have a varying ability to maintain their aging infrastructure.

In Chicago, with more than 4,500 miles of sewer lines to oversee, the Department of Water Management faces constant dilemmas over which mains the city should upgrade or replace with its limited resources, said Brendan Schreiber, who oversees sewer management for the de partment.

Schreiber likened the city’s labyrinthine sewer system to its network of streets and highways, saying a storm event is like rush hour: “Water goes into the system and it’s all trying to get to the same point at the same time, and that causes it to back up. … What we focus on is reducing that risk.”

The department aims to maintain every city sewer to the point where it can handle a “five-year storm,” as defined by the Water Survey’s 2020 report Schreiber said. For comparison, parts of the West Side experienced a 50-year storm when they received more than 7 inches of rain in a single day, according to rain data from PRISM Climate Group, a national weather database operated out of Oregon State University.

The Department of Water Management does not maintain maps showing the age or capacity of its sewers, said spokesperson Megan Vidis. Instead, officials mostly rely on 311 flood complaints to decide which sewers to replace, Schreiber said.

What Chicago and the State Are Doing to Combat Flooding

Chicago is second in the country for the greatest number of properties at risk of flooding, according to First Street Foundation, a nonprofit that researches climate risk. It’s expected to get even worse: Cook

County has about 172,000 properties at substantial risk for flooding, according to data First Street provided to Illinois Answers. This group projects it to grow by about 10% by 2053.

These figures are larger than that of FEMA since the nonprofit factors in pluvial flood risk, which the federal agency does not.

In 2022, the state updated its water plan for the first time in 35 years, said Terra McParland, flood surveillance program manager for the state Office of Water Resources.

The statewide report focused on the most pressing water concerns and the task force made 15 flood damage mitigation recommendations. Among them: update the state’s rainfall prediction data, which is used to design infrastructure; identify underserved communities that need help with flood planning; and create a pilot urban flood warning system.

McParland, who oversaw the flood damage mitigation section, said this was the first year the plan explicitly discussed the impact of climate change and focused on social and environmental justice. She said the state water plan is expected to be updated every 10 years.

Chicago’s approach to the issue is more complicated.

Multiple city departments have pursued initiatives related to flood control. The city’s Department of Water Management, for example, plans this year to build a pair of underground storage tanks on the West Side capable of holding a combined 1.6 million gallons of stormwater, Vidis said. A longerrunning project would add a 10-mile tunnel by the end of the decade to alleviate basement flooding for about 30,000 residents on the South and Far South sides, she said.

But the city is worse of f for the lack of a unified, cross-departmental plan to seek funding and prioritize spending on the issue, said Ald. Maria Hadden (49), chair of the City Council Committee on Environmental Protection and Energy.

Last fall, Hadden introduced a resolution calling for a non-binding question to be added to the March 2024 primary ballot asking if Chicago should develop a “comprehensive flood mitigation plan.”

Hadden’s resolution for a ballot referendum did not pass, but the alderwoman said she hopes to use her committee to help corral city departments into a unified plan on flood control and prevention. The responsibility also lies with Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Department of the Environment, she said.

“The question is … can we all get on the same page and identify this as a priority?” she said.

Queen Jackson, 83, has lived in her West Gar eld Park home for six decades. She said she invested money into ood control e orts - and she still faced signi cant ood damage from the storm last July. March 7, 2024.

‘I Feel Left Behind ’

During the July storm, a majority of 311 calls about basement flooding were concentrated in predominantly Black neighborhoods on the West Side, city data shows.

The city re gistered water-in-basement complaints from nearly 7,000 addresses in the first week of July 2023. More than half were from five community areas: Austin, West Garfield Park, Belmont Cragin, Humboldt Park and North Lawndale.

Queen Jackson, 83, said she called 311 during the July storm to report the flooding of her West Garfield Park home. Jackson has been disappointed in the lack of aid from the city.

Instead, she has turned to Princess Shaw, a longtime Lawndale organizer who for med the West Side Long-Term Recovery Group to help residents struggling to clean up their homes and navigate federal bureaucracy.

Shaw has also met with city officials, advocating for more aggressive infrastructure improvements. She believes the city has provided only “Band-Aid” fixes, like rain barrels and relining pipes, and instead wants longer term solutions.

Shaw estimates the group is working with 250 families, helping them get mold removed from their flood-damaged homes and fill out paperwork to submit to FEMA to receive federal aid.

In Jackson’s home, where she raised children and grandchildren over six decades,

splatters of orange and brown mold are on the walls throughout her basement. Wood is warped from the water damage and pieces of broken tile are still scattered throughout. A damp smell lingers. Her grandson still lives in the basement.

A contractor estimated $46,000 was needed to repair Jackson’s basement and roof. She said she only received a fraction of that from FEMA.

“We work all our lives,” Jackson said of her disappointment at the government’s response. “I never had to file for nothing. I asked for nothing free. I paid for everything. And … now that I’m retired, I don’t get that check every week like I used to...”

“I feel left behind – period.”

Buchanan isn’t sure when the basement in her West Garfield Park home will become livable again for her daughter. She has been approved for about $32,000 in federal aid, just half of what she said is the estimated damage to her basement. But it required her appealing to FEMA multiple times

When it rained in March, Buchanan rushed down to check her basement – no water.

“I’m just praying,” she said, “no more problems.”

Contributing: Alex Nitkin

This story was made possible by a grant from The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation to the Illinois Answers Project.

CREDIT: MEREDITH NEWMAN

A rendering of the Sankofa Village Wellness Center, expected to be completed in the fall of 2025.

General contractor selected for Sankofa Wellness Village Center

The center will bring health, nancial and recreational resources to West Gar eld Park

By JESSICA MORDACQ Staff Reporter

West Side organizations have selected a general contractor team to build the Sankofa Village Wellness Center in West Garfield Park.

The general contractor team Leopardo Construction and UJAMAA Construction Joint Venture has been chosen to build the 60,000-square-foot facility that will include resources such as a gym, health center, childhood development programs and support for small businesses.

The project is expected to break ground this summer.

The Sankofa Wellness Village Center

aims to bring services such as healthcare workforce development, financial support and a business incubator to the Madison Street and Pulaski Road corridor.

The four components of Sankofa include the center, the MAAFA Center for Arts and Activism — a spot for workforce development and arts inside the New Mount Missionary Baptist Church on West Washington Boulevard — the business incubator “K” Entrepreneurship Development Hub, and the Community Grocer Initiative, an ef fort to bring healthy food to West Garfield Park

In January 2023, the Pritzker Traubert Foundation awarded $10 million to the West Garfield Park Rite to Wellness Collab-

orative, the Community Builders, and the MAAFA Redemption Project — Sankofa Village Wellness Center’s ownership team. About $8 million will go toward the Sankofa Wellness Village Center, while the other $2 million will help fund the rest of the village’s initiatives.

Sankofa’s ownership team chose Leopardo Construction and UJAMAA Construction Joint Venture after a competitive bidding process in which they analyzed factors such as the applicants’ experience, commitment to diversity, environmental experience, and project schedule.

On May 1, there will be a virtual event for subcontractors to bid on the Sankofa Village Wellness Center Project to contribute

the likes of asphalt, painting and elevator installation. The second meeting will take place May 9 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at 4239 W. Washington Blvd., and the general contractor will choose the subcontractors.

“We want to ensure that we are communicating to as many subcontractors in Garfield Park and the surrounding neighborhoods as possible,” said Kemena Brooks, the director of development for the Community Builders. “Hiring subcontractors from the community and the surrounding neighborhoods, hiring minority- and women-led businesses, are very important to the general contractor.”

The Sankofa Village Wellness Center is expected to open in the fall of 2025.

State unveils report on racial disparities amon homeless population

Also: Lung Association gives mixed review of state’s air quality

By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois

A Growing Community Media Partnership

Tackling homelessness requires addressing racial injustice, according to a new report commissioned by the state’s Office to Prevent and End Homelessness.

The report found that Black people are eight times more likely to experience homelessness than white people. Remedying this disparity, according to the report, would require “long-term strategies that dismantle systemic barriers contributing to racial inequities in homelessness such as ending the mass incarceration of Black people.”

“When we think about the harms of racial segregation and red lining, we can draw a line to the realities of homelessness,” Christine Haley, the state’s chief homelessness officer, said in a news release.

The report, produced by the Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy at the University of Illinois Chicago, for ms the basis of a new “action plan” from the governor, whose “Home Illinois” plan aimed at ending homelessness launched in 2022.

In his budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year 2025, Pritzker proposed $250 million for the state’s homelessness prevention initiatives, a $50 million increase over the current fiscal year.

T he additional money would be used to provide housing assistance, le g al aid and to initiate pilot progr ams aimed at addressing racial disparities within the homeless population.

The “unified, whole of government approach” is set to embed state officials responsible for helping homeless individuals in at least five state departments, including the Department of Corrections and the Department of Children and Family Services.

“Homelessness is not an issue of person-

al failing, but of historical discrimination and structural barriers that ha inequality for Black families across the nation and of course right here in Illinoi Pritzker said.

Illinois had about 9,000 people experiencing homelessness on a given night in 2022, according to the latest data from the National Alliance to End Homelessness. Rates of homelessness are highest in the Chicago area and around Springfield.

Homelessness in the state has fallen 41 percent since 2007, according to data. Most homeless people in Illinois, about 79 percent, were in shelters or other temporary accommodations in 2022.

Air quality report

pr quality.”

Illinois’ air quality received mixed grades from the American Lung Association’s annual “State of the Air” report released this week.

While some counties in central and southern Illinois had low levels of pollution, areas in Chicagoland are some of the most polluted in the nation. The Chicago metropolitan area, according to the report, has the 17th highest level of ozone pollution of all

Ozone is a product of vehicle exhaust and industrial pollution, and the pollutant can aggravate lung disease, increase the frequency of asthma attacks and make breathing difficult, according to the federal Environmental Protection Agency.

The Chicago area was also ranked the 22nd most polluted city for year-round particle pollution, which results from construction, industrial waste, car exhaust and other sources.

“In the 25 years that the American Lung Association has been doing our ‘State of the Air’ report, we have seen incredible im-

tina Hamilton, advocacy director at the ALA, said in a news release. “Unfortunately, more than 131 million people still live in places with unhealthy levels of air pollution, and Chicago is listed as one of the worst places for ozone and particle pollution, which disproportionately impacts low-income communities and communities of color.”

Downstate communities had generally cleaner air. While data on ozone pollution is only available for 23 Illinois counties, Adams, Effingham and Jo Daviess counties all received an “A” grade from the lung group for having zero days last year with high ozone pollution levels. For the 17 counties with data on particle pollution, seven received an “A” grade, including DuPage and McHenry counties in Chicagoland.

The Springfield area’s air quality worsened this year compared to last year, when Sangamon County was ranked among the cleanest in the nation. It fell to a “C” grade for ozone and “B” grade for particle pollution, based on the number of days with high levels of each pollutant in the air.

Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government. It is distributed to hundreds of newspapers, radio and TV stations statewide. It is funded primaril y by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCor mick Foundation, along with major contributions from the Illinois Broadcasters Foundation and Southern Illinois Editorial Association.

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PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICE OF COURT DATE FOR REQUEST FOR NAME CHANGE

STATE OF ILLINOIS, CIRCUIT COURT COOK COUNTY

Request of REGINALD LASHUN ABERNATHY Case Number 2024CONC000504

There will be a court date on my Request to change my name from: REGINALD LASHUN ABERNATHY to the new name of:

Reginald Lashun Abernathy

The court date will be held:

On June 13, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. in Courtroom # 1706 on Zoom.

ZOOM ID 970 3250 0245 Passcode 895226

Published in Austin Weekly News May 1, 8, 15, 2024

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENTCHANCERY DIVISION

NATIONSTAR MORTGAGE LLC

Plaintiff, -v.UNKNOWN HEIRS AND LEGATEES OF BARNEY LONZO, CITY OF CHICAGO, UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NONRECORD CLAIMANTS, DAMON RITENHOUSE, AS SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR BARNEY LONZO (DECEASED) Defendants 2023 CH 03884 4931 W HIRSCH ST CHICAGO, IL 60651

NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on April 3, 2024, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on May 20, 2024, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker, 1st Floor Suite 35R, Chicago, IL, 60606, sell at a public sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 4931 W HIRSCH ST, CHICAGO, IL 60651 Property Index No. 16-04-214-0100000

The real estate is improved with a single family residence.

Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in “AS IS” condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court.

HOURS: 9:00 A.M.– 5:00 P.M.

Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale. The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information.

If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4).

If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g-1).

IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW.

You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales.

For information, examine the court file, CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100, BURR RIDGE, IL, 60527 (630) 794-9876 THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION

One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236-SALE

You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales.

CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100 BURR RIDGE IL, 60527 630-794-5300

E-Mail: pleadings@il.cslegal.com

Attorney File No. 14-23-02738

Attorney ARDC No. 00468002 Attorney Code. 21762

Case Number: 2023 CH 03884

TJSC#: 44-930

NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiff’s attorney is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose.

Case # 2023 CH 03884

I3242244

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENTCHANCERY DIVISION LOANDEPOT.COM, LLC; Plaintiff, vs. CARLOS O. DEJESUS; CITY OF CHICAGO; UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON RECORD CLAIMANTS; Defendants, 23 CH 9538

NOTICE OF SALE

PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY

GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on Tuesday, May 21, 2024 at the hour of 11 a.m. in their office at 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, Illinois, sell at public auction to the highest bidder for cash, as set forth below, the following described mortgaged real estate: P.I.N. 16-13-408-034-0000.

Commonly known as 2730 W. Polk Street, Chicago, IL 60612.

The mortgaged real estate is improved with a single family residence. If the subject mortgaged real estate is a unit of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by subsection (g-1) of Section 18.5 of the Condominium Property Act. Sale terms: 10% down by certified funds, balance, by certified funds, within 24 hours. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection.

For information call Mr. John Kienzle at Plaintiff’s Attorney, Marinosci Law Group, PC, 2215 Enterprise Drive, Westchester, IL 60154. (312) 9408580. 23-04510 INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION intercountyjudicialsales.com I3242015

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENTCHANCERY DIVISION THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON FKA THE BANK OF NEW YORK,AS TRUSTEE FOR THE CERTIFICATEHOLDERS OF THE CWALT, INC., ALTERNATIVE LOAN TRUST2006-11CB MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2006-11CB Plaintiff,

-v.ELENA NAVARRETE A/K/A

ELANA VILLANUEVA A/K/A

ELENA CHACON, ROBERTO NAVARRETE, JESUS CHACON, AS TRUSTEE OF THE VILLANUEVA FAMILY IRREVOCABLE TRUST

DATED DECEMBER 20TH, 2018, REAL TIME RESOLUTIONS, INC., AS SUCCESSOR TO MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC., AS MORTGAGEE, AS NOMINEE FOR COUNTRYWIDE BANK, N.A., UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON­ RECORD CLAIMANTS

Defendants 22 CH 06054 2131 WEST 18TH STREET CHICAGO, IL 60608 NOTICE OF SALE

PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on February 26, 2024, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on May 29, 2024, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker, 1st Floor Suite 35R, Chicago, IL, 60606, sell at a public sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate:

Commonly known as 2131 WEST 18TH STREET, CHICAGO, IL 60608

Property Index No. 17-19-304-0120000

The real estate is improved with a two unit apartment building.

Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in “AS IS” condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court.

Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale. The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information.

If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4).

If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g-1).

IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW.

You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales.

MCCALLA RAYMER LEIBERT

PIERCE, LLC Plaintiff’s Attorneys, One North Dearborn Street, Suite 1200, Chicago, IL, 60602. Tel No. (312) 346-9088. THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION

One South Wacker Drive, 24th

Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236-SALE

You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales.

MCCALLA RAYMER LEIBERT PIERCE, LLC

One North Dearborn Street, Suite 1200 Chicago IL, 60602 312-346-9088

E-Mail: pleadings@mccalla.com

Attorney File No. 22-09828IL_792007

Attorney Code. 61256

Case Number: 22 CH 06054

TJSC#: 44-922

NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiff’s attorney is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose.

Case # 22 CH 06054 I3242400

EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation or discrimination based on age, race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or intention to make any such preferences, limitations or discrimination.

The Illinois Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental or advertising of real estate based on factors in addition to those protected under federal law.

This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis. Restrictions or prohibitions of pets do not apply to service animals.

To complain of discrimination, call HUD toll free at: 1-800-6699777.

GROWING COMMUNITY MEDIA