Mental health remains a significant public health concern in Chicago, with recent data showing that many residents continue to struggle with psychological distress and access to treatment.
According to the Chicago Health Atlas’s Self-Reported Poor Mental Health Indicator, Chicago recorded 15.7% of adults self-reporting poor mental health. Illinois reported 16.3%, and the United States was just slightly higher at 17.2%.
The data suggest that mental health challenges remain a significant concern for Chicago residents. Over the last decade, Chicagoans have been continuing to report an increasing trend of poor mental health.
Data from 2026 shows that Chicago residents have more mental health providers per 100,000 population than state and national totals. According to the Chicago Health Atlas, the rate of 802 mental health providers per 100,000 adults is higher than both the Illinois rate of 651 per 100,000 and the national rate of 767 per 100,000.
Even with more than doubling the number of providers over the past five years, mental health needs are still unmet. The Chicago Health Atlas also reports that unmet mental health treatment needs are highest among adults ages 18 to 29, highlighting the difficulties many younger residents face when seeking care. Access barriers such as cost, provider shortages and stigma remain major obstacles.
At the same time, community organizations are expanding services to address growing demand. According to the NAMI Chicago 2025 Annual Report, the organization answered more than 11,600 helpline contacts and maintained an average call length of 21.6 minutes. NAMI Chicago also held more than 350 support groups serving more than 1,700 participants and provided clinical support services to hundreds of individuals experiencing mental health crises.
The information also highlights disparities in schizophrenia hospitalizations by race and ethnicity. Black Chicagoans accounted for roughly 73% of schizophrenia-related hospitalizations in 2024, far exceeding their share of the city’s population. Researchers have noted that structural inequities, barriers to care and possible overdiagnosis may contribute to these disparities.
While Chicago has expanded mental health resources, the data suggest that improving access to treatment and reducing disparities remain critical challenges for the city.
According to the website USAFacts, in the past 60 years, the obesity rate has risen substantially in the United States. Somewhere around the early 1960s, the obesity rate for American adults was 13%. By 2021–23, that figure increased to 40.3% — a 27 percentage point increase.
The prevalence of severe obesity has increased rapidly, too. Less than 1% of adults were severely obese in 1960–1962. It is approximately 9.4% today.
The same has been true for childhood obesity. Approximately 5% of children were overweight in the early 1970s. By 2021–2023, the rate had climbed to 21%. This is particularly concerning as childhood obesity has the potential to lead to chronic health conditions in the future.
But there are significant differences among the states shown on the 2023 snapshot, too. Some of the lowest rates of obesity were found in Washington, D.C., Colorado and Hawaii, and some of the highest rates were found in West Virginia, Arkansas and Mississippi.
There is also a huge economic burden associated with obesity. In the United States, it is estimated that obesity-related disease costs are $173 billion annually.
From June 8, 2016, to June 8, 2026, the Chicago Police Department’s Bureau of Internal Affairs closed 1,525 cases involving conduct-unbecoming violations. The largest category was “No Affidavit,” which was 419 cases, followed by “Unfounded” (392) and “Not Sustained” (372). Only 267 cases were sustained.
Sustained findings represent roughly 17.5% of closed cases in this category. Exonerated outcomes numbered just 65, with a handful of cases administratively closed, not listed or expunged. This pattern suggests most complaints do not result in formal discipline.
The detailed case log shows “No Affidavit” complaints involve male officers of varying races and experience levels, often from Information/Complaint filings. Sustained cases appear more frequently in traffic-related conduct unbecoming violations and weapon irregularities. Officers’ ages range widely, with years on the force spanning from new recruits to veterans with more than 30 years.
Chicago PD’s Rules of Conduct, adopted by the Police Board, broadly prohibit actions that bring discredit uponthe department under Rule 2, alongside specific bans on excessive force, insubordination, and other misconduct. The department’s Incident Category Table classifies complaints into groups, including Verbal Abuse, Excessive Force, Conduct Unbecoming violations (including abuse of authority and weapon issues), and more.
A separate summary of allegations shows Abuse of Authority with 325 total complaints (45 sustained), Weapons-related cases with a notably high sustain rate (41 of 45), and Allegations of Bias with 260 total complaints (only 3 sustained). These patterns highlight the challenges in proving misconduct even within the high-volume Conduct Unbecoming category.
“No Affidavit” is an administrative classification used by the Chicago Police Department’s Bureau of Internal Affairs (BIA) for complaints that cannot proceed to a full misconduct investigation. It applies when a Sworn Affidavit from the reporting party (complainant) is required under collective bargaining agreements, particularly for certain supervisory ranks, but is not obtained, often because the complainant is unreachable, refuses to cooperate, or declines to sign.
If the preliminary investigation does not uncover sufficient objective, verifiable evidence to justify an “Affidavit Override,” the case is closed under this category without a formal finding, such as Sustained, Not Sustained, or Exonerated. In the 2016–2026 Conduct Unbecoming data, this was the largest outcome, with 419 cases, highlighting a common barrier to complaint resolution.
The data highlights systemic issues in sustaining complaints against officers, even as the department maintains detailed tracking through its data portal. Low sustained rates may reflect high evidentiary standards or investigative hurdles. For full context, the public can review source materials from the Chicago Data Portal and official CPD policies.
Chicago public transportation has faced significant criticism over the past couple of years due to crime. Surprisingly, data show overall crime rates have decreased compared to previous years.
After a man was stabbed in the neck on the Blue Line train recently, it may not be a surprise to some when the federal government announced its threats to withhold funding for the Chicago Transit Authority unless new safety measures are provided for passengers.
However, crime rates seem to have improved, and violent crimes aren’t the most common form of crime on the CTA, according to Chicago Police Department data.
The CTA has made changes prompted by the threat of funding cuts, like scaling back security at train stations and replacing them with Chicago Police Department officers. Before the CTA worked with third-party security companies to have unarmed security, some with muzzled K-9 units, positioned at some stations in the hopes of minimizing crime. But as the crimes continued, the CTA replaced them with CPD officers who have a lot more legal authority and capabilities than the security team.
Many question if adding more equipped security is really the answer or if fighting root causes like homelessness, drug abuse,and mental illness is more effective. Advocates point out that many perpetrators on the CTA tend to fall into one, if not many, of these categories.
Over the last five years, male arrests in Illinois were highest among adults in their late 20s and 30s, with the largest total coming from men ages 30 to 34, according to an analysis of an FBI dataset.
The 30-to-34 age group recorded 91,023 arrests, followed closely by the 25-to-29 age group, with 88,882 arrests, according to the FBI Crime Data Explorer. After that point, totals decrease across older age brackets and among ages less than 24. The trend suggests that male arrests in Illinois are most concentrated during early and middle adulthood, rather than among late teens or older adults.
The drop-off after age 40 is also significant. Arrests fall from 60,385 among men ages 40 to 44 to 42,259 among ages 45 to 49, signifying a 30% decrease in the arrest rate.
Younger adult categories show a different pattern. Single-year ages from 18 to 24 range from 14,104 to 17,063 arrests, which are notable but still far below the broader 25-to-29 and 30-to-34 categories. This suggests that arrests rise after the teenage years and continue increasing into early adulthood before reaching their peak.
Overall, the data show a bell-shaped pattern: arrests build from age 18, reach their highest point between ages 25 and 34, and then decline steadily with age. The numbers point to late young adulthood and early middle age as the period when Illinois males have the most reported arrest contact with law enforcement.
Finding a home in Chicago has become a challenge as homebuyers are running out of options or can’t adjust to rising costs.
Illinois housing has increased by more than 50% in the past seven years, bringing the average starting price to a whopping $290,210. In 2019, the average house cost was only around $191,531.
The chart below indicates the count of active listings in Cook County. These listings consist of single-family and condo/townhouse style homes for the given market at that time. Listings that were considered “pending” were not included.
As seen by the data, the spring and summer months tend to show higher listing rates. This is because more people look for housing around these times (the better weather) or as many take advantage of holiday and summer breaks to move out (opening up other listings).
Interactive Graph/Leslie Quintana
Illinois has seen some of the worst impacts on active listings in the country. According to Realtor.com, only 32% of the listings it had before the pandemic are still standing today. The graphic provides a clear visual of how listings are not lasting.
The answer to this problem isn’t as building more houses. The city has many restrictions impeding people from building new homes. Certain areas even have zoning rules that block possible expansion, or it adds hefty costs.
This creates a domino effect. If there are fewer homes with the same number of buyers or more, prices will increase. Or in other words, supply and demand cause prices to increase.
On the other hand, this shortage can also be attributed to Illinois being tpaying high property taxes. So those looking to buy are then scared away by the money that’s going to be spent.
As a more drastic solution, the Chicago City Council members have passed an ordinance to remove parking requirements for areas near public transit. This would free up potential space for houses to be constructed. Doing this would kill two birds with one stone; no more paid parking and more houses.
Early voting has become a crucial aspect of the election process here in Illinois. Data From Illinois Election Data proves that the mail early-voting ballots counted increased considerably between the years 2006 and 2016.
This chart created with Datawrapper details the number of mail early-voting ballots counted during Illinois’s election cycles throughout a decade. In the chart’s first year, 51,964 mail early-voting ballots were counted by election officials. By 2008, that number had boosted dramatically to 221,442 ballots. Although participation decreased a bit in the next election cycles, mail voting stayed significantly higher than it was in 2006.
The most drastic increase happened in 2016. Election officials counted 448,025 mail early-voting ballots, doubling the number recorded in 2008 and nearly nine times the number of 2006’s election cycle. This data suggests that more Illinoian voters were utilizing modern approaches to conventional Election Day voting than ever.
There are several factors that may contribute to this trend. Early voting provides voters with flexibility when they may be juggling work, school and familial obligations, which may make it more challenging to get to polling locations on Election Day. Over time, election officials also have amplified access to early-voting options, resulting in a less obstructed voting process for many residents.
The increase in early voting reflects major transformations in how Americans participate in elections. Across the United States, election administrators have pushed citizens to utilize multiple voting methods to develop accessibility and cut down on overcrowding at polling stations. Illinois seems to be open to this national trend, with rising numbers of voters choosing to cast their ballots before Election Day.
While the data only considers election cycles through 2016, it illustrates an obvious long-term change in voter’s voting style preferences. Early voting has become a major part of election participation and continues to have an important function in modern elections.
Chicago Public Library branches in lower-income areas (highlighted in red and yellow) show consistently lower circulation numbers than branches in higher-income neighborhoods.
Libraries located in some of Chicago’s poorest neighborhoods have circulation numbers far lower than wealthier areas, an analysis of 2025 Chicago Public Library data shows.
The map above uses 2025 year-to-date circulation data obtained from Chicago Data Portal, based on location. It clearly shows a pattern: branches in the wealthier North Side areas dominate the highest circulation tiers (purple and dark blue), while many South and West Side branches in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas fall into the lowest tiers (red and orange). This gap exists despite libraries being free public resources meant to serve everyone equally.
Several factors contribute to this disparity.
Lower-income residents often face transportation barriers, longer work hours and greater digital divides that limit both physical visits and e-book usage. Meanwhile, higher-income neighborhoods benefit from denser populations of readers, better transit access, and stronger early childhood literacy programs.
Sulzer Regional Library in Lincoln Square had the highest circulation on the map in 2025, with 321,495 items. According to data from the Chicago Health Atlas, Lincoln Square has a median household income of $91,363, a low poverty rate of 9.5%, and a Hardship Index of just 23.2, placing it among Chicago’s more affluent and stable neighborhoods. This contrasts sharply with the city’s disproportionately disadvantaged areas on the South and West Sides.
The Altgeld Branch in Riverdale had the lowest circulation with only 1,770 items in 2025. According to data from the Chicago Health Atlas, Riverdale has the highest Hardship Index in Chicago at 99.3, a median household income of $16,946, and a poverty rate of 61.6%. These figures highlight the extreme economic challenges in many South Side neighborhoods, where residents face severe barriers to library use despite free access to resources.
These two branches show that library circulation is dramatically higher in lower-hardship, higher-income areas and significantly lower in Chicago’s most disadvantaged communities.
The map shows a clear equity difference for Chicago’s library system. Without targeted investment in programming, outreach and access in underserved communities, the library divide will likely continue to mirror the city’s broader economic separation.
AI disclosure: ChatGPT was used to outline part of this story and create images. Perplexity was used to generate research sources. Summarizer 2 and NotebookLM were used for the summary and audio, respectively.
Summary
Artists struggle with financial instability and rely on multiple income sources
Passion for creating art continues despite economic and systemic challenges
Funding is limited and difficult to access due to competition and bureaucracy
The art world depends on resilient artists navigating uncertainty
Claire BurkeDain was watering flowers during her shift at a florist job, while unfinished paintings waited back in her studio. She also teaches at the University of Illinois Chicago, splitting her income between living expenses and tuition for her MFA.
Although painting is what she cares about most — she spends nearly eight hours a day in the studio — her income depends on part-time work and teaching.
Dain challenges the idea of comfort in her paintings by adding figures that intrude and distort the subject. In “Stair,” for example, she painted stairs that rise to the nose of a human face, but at the top, instead of a nose, a small silhouetted figure waits.
“Everything is a waiting game,” Dain said. “Money will always be a stressor. It definitely causes stress and makes things less stable and more uncertain.”
Local artists, like Dain, learned in February that Illinois Governor JB Pritzker’s proposed $56 billion budget keeps art funding for the Illinois Arts Council (IAC) nearly flat at $25.9 million next fiscal year.
This proposal came at a precarious moment for the arts nationwide. Since returning to the presidency, Donald Trump has rescinded grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, moved to shut down the Kennedy Center for renovation after seizing oversight of the institution, and ordered a broad audit of Smithsonian exhibitions.
Calls for Increased Arts Funding
Advocates say stagnant funding is especially concerning as demand continues to grow.
“The demand for arts and cultural investment is growing but funding and policy have not kept pace,” said Sasha Ongtengco, director of programs for creative workers at Arts Alliance Illinois, the statewide arts advocacy organization. “IAC funding is still below 2007 levels adjusted for inflation. Arts Alliance has asked the General Assembly for a 20% increase to the arts budget to meet the growing need.”
Arts Alliance Illinois announced it has launched a new statewide study examining “the economic power, infrastructure, and future potential of the Illinois creative economy,” scheduled for release in June.
“For too long, the creative economy has been discussed mainly in cultural terms instead of as essential economic infrastructure,” said Claire Rice, executive director of the Arts Alliance.
Created by NotebookLM and Descript
57% of artists worry they may not afford essential needs
At the city level, Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), which saw a 15% funding cut during the latest budget cycle, awards grants to individual artists and organizations through programs like the Individual Artists Program. It awarded nearly 250 artists out of 1,300 applicants in 2025.
However, NORC’s study shows artists face significant financial insecurity and complex work arrangements. Around 57% of artists reported being “somewhat or very worried” about being able to afford “food, housing, medical care, or utilities,” and 34% of artists are self-employed, with 11% reported “juggling three or more jobs.”
Ongtengco said the median income for Midwest artists’ primary job hovers around $18,000, with a majority working part-time or in temporary roles and nearly half performing uncompensated labor.
Meanwhile, demand for funding continues to surge. The Illinois Arts Council reported a 120% increase in grant applications in the 2025 fiscal year.
Art direction by Emre Zor | Art by ChatGPT
‘I know at any time my hobby may not be financially supported anymore’
Adriana Miranda, a Chicago-based independent mixed-media artist, applied for grants and funding around 2016–2022 but “never found any success.”
“It was very competitive and very saturated,” Miranda said. “It was also hard to know exactly what the grant providers were looking for. When you submit art-related things, the panel likes certain photography methods to showcase artwork, and there’s no way of knowing anything past formatting requirements.”
Miranda began focusing more on exhibiting artworks after losing hope of securing grants and funding. She sells five to 10 paintings a month, although she calls it a hobby. Her main source of income is selling artworks, and she says she’s living on edge.
“People never need to buy art,” Miranda said. “Things can change in an instant. I think that is probably what gives me great comfort and confidence in myself, though, is that I know at any time my hobby may not be financially supported anymore, and I will still work at it.”
Red Tape in Funding
Grant dollars can be essential for artists, but they aren’t a quick fix. They usually involve a lot of red tape.
“Most of the time you don’t hear back until the selection process is over,” Dain said, who applied to many residencies that are fully funded and provide a stipend. “If you are a finalist they contact you either for an interview or further instructions to complete.”
Applications for city funds can be lengthy and cumbersome, requiring extensive reporting. For example, applicants must disclose any outstanding city debt, and in order to receive funds they must either pay their debt or set up a payment plan to cover those fees, such as parking tickets or unpaid water bills.
“It is part of being someone without a full-time job and steady income,” Dain said. “It can make hustling for money take precedence over work you are actually excited to make. But it’s all a balancing act.”
Ongtengco said the problem is not only how much funding exists, but how it is structured.
“Arts funding has often looked more like funding isolated projects vs. funding a system,” Ongtengco said. “But the arts and culture sector and its workforce are not at all extra, since the labor of working artists shows up in schools, libraries, local festivals, cultural institutions, and small creative businesses.”
AI disclosure: ChatGPT was used to outline and find sources for the story. DALL-E 3 and NotebookLM were used to create the images, while the video and podcast brief were generated by NotebookLM. The summary was generated by SummarizeWise custom GPT.
Summary:
Thousands of CHA residents lack reliable internet due to cost, outdated infrastructure and inequality
Digital divide impacts education, jobs, healthcare and daily life
Programs like Chicago Connected help but gaps remain
Experts urge investment in broadband, devices and digital literacy to close disparities
In Chicago, many people struggle to gain access to reliable, fast internet connection. But for thousands of residents living in housing run by the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA), this is a daily struggle.
Colin Rhinesmith, associate professor and director of the Digital Equity Action Research Lab at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, said that outdated technology and issues with setting up wireless networks and upgrading them often cause divides in public housing.
However, headdedthat the major challenge is cost. For residents like Mary Ann Lang, these barriers directly impact daily tasks such as acquiring new skills, accessing information and keeping up in a technology-driven world.
For CHA residents, the digital divide is a daily struggle.
“In using the internet daily, it’s useful in finding information and a learning experience … learning about our city leaders gives me insight about their job position,” she said.
Computer classes through CHA helped in gaining access to new opportunities, including organizations like AARP and becoming more knowledgeable on various topics, despite the swift advancement of technology.
According to an April 2024 Block Club Chicago article, about 1 in 5 Chicago students lack broadband access at home, with “predominantly Black neighborhoods on the Southwest Side” dealing with the issue the most. Although Chicago has advanced infrastructure, gaps like these still exist, setting back residents in education, employment and fundamental services.
The Digital Divide: Gaps in Access
Reliable internet access has become just as fundamental to life as water. Research from the University of Chicago Civic Engagement states that “Burnside, West Englewood, Fuller Park, Englewood, and West Garfield Park have the lowest percentage of households connected to the Internet, each with over one-third of homes offline.”
A Government Technology article claims that the main reason is “not because of a lack of interest in going online. Rather, the main reason given is the cost.”
Civic Engagement, a partnership between institutions and communities that addresses public issues, points out and responds to these disparities. In this context, the University of Chicago’s Civic Engagement vision works with local neighborhoods to analyze struggles like broadband access. Their research claims that broadband connectivity greatly differs based on neighborhood, with South and West Side neighborhoods struggling to access high-speed internet. These gaps are a representation of ongoing economic disparity and segregation.
According to Pew Research, “The reasons for this low level of connectivity include a lack of wiring for broadband in older buildings, outdated networks that have not been upgraded, and low-quality or unaffordable service.”
Podcast: Listen to an AI-generated podcast brief on the research about the digital divide in Chicago Public Housing
A Resident’s Experience
“The challenges can be overwhelming,” Lang said. “Sometimes, I accidentally hit the wrong button, and it changes everything. This becomes frustrating when I don’t know how to retrieve my documents.”
Lang emphasized that CHA affiliated programs have made a huge impact on her life. “Having the willingness to continue to learn, search and ask questions makes all the difference.”
In terms of internet access, Lang made it clear that “the internet has become a necessity. Technology is important for adults as well as the next generation coming up.” She said she remains hopeful: “I hope [leaders] consider continuing to help the less fortunate in offering these services that have helped me along the way. It has allowed me to move forward in life.”
Educational Impact
This divide greatly impacts students.
Programs like Chicago Connected, which provides free high-speed internet for families in need, has expanded access to around 228,000 students. The Chicago Sun-Times, reported that “still, over 200,000 Chicago households still do not have high-speed internet. And over 260,000 households, nearly one in four, do not own a laptop or desktop computer.”
Effect on Jobs and Income
Education is not the only area affected by this problem. “Broadband can be particularly important for connecting low-income households with job opportunities and has been shown to boost employment,” according to Pew Research. Additionally, the research notes an interference with “workforce development opportunities.”
Rhinesmith highlights that the essentialness of reliable internet access for adults is reflected in the role of public libraries and community technology centers. Here, adults are often aided in writing resumes, job applications, and connecting to remote jobs on public computers. Without consistent internet access, these resources for better opportunities become more diminished.
Free Wi-Fi in public spaces is a partial solution, as limited hours, commuting issues, and privacy concerns reduce its effectiveness. This results in a growing economic divide between residents with stable internet access and those without.
Impact on Healthcare and Daily Life
A stable internet connection has also become increasingly necessary for healthcare and daily services. Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago research found that “Incomplete visit rates and broadband access were inversely related,” with patients in low internet areas more likely to miss telehealth appointments, possibly leading to them experiencing more health inequities.
Beyond healthcare, everyday services essential to daily life, such as applying for government assistance or paying utility costs have also become gradually more digital. For residents with weak broadband, these tasks become longer and more frustrating, demanding multiple visits to public offices.
Homework Gap
To understand these challenges, Rhinesmith offered insight: “outdated technology and difficulty with upgrading or installing new wireless networks can create challenges. The major barrier is cost.”
During the pandemic, limited internet access led to the “Homework Gap,” driving students to use public Wi-Fi in library parking lots. Libraries are a source for internet, computers, digital skills training, and ongoing support, which are necessary for students and adults.
For adults, unstable internet reduces opportunities for employment, remote work and career growth. Digital Navigators, which are usually public librarians, help residents navigate online healthcare, government programs, and digital skills support.
Rhinesmith recommended “ongoing investments in high-speed broadband infrastructure access and Digital Navigators” and commends Chicago as a national leader in digital equity efforts.
“Don’t forget that not everyone has access to high-speed, affordable, and reliable internet in Chicago,” he said. “Let’s continue to keep Chicago a leader in developing innovative, community-led solutions to address this persistent societal challenge.”
Efforts to Reduce Disparities
As previously referenced, Chicago Connected provides high-bandwidth connectivity and devices to tens of thousands of Chicago Public Schools students and families. By 2021, the program aided 64,000 students in 42,000 households.
However, Rhinesmith stresses that more work is needed. He promotes ongoing funding in high-speed broadband and support for Digital Navigators, as these resources are vital for students and adults alike that are lacking stable home internet.
According to the Chicago Digital Equity Plan, nearly 172,000 Chicago households (over 15%) do not have internet service at home, and nearly 92,000 (roughly 8%) do not have any device. Strategies to address this digital divide include expanding affordable high-speed internet, providing devices and training, and promoting digital literacy.
Conclusion
Limited internet access is a hindrance that impacts education, employment, healthcare, and everyday life for thousands of people, especially CHA residents.
Programs like Chicago Connected have helped students, but disparities remain for adults who lack digital essentials. As Rhinesmith stressed, these difficulties involve cost, infrastructure, and enduring inequalities throughout neighborhoods.
Lang pointed to the ongoing severity of this issue, saying that “the internet has become a necessity. Everything is connected to computers and the internet. The challenges can be overwhelming.”
Art direction by Gabriel Palos | Infographic by NotebookLM
By Arturo Gutierrez and Citlaly Rodriguez • May 3rd, 2026
Art direction by Arturo Gutierrez | Illustration by DALL-E 3
AI disclosure: ChatGPT was used to generate the images and assist with story editing. Google Gemini was used to help research, brainstorm and support the outline. The summary was generated by SummarizeWise custom GPT. The video and infographic were generated by NotebookLM using contents of the story.
Summary: Donna Miller’s congressional bid gained and lost a key endorsement over AIPAC funding, highlighting debates about outside money in elections. Despite millions spent through opaque PACs, Miller won the 2026 Democratic primary.
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On Jan. 29, Donna Miller, a Cook County commissioner for the 6th District, was endorsed by U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky in the Illinois 2nd Congressional District Deomcratic Primary race.
“Donna Miller has spent her career fighting for families, veterans, seniors and working people throughout Cook County,” said Schakowsky (9th District), and has held the seat since 1999. “She leads with integrity, compassion and results. I am proud to support Donna Miller for Congress and confident she will be a powerful voice for Illinois’ 2nd District.”
One month later, Schakowsky withdrew her endorsement after reports surfaced that Miller was receiving money from AIPAC, a national group that wants to strengthen and expand the U.S.-Israeli relationships.
Funding plays a role in elections, but how much of those funds actually guarantees a win for the candidate? Just like many voters, AIPAC also pays close attention to candidates, not just to see which candidates to fund, but which ones best align with their ideology and views. In order to better assess it, you need only look at election results.
According to the Times of Israel, Miller did not mention AIPAC when responding to Schakowsky’s endorsement reversal. Noting that she and Schakowsky had been friends for decades, she said her campaign would continue to focus on affordability issues.
AIPAC issued a statement shortly after Miller’s win on X: “AIPAC congratulates County Commissioner Donna Miller on her victory tonight over Robert Peters, whose campaign focused on undermining the U.S.-Israel relationship and disparaging the millions of Americans who support it. Being pro-Israel is good policy and good politics!”
On March 18, ABC 7 Chicago quoted Miller as saying, “the support for AIPAC was not a determining factor in the constituents of the 2nd District.”
The win, however, came with lots of outside money.
Heather Cherone, a senior reporter for WTTW News covering Illinois and Chicago politics, noted that what was “newsworthy” and “usual” was how AIPAC spent its money.
“A lot of the ads for [Laura] Fine, against this, against [Kat] Abughazaleh, were on issues that had nothing to do with Israel, that had nothing to do with the war in Gaza, or anything along those lines,” Cherone said. “It was like, ‘Hey, we should elect more women to office, and rent is too high.’”
According to WTTW News, in the 2nd District, which stretches from Chicago’s lakefront south through the suburbs to Kankakee, Affordable Chicago Now spent at least $4.3 million to support Miller over f Jackson Jr. in the Democratic primary.
In the 2nd District, Affordable Chicago Now money was used to discredit candidates Peters and Jackson Jr. through television ads, mail and YouTube ads, presenting Miller as the preferred candidate to voters looking to lower the cost of living.
Watch: AI Video of Explanation of Dark Money and local races. | Built in NotebookLM
AIPAC’s Role in Election Raises Transparency Concerns
Dick Simpson, a former 44th Ward Alderman and UIC political science emeritus professor, said that type of funding undermines the democratic process.
“It’s a fundamentally different patronage system in Chicago, and essentially it undermines democracy because the outside PACs, like AIPAC, do not release their donors,” Simpson said. . “There’s no way for anyone to know who you supported because you gave your money through AIPAC.”
But how much do voters actually know about how transparent the candidates are, and how transparent the money is?
“Usually, the voters don’t have an idea,” Simpson said, “although there’s a requirement by law that it says who sponsored the political ad, particularly on media like television, usually campaign signs are paid for by the candidates, so [it’s] very rare that an outside was doing campaign or signs.”
UIC student Noel Uvalle, a 2nd District voter, weighed whether campaigns are run heavily by outside money.
“There’s a lot of outside money involved in these campaigns, and that probably has a big influence on how campaigns are run,” Uvalle said. “Sometimes it’s hard to tell what’s real and what’s being pushed by money.”
He stopped short of saying that a candidate can be perfect, even if transparent.
“I mean, kind [of] but not fully,” Uvalle said. “I don’t think any candidate is perfect, so I just go with the ones that match the closest with what I believe. It’s more about picking the better option than finding someone who checks every box.”
Cherone pondered whether candidates are loyal to their constituents or special interests when elected.
“You know, if you’re somebody who lives in the District, I live in the District, actually, it can be hard to feel like if your representative has sort of benefited from all of the spending, is their first priority going to be to represent me, or is priority going to be to represent the people who helped get them elected?” Cherone said. “And they’ll need that help to get elected again in two years.”
When outside money doesn’t win
Despite the millions of dollars being poured into the March 2026 Illinois primary races, the results suggest that outside money does not always guarantee victory.
“AIPAC, for instance, had only a 50% win rate at this time. So outside funding doesn’t always work,” Simpson said.
He pointed to a recent race as an example, noting that candidate Daniel Biss won his primary election in the 9th Congressional District even though his opponents had received millions of dollars in outside support, including funding linked to AIPAC and supporters of Donald Trump.
“And the reason that the campaign finances and all this outside dark money have come in is because of a Supreme Court decision called Citizens United,” Simpson said.
He noted a growing movement across 25 state legislatures is pushing for a constitutional amendment by 2030 to reverse the ruling.
“They’re immensely difficult, but there is this enormous pressure currently to overcome the bad effects of dark money in politics and big donors in politics controlling election outcomes,” Simpson said.
Listen
Reporter Arturo Gutierrez talks about reporting and producing this story.
By Freja Benson and Cassidy Peterson • May 3rd, 2026
When discussing the meaning behind Axiom’s slogan, “where movement gives,” Juan Manuel, one of the owners of the new rave-inspired Chicago collective, talked about the organization’s main focus.
“Where you know you can dance your heart away, and tomorrow, somebody’s gonna benefit from it,” he said.
Axiom is giving back to the community by donating all rave and event proceeds to Chicago-based charities and by creating much-needed safe, inclusive spaces for people to feel like they belong.
“We’ve been to an event where a girl died from an OD, and that could have honestly been completely avoided if it was just better-trained and better-equipped staff,” said Chase Campbell, a student at DePaul University and one of the owners of Axiom.
Tion Houston, a student at University of Illinois Chicago and creator of The Zhane Experience, runs her own events for the community. She has hosted themed events like Siren’s Signal, an event with a tropical, beach-type vibe for people to dance and have fun; Cupid 808, an event themed around love and Valentine’s Day for people to experience a chill vibe with each other through vendors and dancing; and Denim & Diamonds, which focused on bringing people together through R&B and included sparkles and blues.
Each of these events created a fun environment while donating proceeds to the Illinois Department of Child & Family Services. Through this, Houston creates an environment of authenticity and personalized experiences while raising money for a cause.
Crowd from the Axiom event Oxytocin on Feb. 13 that raised money and awareness for anyone
working in the sex industry. The event donated to SWOP Chicago, an organization working to
decriminalize and destigmatize sex work. (Photo/Valeria Cortes/Axiom)
“I don’t know if you’ve seen the hype about club culture dying, and how people say ‘I don’t feel comfortable going to the club,’ but I feel like people forget that the club was for music and for building community and for having a good time,” Houston said.
Campbell and Houston are some of the many people who have recognized this problematic shift in rave culture. The rave scene originated in Chicago in the 1980s as an inclusive, safe space for Black, gay, and alternative communities, and its following has skyrocketed since. However, people in the rave community, such as Houston, are unsatisfied with the current standards of rave culture and want to see a change.
When discussing rave culture in an interview, Campbell said it “is inherently about giving back to your community.”
Said Houston, “You’re here to have a good time. I’m here to have a good time. Let me tell you about this [Fundraiser], and then, they might seek for more information. And that might end up getting more help for those people who need more. It would create a wave and a ripple effect.”
According to a report from the International Music Summit, the global electronic music industry expanded 6% in one year, reaching $12.9 billion in 2024. Big corporations produce many of the raves, meaning more expensive tickets, and often, the events have tiered pricing, putting some rave-goers at a disadvantage if they need longer time to save up the money.
“Not a lot of people can afford $20, $30, $40 for a rave, you know, like, everything’s supposed to be accessible,” Manuel said.
Campbell said, “A lot of these organizations that are really big names that have a lot of things going around about them, they’ve created very unsafe spaces and take on zero accountability for them.”
The crowds that these raves draw are also changing along with the culture. Many rave-goers do not know the history of rave culture, and as popularity increases, the culture has become more commercialized and less grounded in its roots.
“I’m there the entire time at the front, in front of the DJs, just dancing, and that’s it, like, that’s all I’m there for,” Manuel said, describing his average rave experience. “And a lot of people aren’t there for that. A lot of people are there for the aesthetic.”
The underground rave scene originally came about to provide safe spaces for people who were not accepted elsewhere, and who still are not always accepted, yet with the commercialization of raves, the underground scene has become more prone to unsafe situations, according to rave-goers.
“So when you have people who don’t really respect or understand that to its full value, they ruin the night,” Campbell said.
One of Axiom’s resident DJs performing at the rave collective’s Oxytocin event on Feb. 13.
(Photo/Valeria Cortes/Axiom)
Just as house music and the rave community began in Chicago, the return to rave culture’s original roots is happening, too. Axiom’s main sound is techno and hypnotic techno with cool tone lighting for their community to move to.
“To me, rave culture is like … ”, said Manuel, trailing off. Campbell finished the sentence: “It’s an escape.”
Manuel agreed. “It’s an escape, exactly,” he said.
Axiom is prioritizing a safe space through an emphasis on their safety protocols and policies, by adjusting those policies as needed, and by being completely transparent with their community.
“You know, we have EMTs at our events because we’re so big on safety as well, like, and that’s something else that the scene has missed out,” Campbell said.
Founded by four 20-year-old Chicago rave-goers, Axiom works to, not only rebuild the safe, inclusive community of original rave culture, but the Chicago-based collective also makes it a priority to give back to their community. With Campbell organizing events, Manuel handling the lighting, Aari Ortiz in charge of the bar and design, and Joel Moya as their sound guy, as well as being one of Axiom’s many resident DJs, these four friends began their mission.
Crowd at Axiom’s first event, Subsistence, on on Nov. 7. The event donated all food and
proceeds to the Pilsen Food Pantry in Chicago. (Photo/Ivan Gael, Axiom)
In an interview with two of the owners, Campbell and Manuel spoke about their inspiration for Axiom.
“We all just have, including myself, just have a love for raving, because we just got into that, and then also wanting to, like, just give back to our community and find some type of way to put our work and our brains together to do some good”, said Campbell.
Manuel added, “I basically started to just like, like [Campbell] said, give back to what we’ve been doing ourselves for so long and just in our free time, you know, going out to raves, having fun. It’s like, might as well turn that into something that can change the fucking world, you know, like, you might as well just do it. So, that’s basically how we started.”
Axiom hosted its first event during the government shutdown last November when many people in Chicago were experiencing cuts to their SNAP benefits. The warehouse rave gained an audience of around 200 guests, and the attendees were required to donate at least 3 cans of food in order to get in.
“We had like a truck, like my, what’s it called, SUV, at the time, like, full of cans,” Campbell said. “People just brought, like, bags of cans, just for a single entry.”
According to Axiom’s records, the event collected approximately 384 cans and raised an extra $936 in donations. All food and proceeds from this event were donated to the Pilsen Food Pantry. Steve Wiley, the manager of Pilsen Food Pantry, said it makes a difference.
“We serve over 38,000 families every year, and a lot of those are based in this community of Pilsen and then the surrounding communities, and we can’t do that without volunteers and financial support,” Wiley said.
Axiom has hosted two events since, one of which was a free house party this Winter that accepted clothing donations for children. The most recent Axiom event sent all ticket and event proceeds to Sex Workers Outreach Project Chicago, donating approximately $1,870 to SWOP Chicago, according to Axiom’s records.
Wiley talked aboutAxiom’s goals and support for their community.
“Having a variety of different ways to keep the community informed is essential to maintaining a nonprofit space like this,” Wiley said. “So different ways of reaching a community and finding volunteers and financial support is critical.”
Crowd from Axiom’s Subsistence event that raised money and awareness for food insecurity.
(Photo/Ivan Gael, Axiom)
The rave scene began when house music was created in Chicago in the 1970s and ’80s by Black, brown, and queer DJs such as DJ Chip-E, an influential artist in the creation of house music. The creation of house music introduced a safe, inclusive space for marginalized groups to escape to.
Chicago’s love for this new genre of music drew crowds from all over to join the rave community. However, the community today is in need of change, according to Chicago rave-goers. Axiom is working on it.
Their dreams for the collective include Axiom’s own multi-purpose warehouse that can be used for events as well as a possible shelter for those in the community who need it. They plan to host for-profit events that will fund Axiom’s future, and in turn, they would have an established business to better support their community.
“We’re reorganizing ourselves right now to make our dreams happen,” Campbell said. “But while still, like, staying true to our values of being very money transparent and for charity, but like, without putting anyone’s pockets in danger.”
The Axiom owners list many ways for the Chicago community to take up Axiom’s mission and support each other.
Campbell encouraged people to “show up” to Axiom’s and similar communities’ events, and they said to support these communities, “but also, like, identify what means a lot to you and go out and find that specific nonprofit or organization or NGO, or whatever it may be, that addresses and tries to find a solution towards whatever means a lot to you.”
“So keep up with your community. Keep up with what’s going on in the news,” Campbell said. “Please keep up with what’s going on in the news.”
Campbell, Manuel, Ortiz, and Moya have plans in action to grow Axiom and the community that Axiom hopes to support and give back to.
“We only know so much at the end of the day, experienced so much, and so much feels like a lot already,” Campbell said.
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Reporter Cassidy Peterson talks about reporting this story
By Gabby Valente and Atzin Anguiano • May 3rd, 2026
Underneath the bridge by 21st and Western. (Photo/Atzin Anguiano)
AI-generated podcast by NotebookLM | Production: Gabby Valente
Erica Wallace, a customer service representative who has dedicated 33 years to CTA, doesn’t need to see the data on Chicago’s homeless crisis. She sees it at work each day.
Wallace recalled the interactions and encounters she had experienced at the UIC Blue Line Station on Halsted.
“It’s daily,” Wallace said, mentioning the times she’s encountered unhoused people at work. “This station in particular, because we have a UIC train that stops here, and goes back toward O’Hare. Everybody has to get off the train; a lot of homeless people are shifted off and so they come up here.”
In 2024, Chicago’s migrant surge relocated thousands of asylum seekers from the southern borders to the Windy City. Since the surge, Chicago’s homeless population tripled and remains an issue today.
The Chicago 2025 Annual Report on Homelessness estimates that, through a PIT Count, 7,452 people are experiencing homelessness. Furthermore, the racial breakdown shows 53% are African American, followed by 35% Hispanic or Latino. This estimate, however, was conducted in late January 2025 and does not account for the number of people currently experiencing homelessness.
Chart by Claude AI | Art direction by Atzin Anguiano | Interactive chart
The report estimated that about 6,136 individuals experiencing homelessness reside in sheltered locations, with 32% being children under the age of 18. Alternatively, the estimated number of unsheltered individuals was noted as 1,316 with the ages ranging from 45 to 64.
Homelessness Reliance on CTA
Many Chicagoans rely on theChicago Transit Authority,whether it’s the bus or the train. It has also become a heavily relied-on temporary shelter for unhoused individuals.
Wallace said that in all her years of working at CTA, not a day has gone by that she has not seen homeless people using CTA stations and transportation as temporary shelters to sleep or spend their days.
“It’s always been a problem,” Wallace said,“but it has gotten really bad in the last few years. I would say since COVID, it’s been really bad.”
With COVID-19 being one of the biggest national crises, it impacted many residents’ ability to maintain jobs and as a result, many individuals lost their homes. Due to this, many homeless individuals resort to temporary shelters, such as CTA stations and transport.
“We’re not supposed to have loitering,” she said. “It’s not supposed to be riding back and forth but I mean, it’s kind of hard to control because there’s so much right now.”
Wallace claimed desensitization is one of the traits she has had to pick up in order to truly work such an extended period of time at CTA. She recalls the many times she witnessed homeless individuals being removed from UIC trains once they had reached the final destination. She talked about the unwell state they are usually in, and how unfortunate it is for them to feel like they have nowhere else to go.
Wallace said the CTA’s outreach program supports unsheltered riders. CTA is aware of the reliance homeless individuals have on the transportation system, and partnered with the City’s Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) to offer services and support to individuals who need assistance.
“It’s important to have compassion,” Wallace said. “CTA does an outreach program at the end of the line at Forest Park. I believe it’s two nights a week. They feed the homeless and give them resources that they can take advantage of.”
25th Ward Alderman’s Advancements to End Homelessness
Ald. Byron Sigcho Lopez (25th Ward) is working to help the homeless population in Chicago, specifically in Pilsen. He is an open supporter of the organization Bring Home Chicago, an organization dedicated to helping the homeless population of Chicago gain resources.
“Having shelter is fundamental, in Chicago, at least, we believe this is a human right. In some of the changes that the current federal government is proposing, we can’t get away with housing first, and it’s almost like housing last,” Sigcho Lopez said.
Despite the United States being the wealthiest country in the world, it has one of the highest rates of homelessness across developed nations. Federal laws and policies continue to make housing and resources for the homeless across the United States extremely difficult to access, experts say.
An article from April 2026 from the Center of Budget and Policy Priorities said “the Administration’s approach is at odds with evidence-based solutions — namely, low-barrier affordable housing and customized, community-based services — that are proven to help ensure people have consistent access to safe, stable housing.”
Lopez said that on July 15, Little Village will open its first non-congregate, permanent supportive housing program.
“I think that’s an important policy. There are about 100 to 120 basically SROs, like single rooms,” he said.
Lopez is advancing projects to help local homeless people. He and others at the local level are creating more stable options for the unhoused community in Chicago.
Anti-Homeless Architecture Taking over Chicago
Anti-homelessness architecture is all around big cities in America and in Chicago. Though this is more than just making benches and tables with bars across them to prevent people from sleeping on them.
“It’s about aesthetics, and I don’t support that [anti-homeless architecture],” Sigcho-Lopez said. “There have been multiple occasions where we’ve been told, ‘You need to add infrastructure to keep the plaza aesthetically pleasant.’ But in an immigrant community that has long been a point of entry, the real beauty is having open spaces that are welcoming to people.”
This is also an issue in many places as Chicago transitions to a cashless system. Even before COVID-19, many restaurant and retail stores started to become cashless.
An April 2026 Chicago Tribune article, cited some statistics: In Illinois, 7.1 percent of Illinois households do not have bank accounts, which is a bit higher than the national average, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.”
According to a July 2025 article in the Belleville News Democrat, Illinois businesses are allowed to decide whether or not they are a cashless business or not. It’s up to the business’s discretion what types of payments they take in Illinois. Although some states have laws requiring businesses to accept cash payments.
A September 2025 article from WGN News said, “You’ve likely seen it outside businesses, at bus stops, along sidewalks, and in parks, as it can take many forms. Hostile architecture is ‘hostile’ because it subtly (or sometimes quite plainly) keeps people away.”
Many people walk past a bench with an armrest bar through the middle of it and don’t think anything of it but this is a prime example of anti-homeless architecture hiding in plain sight. Anti-homeless spikes are also very popular in the architecture around Chicago, this is where they add spikes to ledges or otherwise flat areas to spot people from lying down there.
“It’s like bottling stereotypes and stigmas, and unfortunately equating unhoused residents with violence,” Sigcho-Lopez. “It is part of the dehumanization and criminalization of the unhoused residents. We’re seeing that unfortunately, with way too many lawmakers who think that they can address the issue of unhoused residents by just putting people in jail.”
Homeless encampment under the bridge by 21st and Western. (Photo/Atzin Anguiano)
By Noe Gonzalez and Armaan Hussaini • May 2nd, 2026
Public Housing located in the Altgeld Gardens, located on Chicago’s South Side, and one of the neighborhoods included in the Riverdale Community Area. (Photo/Noe Gonzalez)
Poverty is nothing new to Chicago neighborhoods. Thepoorest neighborhoods in Chicago are very disproportionate to the majority of the city’s 77 community areas.
But one neighborhood suffers from economic hardship more than any other — Riverdale.
Riverdale on the city’s far South Side is the city’s 54th community area and is home to 7,229 residents according to 2020 census data.
It encompasses the neighborhoods of Altgeld Gardens and Golden Gate. The Riverdale community area suffers from extreme economic hardship, according to the Illinois Policy. Riverdale residents were suffering from poverty at a rate of 51 percent in 2021, meaning one in two residents is below the federal poverty line. This was higher than any of the other 77 neighborhoods recognized by the city of Chicago.
According to the Chicago Health Atlas, Riverdale has the highest Hardship Index of any of the 77 Chicago neighborhoods, with a score of 99.3.
Riverdale also has the lowest per capita income, approximately $14, 900. Riverdale also has the lowest median income of any at $16, 946.According to the Chicago Health Atlas, the Near North Side community area has a per capita income of $121,938, nearly eight times that of Riverdale. Lincoln Park’s median household income of $156, 896 is nine times that of Riverdale.
Residents in the area also struggle with finding job opportunities. According to the Chicago Health Atlas, approximately one in three Riverdale residents are unemployed, which is the highest rate out of the 77 Chicago community areas. The area also has one of the lowest college graduation rates, with 4.57 percent of residents being college graduates.
Neighborhoods and community areas being able to support children’s needs is important for children’s development. The Chicago Health Atlas defines the Child Opportunity Index 3.0 as “A composite index that captures neighborhood resources and conditions that matter for children’s healthy development, scored as Very Low (1–19), Low (20–39), Moderate (40–59), High (60–79), and Very High (80–100).” Riverdale scored a two, ranking it very low, and being one of the hardest areas for a child to grow up in.
Riverdale is also impacted by Environmental Injustice; the area is surrounded by landfills, industrial sites and polluted waterways. According to the People For Community Recovery, a local non-profit, the Top five chemicals released into the air of the Altgeld Gardens Neighborhood are Methanol, Zinc, Manganese, Ammonia and Nitric Acid.
All of these compounds can have negative effects and health risks when inhaled in high doses. The Riverdale community area also has one of the lowest perceived air quality rates according to the city’s Health Atlas. According to data collected by the Chicago Health Atlas, Riverdale residents have the highest asthma rate among adults at 15.53 percent.
People living in poverty can be prone to numerous different issues, according to USAFacts and data collected by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, “ But the challenges of poverty go beyond paying for necessities. People living in poverty are more prone to mental and physical health issues — 19.4 percent report regular anxiety, and a range of studies indicate an increased risk for chronic disease.”
Kyla Quigley, an epidemiologist at the Cook County Department of Public Health, said, “as far as health goes, there’s a lot of research behind the impact of stress. Just living in constant stress on your health. There’s a lot of wear and tear that that has on your body that can, in addition to every single other thing that’s going on, that stress can really compound and make someone more likely to acquire an illness, be it a chronic disease or an infectious disease.”
Quigley added, “And what I know to be true with my own background of growing up with just a single dad and not having too much money, there’s also an impact in your willingness to seek care, so you might not grow up going to the doctor as often. It may seem like a risky or scary thing, and it might just be more stressful to even try and navigate a healthcare system when you don’t have that lived experience of knowing what to expect from a doctor’s appointment.”
According to the American Lung Association, people in poverty are among the top 11 communities affected by Cigarette Smoking and Tobacco use. They mention that “Lower-income individuals are also more likely to live in public housing, where smoking rates among adults are more than twice the national rate.” Riverdale does have a higher adult smoking rate, which could also be related to stress.
Extreme poverty can also affect an individual’s life expectancy.
Jacqueline Tiema-Massie, a director of emergency preparedness and response at Cook County Department of Public Health, said that “poverty directly impacts people’s life expectancy, and that means whether or not they live or they die early because they’re poor, for a number of factors, again, being more exposed to violence, being more exposed to poor, fat food, being more exposed to not being around green spaces or healthy living spaces.”
According to data collected by the Chicago Health Atlas, around 47.6 percent of residents in Riverdale experience food insecurity. On top of residents not having adequate resources, such as grocery stores or physicians, they are also susceptible to a range of other issues.
Whether it’s the area having a high number of Heart Failure Hospitalizations, or a high Youth ED visit rate, according to the city’s Health Atlas. Residents in Riverdale are subject to physical and psychological issues associated with poverty. The life expectancy of residents is 74.8 years, which is on the lower end of the 77 community areas in Chicago.
How to Help
The Riverdale community area has been dealing with the effects of extreme poverty and environmental injustice for years. If you would like to help, supporting non-profits like People For x Community Recovery or Dion’s Chicago Dream can make a difference and support residents of the Riverdale community.
AI disclosure: This project incorporated AI tools for select components. Summarize Wise Custom GPT was used to generate the summary. Google Gemini was used for image creation, and Google Veo was used for the video content.
Summary: The story shows how localized air monitoring helps Little Village residents better understand pollution risks that state and federal systems can overlook. It connects diesel truck traffic, industrial activity, and health concerns to the need for neighborhood-specific data, which helps residents identify pollution sources and push for stronger environmental policies.
A Resident’s View of Pollution in Little Village
For Jocelyn Gomez, air pollution is a reality of daily existence rather than just a statistic. She has lived in Little Village for more than 20 years, and she discusses the neighborhood’s traffic, industrial activity and diesel vehicles.
“You always see diesel trucks in our neighborhood in the mornings, afternoons and even at night,” Gomez said.
An industrial corridor, Little Village is surrounded by residences, schools, and industrial facilities. Gomez was eventually exposed to pollutants while attending elementary and high school in this area.
Art direction by Eden Joseph | Art by Google Gemini
“There is a pipeline where growing up here has an impact on your health,” she said. She added that several of her classmates had asthma and used inhalers all day.
When Gomez started learning about environmental health in high school through neighborhood outreach initiatives, such as those run by the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization, her awareness of air pollution became personal.
She became aware of potential connections between kidney disease and coal pollution during that period, which corresponded to her family’s experience. After years of waiting, her mother was given a kidney transplant after being diagnosed with kidney failure.
“Maybe this is why my mom got sick,” Gomez said after learning about the connection. Although she acknowledged that it is difficult to establish a direct link, the situation shaped her awareness of environmental hazards. Her mother eventually required a kidney transplant, which deepened Gomez’s concern about the potential health impacts.
“It’s people’s lives, not just data,” she said.
Gomez said she didn’t realize how serious the problem was until high school. She went outside with her classmates to count the number of trucks that passed through a local junction as part of a class exercise.
“In just one hour, we counted nearly 300 trucks,” Gomez said. “It was shocking.”
The test demonstrated the volume of industrial traffic passing through residential areas, especially those near schools. For Gomez, it revealed what had been invisible before.
Local Air Monitoring In Chicago
Air monitoring is required by the federal government, upheld by the Clean Air Act (CAA), to ensure the safety and well-being of residents. According to a 2025 State of Air report, Illinois was graded an overall “F” in air quality, making it one of the lowest graded US states. Out of 23 counties that were testing in the state of Illinois, 22 of them received overwhelmingly low grades, with the highest being ranked a “C.”
Interactive chart | Art direction by Atzin Anguiano | Art by Claude AI
Susan Kaplan, a research assistant professor for the Division of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences at the UIC School of Public Health, said that local air monitoring can provide more accuracy and can inform community members of changes that occur more frequently in comparison to statewide air monitoring.
“Federal air monitors aren’t going to capture some of the sources that local monitoring can,” she said. “It can help fill in those missing pieces and has a really important role in helping us understand.”
The American Lung Association reported that new technologies can help communities and families take action to protect their health. Furthermore, advocates can use that information to improve air quality by pushing for policy changes.
With more consistent monitoring done by local community groups, it allows for more location specific results. These specific sources can provide assistance in decision making and planning to help understand how to move forward or what needs to change or be done.
“We want to understand what is in the air that we’rebreathing,” Kaplan said.
Art direction by Eden Joseph | Art by Google Gemini
These statewide grades show a widespread issue, but they don’t accurately reflect the distribution of pollution inside communities. Air quality varies significantly by neighborhood in Chicago. Because of the major transportation corridors and adjacent industrial activity, communities such as Little Village are subject to a highly concentrated and localized type of pollution.
Data Gap
Many communities lack access to local air quality data, despite federal mandates to monitor it. This disparity has long been a problem in areas like Little Village, Gomez said.
“We didn’t get to see what was actually happening in our community; there was always that data gap,” she said.
In the past, the Environmental Protection Agency ran about eight monitoring sites throughout Illinois, which were dispersed throughout larger areas, including the North Side, South Side, Cicero, and suburban communities like Burbank. None of these monitors were installed in areas where people are more likely to be exposed to industrial pollutants, such as Little Village, Pilsen or McKinley Park.
As a result of the lack of monitoring in local areas, the data that was available often misrepresented the reality faced by residents. The effect of diesel traffic, industries, or other pollution sources in the immediate vicinity was impossible to measure using regional averages. Without information gathered in a specific locality, residents had no concrete evidence to support their claims.
Air Monitoring Advancements
Currently, a proposal for a Mayo Factory is in the works to open up in the Little Village location. With this new factory, diesel emissions would be brought into residential neighborhoods, which could have a negative impact on the already low air quality.
The Petroleum Coke case, also known as Petcoke, in the Southeast Side of Chicago was one of the biggest air monitoring cases in Chicago. The case discussed the vast quantities of piles of “Petcoke” and coal that created dangerous and hazardous contamination to residents within the area.
In a region where pollution levels are already high, the proposed facility might increase diesel traffic if approved. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, exhaust from diesel engines releases tiny particulate matter that can enter the bloodstream and cause cardiovascular disease, respiratory illnesses, and other long-term health problems.
Situations like this emphasize the importance of localized surveillance, according to Kaplan.
“Being aware that local data gives communities proof to advocate for change and helps them understand what they’re being exposed to,” she said.
Currently, as the fight for better air quality continues in Chicago, the University of Illinois at Chicago Public Health partnered with the Chicago Department of Public Health and others to launch “Open Air Chicago”. Open Air Chicago has become one of the largest air monitoring networks with 277 monitors deployed across the City of Chicago.
“I think local air monitoring has been important to Chicago and it’ll continue to work,” Kaplan said “It’s a way to empower community members.”
By Emilia Wawryniuk and Olivia Kasza • April 30th, 2026
Portraits of Pope John Paul II decorate the walls of Szarotka Flowers, a reminder of the cultural and religious roots that once defined the neighborhood. (Photo/Emilia Wawryniuk)
Once known for being one of Chicago’s largest Polish communities, flourishing with tradition and culture, Logan Square has changed.
For decades, Polish immigrants shaped the neighborhood through local stores, churches, restaurants and cultural traditions. However, now current residents are witnessing a change, especially in a business sector that is no longer reflecting Polish culture.
Historian Dominic Pacyga, an emeritus professor at Columbia College Chicago and an affiliated faculty member at the University of Illinois Chicago in the History Department, offered context into how Polish culture became so popular near the Jackowo area.
The Jackowo area refers to a historic Polish neighborhood centered around St. Hyacinth Basilica on the Northwest Side of Chicago, particularly near the intersection of Milwaukee, Lawrence and Central Avenues. Often called “Polish Downtown”, Jackowo became a cultural and social hub for Polish immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Dr. Dominic Pacyga, historian and expert on Polish Chicago, discusses the history and transformation of Jackowo in a Zoom interview.
Polish neighborhoods began to develop as Poles decided to move near Ashland, Division and Milwaukee avenues, which bordered churches like St. Hyacinth, as well as Chicago’s first Polish parish, St. Stanisław Kostka, founded in 1867.
However, the cause of the current lack of Polish presence happened in the early 2000s as families started leaving Jackowo and the surrounding areas into suburban neighborhoods.
“Today, most Polish Americans live in the suburbs,” Pacyga said. “At one point, there were almost 400,000 Poles in Chicago. Today, there are about maybe 140,000, 135,000 (Poles) spread throughout the city.”
However, as residents decided to slowly move out, Polish businesses began to disappear as well, resulting in the lack of Polish culture in the once heavily Polish populated neighborhoods. According to U.S. Census data, Polish populations in key Northwest Side neighborhoods declined sharply, including a 41% drop in Portage Park and a 55% drop in Belmont Cragin since 2000, with similar declines across nearby areas.
Pacyga said, “There are only a few Polish stores left on Milwaukee Avenue in that area. One restaurant, Staropolska, which is a favorite place of mine.”
He mentioned that these are patterns in Chicago neighborhoods, where immigrant communities establish a strong sense of culture, and end up eventually moving out due to economic conditions and personal interests.
“I don’t think it’s actually disappearing. I think it’s changing,” he said, as he talked about Polish culture regardless of geography.
While few Polish residents remain in Logan Square, many Polish customs and traditions are still seen in Chicago, such as the big Trzeciego Maja (May 3, Polish Independence Day) parades and many other churches that hold Polish masses. However, this cultural presence exists alongside major population loss: the city’s population has declined for nine consecutive years, losing over 128,000 residents since 2014, including more than 8,000 people in just one recent year.
For some business owners, these traditions are essential for survival.
“Thank God for the St. Hyacinth Basilica,” said Stanisława Jóźwiak, owner of Szarotka Flowers in Logan Square. She said that the church continues to bring customers to her shop around important Polish holidays.
Jóźwiak, who has owned Szarotka Flowers since 1996, has witnessed the neighborhood’s transformation firsthand. While the church still brings moments of business, daily reality has become increasingly difficult.
Inside of Szarotka Flowers, one of the few remaining Polish-owned businesses in Logan Square. (Photo/Emilia Wawryniuk)
“Rent and utilities are getting more and more expensive,” she said. “I don’t know how much longer I can stay in business.”
She remembers a time when Polish culture dominated the area, especially along Milwaukee Avenue.
“Every second store used to be Polish”, she said. “Now there are four Polish business owners left on the Milwaukee strip.”
For Jóźwiak, the changes are deeply personal. What was once a lively, culturally rich environment has faded.
“There are no more of us,” she emphasised. “It’s hard … it used to feel like Warsaw. The streets were full of life.”
Her experience reflects a broader shift in the former “Jackowo”, where rising costs and demographic changes are not only reshaping the neighborhood, but also changing the sense of community that once defined it.
Logan Square resident Danuta Jagniankowski has lived in the neighborhood for eight years after immigrating from Poland to live in Chicago with her parents in 1987.
“Everyone spoke Polish,” Jagniankowski said. “Everyone went to work. I worked at a delicatessen called Bacik.”
She said working in the Polish deli made the neighborhood feel like home.
She would also visit restaurants and bakeries such as Andy’s Deli and Polonez, both of which have since closed, as well as Jabłuszko, one of the few remaining Polish establishments in the area today.
Community services were primarily used by Polish residents since it was similar to a postal office that could allow them to send money and other packages back to Poland.
Nonetheless, she began noticing changes as Polish residents started to move out and the neighborhood began to feel less comfortable.
She later moved and settled west to an area near Belmont, Harlem and Cumberland avenues after buying a home with her husband.
“I was happy because I had my own home and husband,” she said. “There was still sentiment [to Logan Square], it was like a second Poland.”
Asked if Logan Square was losing its Polish identity, she responded, “No, there’ll still be Polish (culture) present because there will still be Polish churches there and restaurants.”
She also emphasizes the importance of Polish churches in the area, explaining that they remain as a cultural significance to the Polish community.
Nonetheless, she’s gone back to Jackowo and noted that much of the Polish presence that was previously present in Logan Square has gradually shifted to West suburbs.
At the same time, she’s observed that Logan Square itself has become more diverse, with lots of young residents moving into the neighborhood as well.
Lastly, she mentions that there was always a sense of mutual support among each other — “Jackowo was a place filled with many Polish people who grew up there, started businesses, and made connections with other Polish people.”
Your Thoughts
As Logan Square continues to change, many are faced with difficult choices. Would you stay in the neighborhood that no longer feels the same, or move on with your community? Share your thoughts on Bluesky at the #uicdigital hashtag.
By Janya Herrera and Olivia Schaller • April 30th, 2026
North Lawndale on the West Side is undergoing gentrification, but the city claims it has a solution.
The project, Missing Middle Infill Housing Initiative, is being adopted in multiple locations in the North Lawndale neighborhood. This project’s goal is to build homes on empty city-owned lots in the neighborhood and will price these homes at 140% of the area median income.
The project will also use up to $150,000 of taxpayer funds for each unit built. This initiative is the city’s way of trying to target North Lawndale residents and make these homes more affordable, keeping longtime residents in rather than pushing them out.
To break down the 140% AMI rule, these homes will be priced based on the area median income of North Lawndale residents multiplied by 140%. According to 2023 Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning data, the most recent data available, the area median income of North Lawndale is $37,247.
Source: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning | Chart: Olivia Schaller
Multiply that area median income by 140% to get $52,145.80, the approximate yearly income an individual would need in order to qualify for these new homes. This leaves a $15,000 annual income gap for the average North Lawndale residents from being able to afford these new homes that are supposed to be built for them.
The 140% AMI rate for the new homes can be good for citywide prices in terms of the general Chicagoan, which averages $77,902 in yearly income, according to United States Census Bureau 2024 data. But for the North Lawndale residents, with an approximate $37,000 median income, still can’t afford the $52,000 yearly income needed to make in order to afford these new homes with the 140% AMI rate.
According to Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning 2023 data, North Lawndale has a population of 31,244, with African American individuals making up 76.2% of that population and Hispanics making second with 16%. From 2000 to 2023, the total population of North Lawndale has dropped 25.2%. But homes built in 2020 to 2025 are up 80% for year-over-year change, according to Point2Homes data.
This gap brings up bigger issues, like what’s stopping these homes from being bought out by wealthier individuals who can rent out these homes for a much higher price, higher than the average North Lawndale resident can afford? Is this really stopping gentrification or just slowing it down? And is this a good use of Chicago’s taxpayers’ money?
Jenny Leon, a resident of North Lawndale since 2003, said that there isn’t any room for her to buy a home in the neighborhood because of the cost. She mentioned the new restaurants and other businesses that are setting higher price standards for the whole neighborhood.
“The Soul Food Lounge and The Loyalist, the new places charge like crazy prices, making us go out of our way, away from here, to find lower-priced things,” Leon said. “Then those who can afford these crazy things start coming here until they replace us because they are the only ones who can afford it.”
Leon said the Missing Middle Infill Housing Initiative and the 140% AMI rate is a “joke.”
“Who here can afford a new home?” she said. “Let alone one that I can’t afford. I see it as a cover to make it seem like the city cares about what happens, but they know just as much as we do that this is not the solution.
“We are being exterminated with our own money.”
One of the newly developed units at 3300 W. Douglas Blvd., shown
in the later stages of construction. (Photo/Olivia Schaller)
Angela Camacho, a Chicago native who lives on the Southwest Side, said that she isn’t a fan of taxpayer funds contributing to this project.
“Yeah, that’s complete bullshit.” Camacho said. “They always use our money for whatever it is they use it for, things that we can’t use or see or things that don’t make sense and I’m sick of it, it needs to stop.”
Camacho’s suggestion: “Kick everyone out of office or make some kind of punishment for stuff like this so people in office can’t continue this kind of stuff.”
Project managers are working hard to get to the root of the problem in North Lawndale. Creating affordable living also means fostering affordable businesses and community outreach.
Chicago Community Desk is one of those centers working to provide for communities threatened by gentrification and rising prices. The organization works toward economic prosperity in neighborhoods across Chicago, such as Inglewood and Bronzeville, by building up businesses and supporting local organizations.
Many other organizations are supporting the gradual affordability of North Lawndale, like the Lawndale Christian Developement Corporation. The LCDC is pushing for resource centers built in the middle of North Lawndale to push toward a brighter future for struggling residents. This would also offer opportunities for residents of North Lawndale to apply for housing that is affordable and works along the empty lots as mentioned.
Miranda Sanders, a project manager at Chicago Community Desk, emphasized the importance of community investment in preventing gentrification.
“I think that North Lawndale currently is doing a really good job of that, “she said. “Implementing those tactics because of groups like the one that I talked to you about before LCDC.”
She gave hope to the situation with positive feedback and reassurance to keep going.
“I think that each community within Chicago is trying its best to keep people who have been there for generations there, so I think that they should continue doing what they’re doing,” Sanders said.
By Oscar Hidalgo and Joshua Zapata • April 30th, 2026
Architecture Tour from Navy Pier in April. (Photo/ Oscar Hidalgo)
One busy afternoon along the Chicago River, tour boats and yachts glide past the glass towers as visitors gaze at the city’s skyline, snapping photos of Chicago’s architecture.
But fewpeople stop to think about what lies beneath the water.
Below the waterline, an environmental threat decades in the making is slowly creeping toward Lake Michigan — the Asian carp.
Scientists and environmentalists warn that if Asian carp establish themselves in Lake Michigan, the consequences could be severe. The invasive species known for consuming large amounts of plankton, reproducing rapidly, and growing to enormous sizes has the potential to disrupt the lake ecosystem, threaten native populations and damage industries that depend on the Great Lakes, including commercial fishing and tourism.
An Asian carp at the Shedd Aquarium of Chicago (Photo/Joshua Zapata)
Asian carp were originally introduced in the southern United States to control algae growth, but have since spread through the Mississippi River over the past decades. Their expansion toward Chicago’s waterway systems have raised alarms of researchers and conservationists.
The Great Lakes Fishery Commission, a treaty-based organization formed by the US and Canadian governments, stands at the forefront of prevention efforts.
“Invasive carp have not yet established themselves in the Great Lakes,” said Jill Wingfield, director of communications with the Great Lakes Fishery Commission. “Prevention is step one: keeping them from getting into the Lake.”
The organization employs multiple strategies to prevent Asian carp from reaching Lake Michigan. Electric barriers in the Chicago-area waterway system serve as the first line of defense, as studies have found that invasive carp are repelled by minor electricity.
“The Chicago area waterway system is primarily shipping canals with big barges moving through so there aren’t a lot of economically important fish species that we need to worry about harming,” Wingfield said.
In a new partnership, the commission works with commercial fishermen to remove as much of the invasive carp as possible.
“More than 1.2 million pounds of fish have been removed from the Chicago water system via commercial fishers” Wingfield said. “The partnership with the commercial fisheries is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. We’ve never partnered with a commercial fishery to remove a fish that doesn’t necessarily have a market value.”
What makes an Asian carp particularly dangerous to waterways is their voracious appetite, which allows them to grow to enormous sizes.
“They eat up to 40 times their body weight a day.” Wingfield said. “They’re filter feeders, so they’re eating microscopic zooplankton and phytoplankton, by hitting that bottom of the food web, that means that the smaller invertebrates don’t have anything to eat, which means the small fish don’t have anything to eat, which affects the whole chain. “Mind you these fish can weigh up to 100 pounds.”
The Asian carp have also developed a clear public safety risk. Unlike many other invasive species, the Asian carp are known for leaping or jumping out of the water when startled by the boat engines, sometimes injuring boaters. This has drawn a public attention to the issue.
“There aren’t a lot of invasive species that have a direct human health impact,” Wingfield said. “This put a new light on the situation when we had people showing up to the ER with bloody noses and concussions from getting knocked off the jet skis.”
Wingfield stressed the importance of protecting Lake Michigan.
“The Lake is so important to Chicago, at the end of the day, it’s an ecosystem, It’s important the conservation efforts that are going on to protect these water systems.” she said.
Despite the importance expressed by the expert, the threat remains largely invisible to those who work on the Chicago River every day.
Asian carp are widely recognized for their behavior of jumping out of the water when disturbed by boat engines, sometimes injuring boaters in other regions. Kennedy said, “they’re the ones that jump, but I’ve never seen a fish jump here, That’s a good sign.”
Kennedy said that the Asian carp have not affected boat tours or customer experiences.
She addedthat most tourists are not widely aware of the issue, unless they already have an environmental interest: “Not too many people know about it, it’s kind of a niche thing, I’ll just bring it up briefly during tours.”
Kennedy said she’s concerned about the long-term ecological risk if Asian carp reach Lake Michigan, pointing to a gap in current prevention systems.
“If they get through, that would be a disaster for the Great Lakes ecosystem, they’re invasive and not supposed to be here,” she said.
For now the daily life of the Chicago River continues uninterrupted. Boats continue their routes, the tour guide continues delivering the Chicago agricultural, and the visitors the city from the water.
Lake Michigan and the Chicago Skyline (Photo/ Joshua Zapata)
Kennedy referenced the electric barrier system in the Chicago Area Waterway System, noting concerns that the smaller fish could pass through when barges move.
“The concern is that the little ones can sneak through, I just hope they find a solution,” she said.
While Kennedy said she believes agencies are responsible for containment, she indicated that businesses where she works have limited control over the situation.
“It’s in their hands now, we can’t really do anything about it,” she said.
Overall, the Chicago waterways continue to operate, tour boats, yachts move through the rivers and Lake Michigan, and visitors admire the city of Chicago of the skyline, and the threat of invasive carp remains largely out of sight and out of mind.
But experts warn that prevention is a continuous process, not a finished solution. Whether the current prevention efforts will be enough remains an open question. Scientists continue to monitor the spread of Asian carp.
Your thoughts
Visit GLFC.org to learn how you can support Asian carp prevention.
This interactive map depicts the unemployment rates in Chicago Community Areas from 2020 to 2024. Some areas on the map lacked data on unemployment rates.
According to the Chicago Health Atlas, the neighborhood with the highest unemployment is the South Side neighborhood of Riverdale. The area is one of the South’s most underserved neighborhoods with a 30.11% unemployment rate.
With only 7,229 residents in the period from 2020 to 2024, Riverdale was one of the least populated neighborhoods, but almost one-third of residents are unemployed.
The neighborhood with the lowest unemployment rate among Chicago’s community areas was the Near North Side. Even with a population of 97,789, making it one of Chicago’s most populated community areas, the neighborhood only has a 3.34% unemployment rate.
These patterns hold across many of Chicago’s community areas, with neighborhoods on the Northside having higher populations and lower unemployment rates. South and West-side neighborhoods often have lower populations but much higher unemployment rates.
Neighborhoods in Chicago’s South and West sides have been historically and systematically segregated and have lacked job access. According to Crain’s Chicago Business, the main offices of four of the largest employers of Chicagoland residents are located in Chicago’s Loop. This is an accessible location for North Side residents. However, the poor infrastructure and lack of public transportation make it difficult for South and West Side residents to maintain those positions.
This map depicts the headquarters of four of Chicago’s major employers: Cook County, The City of Chicago, Chicago Public Schools, and JPMorgan Chase.
Good community and civic health can be measured in many ways, one of which is access to fresh, healthy food. Ideally, residents should have a grocery store nearby, whether within walking distance or accessible by public transportation, so they can regularly purchase nutritious options.
But in Chicago, that’s not always the case for some neighborhoods.
As the map below illustrates, grocery stores in Chicago are unevenly distributed across the city. Neighborhoods on the South Side, despite covering a large geographic area, have significantly fewer grocery stores compared to areas closer to downtown.
In fact, Riverdale, South Deering and Hegewisch, three far South Side neighborhoods, do not have a single full-service grocery store. This stark disparity highlights ongoing issues of food access and inequality, raising important questions about how resources are allocated across Chicago’s communities.
A “food desert” refers to a geographic area with limited access to affordable, nutritious food, particularly fresh fruits and vegetables. These areas often lack full-service grocery stores and are instead dominated by convenience stores or fast-food outlets, making it more difficult for residents to maintain a healthy diet.
This pattern is not accidental but closely tied to Chicago’s long history of socioeconomic and racial segregation. Businesses, including grocery chains, often make decisions based on projected profit margins, which can discourage investment in lower-income neighborhoods. As a result, communities that are already underserved continue to face limited access to essential resources.
This lack of access pushes many families to rely on processed, inexpensive, and less nutritious food options that are more readily available. Over time, these conditions can contribute to negative health outcomes, such as higher rates of obesity and chronic illness, while also affecting individuals’ ability to fully participate in civic and social life.
Art direction by Arturo Gutierrez | Illustration by DALL-E 3
