First, public comments. 1st speaker shouted out several initiatives and outreach organizations that are working toward violence prevention in Auburn-Gresham, East Garfield, Englewood, etc. He mentioned CP4P, Teamwork Englewood, Target Area, and work with alderpeople.

2nd speaker spotlighted Good Kids Mad City, which is a youth organization for violence prevention. “GKMD proposes the passing and funding of The Peace Book [..], & it will pour substantive resources into Chicago communities in a matter that is so overdue.”
https://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/englewoods-goodkids-madcity-love-march-takes-to-the-streets-to-spread-message-of-love-and-hope/

See more on GoodKids MadCity:
https://www.gkmcenglewood.com/

3rd speaker thanked the city for their efforts in violence reduction. She cited that gun violence is down 15.9% in 2021 across neighborhoods where outreach and investment is taking place. Non-fatal shootings were also down 18.9%. “Those reductions didn’t happen by accident..

.. they happened because of an architecture of support within my agency and across the city of Chicago, and I want to thank you for supporting that architecture.” She mainly refers to CP4P, read more on their mission: https://www.metrofamily.org/cp4p/

4th public speaker was the CEO of Together Chicago, which serves people at risk for poverty and gun violence on the Near West Side. In tracking violence statistics, TC found that they were responsible for 40% reduction in shootings and 60% reduction in homicides.

Together Chicago:
https://togetherchicago.com/

Final speaker is from Elevated Chicago, which leads “equitable transit-oriented development (e-TOD)”
“We are very excited about the deployment of hundreds of millions of dollars going to the communities that need them the most, including homes, grocery stores, health clinics..

.. civic centers, and more next to transit. We look forward to an increased collaboration with the city of Chicago and Department of Planning to pass this e-TOD ordinance together. More on Elevated Chicago:
https://elevatedchicago.org/

Panelists then came on to report on updates for various development projects, acknowledge partner organizations for their service, and thank the city for its participation and investment in these community-based initiatives.

A representative from New Life Centers discussed the importance of youth development in violence intervention. “Thanks to those [city] investments, we were able to expand to over 400 mentoring matches now, we provided e-learning and after school programs now to 125 kids, ..

.. we provide safe spaces and healing for over 2500 young people through sports and Light in the Night, and then we expanded our peacemaking and street outreach initiatives into multiple other neighborhoods. [..] These were all resources and investments that were made through..

.. city programs that have now created a stronger infrastructure in the neighborhood.” -Matt DeMateo
https://newlifecenters.org/en/

Tony Diaz from After School Matters delivered updates from their agency - “our equity-based approach provides team participants the opportunity to earn stipends, allowing us to funnel resources into divested communities. 96% of our participants identify as people of color..

.. and 80% live in high poverty neighborhoods. Over the past 30 years After School Matters has engaged more than 350,000 teams throughout the city of Chicago, to proven long-term outcomes. Our most recent data shows that 91% of participating freshman are on track to graduate..

.. 93% actually graduate, and nearly 3 of 4 participants enroll in college.”
https://www.afterschoolmatters.org/

Lance Williams, a rep from Northeastern University (not Northwestern!) mentioned the issues he noticed with the city’s plan for violence prevention, stating that while their plan is sound in theory, it lacks the financial heft to carry their goals into actionable items.

He went on to say that “the major violence prevention initiatives are pretty much all controlled by white men. Black & brown folks are being locked out of leadership positions. Now, we are working in those spaces, but the senior-level, ultimate decision-makers are all white men.”

“This is a cultural problem that’s gotta be solved by folks of color in leadership positions, not marginalized positions.” -Williams

Budget Director Susie Park then presented on the Chicago Recovery Plan. Here’s a breakdown of the budget: https://t.co/IS4Fj70nhl

Commissioner Cox then briefed the subcommittee. $1.2 billion total to be invested in community development, arts/parks/recreation, and public safety. https://t.co/CCHS6KtgHT

On the community development front, many of these will be grants to go towards local businesses, beautification and maintenance of the environment, vacant lot reduction, and community wealth building pilots. https://t.co/trLDi8Pyzk

Commissioner Knazze then outlined the youth opportunities program overview. $65M total will go to them, broken up into 3 categories: expanding youth employment, the Chicago Youth Service Corps, and the My Chi My Future Community expansion. https://t.co/jCn1z2VRTJ

This graph shows the pyramid of various stages at which the program may intervene in someone’s life. At the bottom are financially disenfranchised youth, then youth at-risk as a result of disadvantage, then youth with complex trauma, then at the top, youth at highest risk. https://t.co/IoTFDV1hax

Here are the agencies and their programs/projects. #youthempowerment #youth #chicago #violenceprevention #publicsafety #CYSC #SYEP https://t.co/G6M1eRMksj

2022 Priority Targets.
“Agencies must recruit 50% of their young people from our target population.” -Knazze https://t.co/BxnJog40fE

With My CHI, My Future, kids can earn up to $3,000 over the summer working in this program. Each one will be 10 weeks long, going from mid June to mid August 2022. Anyone interested can learn more here:
https://explore.mychimyfuture.org/ https://t.co/ncYWLfl6ES

Allison Arwady, CDPH Commissioner then gave her presentation on their violence prevention programming. Funding totals $45 million, which is up considerably from past years. https://t.co/aEuJkW5hwM

Street outreach. In dark blue are the neighborhoods currently receiving investments, light blue are eligible areas. Look out for the RFP release soon, coming up sometime this month. https://t.co/hITIBgL8ym

Victim Services. $10 million of ARP funds will go to this. https://t.co/XV8soMjesF

Here’s their model for Youth Justice Diversion. This will be an RFP competitive process city-wide, to be released this fall. #youthempowerment #youthjustice #chicago #violenceprevention #publicsafety #communitydevelopment https://t.co/Zto3hyDoZE

$20 million will go toward youth at highest risk of violence. An overview of updates to the SCaN program also below, follow the link to see their mission, eligibility, and other info.
https://www.chicago.gov/content/dam/city/sites/public-safety-and-violenc-reduction/pdfs/SCaN%20FAQ%202021.pdf https://t.co/z1pCPcCJhR

Ald. La Spata asked how the city is promoting collaborative networks across multiple agencies. Arwady answered that they conduct regional meetings with street outreach providers as well as the CPD, where they agree on best practices to harmonize their approaches with no gaps.

Ald. Smith asked what the results are, and for how long these youth are expected to remain in the program. Knazze replied with a summary of youth who benefitted from outreach, and said that it usually goes from 12-18 months, but accommodations are made for longer as needed.

Dowell and Ald. Hairston both inquired ab some remarks that were made earlier concerning Black and Brown people getting locked out of leadership positions. Arwady stated that she thinks there’s a long way to go, but there has been some progress and commitment to addressing that.

Dowell also asked whether there has been equity in funding. Arwady said that they are looking at seed grants which are smaller in scale, but no distinctions are made in terms of specific awards. After further pressing from Ald. Hairston on actual numbers..

.. Arwady answered that 7 of the 14 CP4P are led by black individuals. Further details will be followed up to Hairston through the Chair. “Whether the head of the organization is black or not, the question is the relationship between the communities. And that’s what outsiders..

.. do not bring. They don’t know Mrs. Johnson’s son or grandson, like others do, and I think that is the point that a lot of my colleagues have been trying to make over the years. That there are connections because people are from the neighborhood.” -Hairston

Hairston also asked what the city is doing about programs that are being funded but haven’t been performing well, or otherwise ineffective. Arwady said that 2020 was the first time any serious funding went to these programs, and they’re just now receiving results to examine.

She did say that levels of funding would be adjusted in the future to go towards programs that are producing outcomes, and they’ll continue to do that as those funds increase to ensure accountability.

Ald. Scott reiterated Hairston and Dowell’s sentiments, and said that it’s imperative that departments thoroughly evaluate how they’re spending and delivering these projects before ARP funding expires. Those monies will return to the federal gov’t if not used by a certain date.

Ald. Sigcho Lopez asked how programs that need funding but aren’t are going to be addressed. Arwady answered that they are working to make sure that organizations large and small receive the support they need, but it is one of the challenges they’re currently dealing with.

After a few more questions and closing remarks, subcommittee adjourned just after 1pm CST. Stay safe and enjoy the rest of your days! @CHIdocumenters #chicago #cpd #youthempowerment #violenceprevention #publicsafety #mentalhealth #youth #development #community