Mental health services, affordable housing and property taxes among top issues at 1st budget town hall

Mayor Lori Lightfoot speaks Wednesday at the first of four budget town halls seeking feedback from residents on how to escape the city’s $838 million budget deficit. | Jake Wittich/Sun-Times

Funding for mental health services, affordable housing solutions and eliminating property taxes were among the chief concerns at a budget town hall with Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Wednesday.

The forum, held at Jefferson Park’s Copernicus Center, 5216 W. Lawrence Ave., was the first of four town halls educating residents about the city’s $838 million budget gap and seeking ideas from them about how to cut the deficit.

“Our budget forecast was designed not just to educate Chicagoans on where their tax dollars are going, but to empower and inspire all of you to help shape the budget,” Lightfoot told the crowd of about 200 Chicago residents.

Lightfoot, joined by the city’s Chief Financial Officer Jennie Huang Bennett and Chicago budget director Susie Park, who opened the town hall with a brief presentation on the city’s budget deficit, listened as citizens shared their ideas for potential solutions.

“What programs or services are most important to you?” was the central question attendees considered before speaking at the forum. The mayor did not respond to each speaker but took notes throughout the event.

Creating affordable housing solutions and increasing funds for public mental health services were top issues of interest to the audience.

Social worker Caitlin O’Grady spoke to Lightfoot about how the closing of six public mental health clinics in 2012 created “large disparities in the availability of providers ... leading to unmet mental health needs across marginalized communities of color in Chicago.”

“When people experience violent crime and mental health services are not available to support them ... cycles of trauma, pain and violence continue,” said O’Grady, who’s a member of the Collaborative for Community Wellness, a coalition of health professionals, community-based organizations and community residents advocating for improved access to mental health services.

Several residents spoke about the challenges they face in being able to afford rent, asking the mayor to consider more affordable housing solutions and avoid rising property taxes.

Diane Limas of Communities United, a North Side nonprofit advocating for affordable housing, addressed the issue at the mayor’s first budget town hall Wednesday. | Jake Wittich/Sun-Times

Diane Limas of Communities United, a North Side nonprofit advocating for affordable housing, said the lack of affordable housing is displacing black and brown families from the city.

“How much money is in the 2020 budget to help low-income renters and stop this displacement? What is in the 2020 budget plan to preserve our existing affordable housing?” Limas asked the mayor. “Please find the money needed that will preserve affordable housing ... and keep these families in Chicago.”

Linked to that issue was property taxes, which several attendees said are driving families out of Chicago who no longer can afford to live here.

“We heard you loud and clear on a range of issues, from property taxes — I think the answer is no — to making sure that we have affordable housing solutions,” Lightfoot said to supportive applause. “Another [major concern] is making sure we’ve got mental health and community-based services so we can address the trauma in the city.”

The remaining budget town halls will be held:

• Sept. 14 from 9–11 a.m. at Roberto Clemente High School, 1147 N. Western Ave.;
• Sept. 19 from 6–8 p.m. at the Southeast United Methodist Youth and Community Center, 11731 S. Avenue O; and
• Sept. 25 from 6–8 p.m. at Lindblom Math and Science Academy, 6130 S. Wolcott Ave.

Lightfoot said the city is also collecting budget feedback online at Chicago.gov/2020survey.

The first budget town hall was held at Jefferson Park’s Copernicus Center, 5216 W. Lawrence Ave.