9th Ward News

Thanks to everyone who attended last week's ward meeting and participated in Envision Evanston 2045. Resident feedback is crucial as the City works to rewrite the comprehensive plan and zoning code. What do we want our community to look like and be is a very important question. My top priority is helping Evanstonians stay in Evanston. I also want the opportunity to live in Evanston to not be unattainable for people who want to move here. I know I'm not unique in knowing people who have moved because they could no longer afford to stay or who would love to live here but can't find a place. Development opportunities happen slowly. Given our current zoning and comprehensive plan, we aren't going to build our way to affordability.       

Evanston is not unique in experiencing what I would call a housing crisis. This is happening all around the US as housing costs have risen across the board. As a society, we tend to treat housing as a commodity rather than a right. From when I started on council, I have tasked myself with learning more about the root causes and possible solutions to this crisis. There is, unfortunately, not one solution or fix. We really have to take every opportunity we can to make incremental changes. One step we have been working on in committee is revising the Residential Landlord Tenant Ordinance. Fostering stability for tenants is something that will enable Evanstonians to stay in Evanston.  

Last week at council, we discussed a grant funding opportunity made possible by Cook County for housing new arrivals to the Chicago area. As we know, the Republican governor of Texas has been busing tens of thousands of migrants to Chicago, using people coming to this country seeking a better life as his own political pawns. Friends, neighbors, and constituents have asked me about what Evanston is doing to help these new arrivals, or how many migrants are living here currently. The City of Evanston has a fund to help refugees that live here, but given our housing market, it is very hard for any new arrivals to afford to live here, especially since the federal government has been slow to grant work permits to allow many of them to earn a living. The people who are in Evanston have been sponsored by churches or individuals that want to help.  

Late last summer, I was in meetings to discuss possible locations to house new arrivals in Evanston. The City of Chicago was asking neighboring municipalities for help housing people. They were seeking a location for an intake facility, and the economy of scale required there to be room for 250  people. Logistically, it proved difficult in Evanston to find a suitable building with the space and the required bathrooms and showers to fit that many people.

Now the situation is much different. The City of Chicago still needs help but is now more flexible. They will now let us dictate who we house and how many people we take. This means that we can ask to take only families, or only women and children, or specify that the folks we accept already have a work permit. In general, I do not believe in placing many restrictions or requirements for who is eligible for housing when it comes to combating homelessness, but these circumstances are an exception. Anything we can do to help is significant, even if we only do so temporarily for a smaller subset of the overall population.

I have heard from so many of you that there is great desire to help in our community, and many of you are already doing everything you can on an individual level to help. I believe that it would be a mistake for the City of Evanston to not seriously consider housing new arrivals–particularly when it appears that it would in large part, if not all, be funded by Cook County grant money. With all of our capability as a city, we have the ability to house 15-20 families in a safe, clean and well-secured facility without having a negative effect on the neighborhood. This proposal would not take potential housing stock away from current Evanstonians who are in need. We can continue to take care of our Evanstonians in need while opening our doors to new arrivals. 

Ultimately, as these families get on their feet, I know they will contribute to our community and our local economy. Evanston has always been a welcoming city that celebrates diversity and does whatever we can to help extend a hand to those in need. It’s what makes us such a special place. I know that together, we can summon that same energy to step up and create some supports for these folks. I look forward to hearing your ideas and feedback about this proposal.

The weather has started to cooperate and public works projects are starting back up again. The alley grading season has started after a slight delay due to rain. You can see the alley schedule here. Work has resumed on the Oakton corridor project with electrical work being done to install street and traffic lights. 

And on a final note, Boy Scout Troop 916 will be doing a neighborhood cleanup on Sat., April 20, at 11 a.m. We are meeting at the Aldi parking lot and will be cleaning up the area around Hartrey and Pitner. I will be there cleaning up and distributing materials from Natural Habitat Evanston. 

*The views expressed are those of Councilmember Geracaris and not those of the City of Evanston.