During this week's City Council meeting (9/21), we took several steps to protect health care rights, foster job creation, improve parks, and create more affordable housing in the city.
Bodily Autonomy Sanctuary City Ordinance
I am proud to support the Bodily Autonomy Sanctuary City Ordinance, which protects those who seek reproductive, gender-confirming, and fertility health care services in Chicago from the draconian and regressive laws of other states. The ordinance prohibits city agencies from sharing data, carrying out search warrants, or assisting investigators from other states if they are seeking to prosecute those who travel to Chicago to seek such health care. I am proud to join most of my colleagues in standing against those who seek to criminalize these critical health care services.
Chicago Fire Complex
I joined a majority of the City Council in supporting a new training complex on the West Side for the Chicago Fire professional soccer club. In addition to resulting in no loss in planned public housing for the area, the complex is supported by neighbors and ALBA Homes resident council, and will bring jobs to the community.
TIFs for Park
The Committee on Finance - of which I am the Chairman - and the City Council this week approved $1.25 million in renovations for Gompers Park fieldhouse in the 39th Ward and $3.5 million for playground, ballfield, and water feature improvements at Touhy-Herbert Park in the 27th Ward. These investments are just a few of the improvements that have been funded at parks around the city this year, and I am eager for us to ensure that every Chicagoan has access to quality open spaces.
New Affordable Housing
My committee and the City Council approved funding to convert the former Von Humboldt School at 2620 W Hirsch into a 102-apartment complex for teachers and low-income families. We also approved funding to convert a city parking lot in the 24th Ward into 65 units of affordable housing, as well as vacant lots in the 37th Ward into a 78-unit mixed-income development (60 of which will be affordable).
These and other developments represent some of the strides our city has made in the last three years to try and create a more affordable Chicago. For Chicago to remain a world class city, we must retain and encourage not just racial and ethic diversity, but also income diversity.
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