Yeah,
it's not.
Yeah.
Mic check. One, two. Mic check. Three, four. Mic check.
One, two. Mic. Checking the mic.
Mic one, mic two, mic three. Mic four. Mic check. Got it.
For this committee on health
and Human Relations meeting,
I'm Chair Ana Rodriguez Sanchez.
It is 10:15 AM on July 31st, 2025,
and this meeting is now called to order.
On today's agenda, we will vote on two items
that were accepted at our committee meeting last week,
on July 22nd, where we heard presentations in partnership
with the Department of Public Health
host a subject matter hearing with 2 1 1 Metro Chicago
to receive an overview of 2 1 1
and information about the impacts
of reduced federal funding on the local service landscape.
A review of two items
that will also have guest presentations.
R 2 25 0 0 1 7 4 9 9 introduced
by elder person Fuentes
and R 20 24 0 0 1 1 0 1 8 Introduced
by elder person SE Lopez.
Uh, there is a proposed substitute for this item
that was circulated via email,
and we will have print copies if you need one.
Before we begin, I will call the role.
Thank you. Vice Ramirez.
Uh, elder person Robinson.
Elder person, Yancy, elder woman Gutierrez
Elderman Lopez.
Alderman Lopez, Fuentes Wo
Cruz Alderman.
Ava Wo Howorth,
alderman Lawson, other woman.
Ha and Chef Rodriguez Sanchez is present.
We have seven members present. We have a quorum.
Uh, we have a request for remote participation CI in Rule 59
from Alderman Lawson and Alderman Ysi.
Can I get a motion to approve the remote participation?
So move by Alder person, ada.
All those in favor signify by saying aye.
Opposed nay in the opinion of the chair. The ayes have it.
Alderman, uh, Yancy
and Alderman Lawson, are you here? I'm
Present, yes. Alderman Yancy's
Here. Good. Lawson Chairman.
Chairwoman Lawson as well. Thank the chair.
And then I have, I also have, do we have Robinson?
Did he ask for Rule 59? I thought that he did. Okay. No.
Okay. You will be added to the role. Alderman Lawson.
Thank you. We'll begin our meeting
with time for public comment.
The period is limited to 30 minutes
and each speaker is limited to three.
Do we have anybody for public comment? Yes. Okay.
We're going to start with Maggie Cvid.
Hello. Thank you so much for having me here today.
My name is Maggie. I'm a resident
of the 26th Ward here in Chicago.
Um, and I am Cuban American.
Um, I can tell you that in my personal experience going
to Cuba in 2016 and 2019,
after Cuba had been removed from the state sponsors
of terrorism lists, and then going back again in 2023
after Trump reinstated it.
The difference that I witnessed was enormous.
Before there was truly a spirit of optimism in Cuba.
Life was challenging.
Of course, the blockade was still in effect,
but I met with Cuban musicians, journalists,
graphic designers, chefs
and more who were so excited about the possibilities
of cultural exchange between our two countries.
People were always particularly excited to learn
that I was from Chicago, they have a great love of Chicago.
Um, and when I went back in 2023, there was just
what I can only describe as a feeling of desolation.
Um, people told me that when babies get sick,
there is no medicine for them.
There are STI outbreaks because there are no condoms.
Food items that maybe used to take hours
or perhaps a couple days
to track down are just simply unavailable.
A woman told me desperately, we know
that US policy abroad contributes to waves of immigration.
Chicago's own professor Juan Gonzalez,
has been a trailblazer in this research.
For me, it has been such a bittersweet experience over the
last couple years, talking
to my Cuban friends on Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp,
and hearing as one by one, they leave the country.
I feel happy in a way that now they're living in places
where they can get antibiotics
for the most part if they need them
or find other basic necessities.
But I am so crushed that they're being forced
to leave the country that they love, that is home simply
because life has gotten too difficult.
And knowing that a major factor in that is
what our federal government is doing.
The last of my own family left Cuba in 2023.
They came to the US through the CHNV Pro Parole program,
which is now being threatened under Trump.
It was so hard for them to decide
to leave in the first place, and now
that they're finally getting settled,
they may be displaced again.
Our government is playing with people's lives.
It is so unfair
and it has very real consequences.
But today I am so proud to live in a city
that has been leading the way in standing up for Cubans
and in saying that this is wrong.
Thank you.
Thank you for your comments.
Our next speaker is Steve Eckhart,
Esteemed, uh, Al Alderman and Women.
My name is Steve Eckhart.
I'm a 40 year member of the Amalgamated Transit Union,
local 3 0 8.
I'm also co-coordinator of the Chicago Cuba Coalition.
The coalition is an un utterly nonpartisan grouping open
to anyone opposing US hostile actions against Cuba
and in favor of unfettered relations.
Uh, while we do point
to Cuba's unparalleled achievements in healthcare
and literacy, Cuba has more doctors and
and teachers per capita than any country.
The coalition does not require a support
of the Cuban government,
nor do we take positions on on other issues.
We, we simply advocate for, uh, unfettered relations
between Cuba and the United States on that basis.
Over the past 35 years, we've collaborated
with elected numerous elected officials, leaders of major,
major train unions, prominent religious
and cultural institutions, and many academic departments.
We appreciate that the Chicago City Council unanimously
passed a resolution in favor of normalizing relations
with Cuba in, in 2021.
And we ask you to support the proposed rev resolution
calling on Trump to remove Cuba from the official state
sponsor of Terrorism list.
As you may know, the two U2 US presidents have already taken
the step that we're asking you to stand in favor of today.
Uh, this is not a, a radical action designating Cuba
as a sponsor of terrorism is the single greatest measure
against the people of Cuba.
It blocks nearly all international commerce with Cuba
directly creating such diary economic circumstances
that nearly 20%
of the population have have left the country.
I ironically bringing here more than 500,000 Latino
immigrants, that the current president rails against
the SSLT designation also directly harms Americans
by impeding cultural, religious, scientific,
and student exchanges and the business
and job bounties of free commerce between the two countries.
When the embargo on food
and medicine was lifted, um,
the Illinois sold more than $500 million in products in just
the first nine months.
Finally, let me add
that the terrorist designation is almost entirely based on
Cuba's hosting Peace talks between the Colombian government
and Gorilla Forces, allowing the Cubans
to enter the gorillas to enter Cuba
for these successful peace talks supposedly amounts
to harboring terrorists.
What's more, it's Cuba that has suffered the loss
of over 3,400 lives from terrorist attacks based
from the United States.
Designating Cuba's state sponsor of terrorism is absurd
and harmful to both Cubans and Americans.
I hope entrust that this committee will so find
and support this resolution.
It, it is right and meet so to do. Thank you.
Thank you for your comments.
Our next speaker is Dr. Howard Erman.
Good morning, uh, chairwoman Rosana Rodriguez,
and to the rest of the all people, thank you so much, uh,
for bringing up this state sponsor of Terrorism Resolution.
Uh, my main pitch is gonna be
as a former Assistant Health Commissioner of Chicago, uh,
as someone who grew up on the south side, as someone
who had polio at age five
before the vaccine and was paralyzed.
So my perspective is very simple.
Uh, the state sponsored terrorism list is an add-on
to the slow genocidal blockade that has existed, uh,
since 1959 against the people
of Cuba, against the government.
This is hurting people in the United States,
not just the 11 million people on the island of Cuba.
Uh, we have hundreds of people right now in Chicago
who will lose their foot, their leg, their toes to diabetes
because they cannot get a Cuban medicine called Herba Pro B.
We have thousands of people in Chicago who have lung cancer
whose lives will be shortened,
who lives will be much more miserable and painful
because they cannot get cx Another medic
medication invented by Cuba.
We have thousands of people in Chicago, born in Chicago,
and not born in some other country who could not read
and write above a fifth grade level adult illiteracy
as 25th Ward Alderman Byron Ccho Lopez knows who's been
working on this for decades,
is increasing rapidly in the United States.
Go to McDonald's
and see if the computer cash register doesn't work
and have somebody try to change money
or figure out what's going on.
So Cuba has the world's largest program in history on adult
literacy called You'll see Pudo.
Yes, I can, that cannot be imported into the United States.
A group of Chicano academics, uh,
an activist in New Mexico 20 years ago
tried to import the program.
It was signed off by the Governor of New Mexico
and blocked by the State Department, uh, under Bush two.
So we call for the lifting of the blockade completely.
We call to support this resolution, to pass this resolution,
and for all of us to work together to once
and for all, uh, have a free interchange
among the Cuban people in government and people in Chicago.
Uh, this would also help small businesses,
particularly small businesses of Latinos,
African American Palestinians,
who could then trade, uh, with Cuba.
This is not just about big Ag.
A lot of people talk about big ag is gonna benefit
from bringing down the blockade.
It's not just big Ag.
Uh, we support small businesses in our
community, and we know you do too.
Thank you very much.
Thank you for your comments.
Um, our next speaker is Jeanette Soloman.
I want to acknowledge other woman Ruth Cruz for the role.
Good morning. My name is Jeanette Solomon.
I'm a Palestinian American,
and I'm here to speak today about Cuba and Palestine.
Two places profoundly shaped by foreign policy decisions,
both bound by similar struggles, blockade and survival.
I've had the privilege to visit both countries, Palestine,
my homeland, where my father
and sisters currently reside, and Cuba.
Just three months ago, I saw beauty and culture,
but also people trying to survive under siege.
Daily life made unnecessarily more difficult.
I witnessed and experienced the direct
human cost of policies.
We, the American people, have the power to change.
In Cuba, I saw a country held back
by an economic stranglehold imposed by the United States
for over 60 years.
The blockade restricts Cuba's access to essential materials,
hygiene products, medical supplies, even insulin
and internet equipment.
Blockade is the language that speaks in shortages, silence,
and slow suffocation.
I experienced the power blockage just five minutes into our
ar, our arrival at the airport,
people stepping out into humid air
because there's no electricity, no fuel for generators.
Blockhead, I met doctors sharing knowledge freely,
giving free healthcare to their mothers, babies, elders,
their ingenuity in developing herbal remedies when simple
pain meds are unavailable.
I met educators and students creating practical technologies
from what they had, building renewable energy,
energy systems to protect their crops, inventing tools
to preserve their land, their water, and their food.
Here in Chicago, we could use Cuba's help
their cancer research
and treatment methods, their diabetes medications,
their doctors, and their values.
The blockade goes both ways.
We've cut off our own access to life saving knowledge.
We need them just as much as they need us.
In Palestine, particularly in Gaza,
the blockade is far more militarized and immediate.
It is visible and brutal in the West Bank.
A 15 minute drive turns into three hours at checkpoints,
humiliation becomes a daily routine.
It's not just travel, it's dignity. That's blockaded.
This is not a, an abstract policy debate.
This is collapse of human rights, a campaign
of dehumanization, and we've all seen
what it means when people are isolated, not for
what they do, but for what they represent.
Sovereignty and the right to self-determination.
I've seen it in Cuba and I've lived it as a Palestinian.
The state sponsors, the state sponsors
of terrorism list was meant to identify nations
that support acts of international violence.
Cuba does not export terror.
It exports vaccines, medical brigades,
and policy of international cooperation denying Cuba.
Access to the global market is being used as revenge
and leverage to label Cuba as a threat
because it chooses independence over obedience is not just
wrong, it is genocidal.
Let's name this for what it is.
Collective punishment, sanctions target civilians.
They block medicine, they create power outages,
they cut off education
and they leave the most vulnerable, the sick, the young,
the elderly to bear the consequences.
Thank you for your comments.
Um, our last speaker is Caleb Wael.
Hey, how's it going? Everybody hear me?
We can hear you. Uh,
my name is, uh, Caleb Wael.
I had the privilege of going on a, uh, delegation to
Cuba in May with a couple of the last, uh, speakers.
And I guess I want, I hadn't really prepared anything.
So I want to, uh, sort of talk conversationally about
what you experience in Cuba.
So the first thing as an American
that I wanna talk about is inconvenience.
Uh, so the first way the blockade is gonna affect you is you
come into the airport, you're waiting
and get your bags checked,
and within five minutes there's a power outage.
Right? Now, we know that, uh, this is something
that happens across Puerto Rico, across, you know,
Caribbean nations, right?
Uh, as they have grids.
Now Cuba has a problem with bringing in material
to, uh, fix their grid.
They have problems with finishing their homes
because concrete can't come in, uh, for, you know,
20 years we heard some stories, right?
So the inconvenience, not only of the people,
that's one thing, the inconveniences you have
or the privilege of being an American, coming there
and seeing it for the first time, you're like, okay,
so I'm pressing my water through a water bottle
that has a virus filter, right?
Um, and you think about the Cuban people
that don't have access to that, right?
Um, the inconvenience of waiting for four hours outside
of the tech center to find out our whole group is waiting
outside in the heat,
and we find out there's only one sim card, uh, inside
of this building right now, none of these things are to do
with the Cuban people's ingenuity.
They've proven that they have, uh, a massive will
and creativity and drive to help the American people.
The Cuban people have demonstrated that time and time again.
Now, when we talk about this as a two-way blockade, we have
to think about that, talk about that fact, which is
that the Cuban people want to help America.
They've demonstrated it,
and they wanna help the American people.
So then you ask yourself, why are we involved?
Or why would we be told that we should have a blockade here?
Right? Uh, Cubans are basically the, I I swear,
the best neighbor you don't even know yet.
Uh, when you go to Cuba under extreme economic duress,
they're the most hospitable, warm, and kind people.
And we were welcomed into rural communities.
We were welcomed into, uh, workers.
We watched their mayday parade where people of all walks
of life have dignity in the work that they do.
Uh, you know, whether it's the broom sweepers that are,
that are marching in the mayday parade
with their brooms held high, right?
So if this blockade is not, uh, helping the American people,
it's not helping the people of the US who have a open
and happy, you know, uh, compatriot in, you know, uh,
making lives better for people
and it's not helping the Cuban people either,
then who is it for?
And I think the answer to that is clearly not us, right?
So for the older people in the room, I'm asking you
as the ones that represent us, uh,
you know, do the right thing here.
Um, and a Cuban example of what can happen, right?
When you have enough ingenuity to make it happen.
Um, and, uh, so yeah, thank you.
Uh, how we going?
Thank you for your comments.
Uh, we don't have any virtual speakers,
so there being no further uh, speakers,
we conclude the public comment period.
Uh, in addition to today's comments,
we received two written comments that were sent
to our committee and shared with members via email.
Uh, these comments relate to item number six on the agenda.
Uh, we'll hold the approval
of the Rule 45 report until September.
Um, so we are going to move into our, uh, first item.
Uh, could I ask that our presenters
for the 2 1 1 item come to the box?
Uh, the next items are votes on matters.
We heard committee last week.
Uh, item number three A on the agenda is R
20 25 0 0 1 7 5 6 4,
which was accepted at our committee meeting on
July 22nd, 2025, and was followed by a presentation.
Uh, we did not vote, uh, on this item
because we didn't have quorum at the time.
So I am going to ask to take a vote.
Can I get a motion to approve item R
20 25 0 0 1 7 564,
elder Elder Ramirez.
So moves all those in favor signify by saying aye.
Opposed say nay in the opinion of the chair.
The ayes have it and I will report this recommendation at
the upcoming city council meeting.
Item number three B on the agenda is
SR 2 2 4 0 0 1 4 4 1 4, which was accepted
as substituted at our committee meeting on July 22nd, 2025,
and was followed by a presentation.
Can I get a motion to approve item
SR 20 25 0 0 1,
sorry, 0 0 1 4 4 1 4, which was accepted
and substituted elder person, ada.
So move all those in favor
of approving these item signify by saying aye.
Aye. Opposed saying nay in the opinion
of the chair, the ayes have it.
And I will also report this recommendation at the
upcoming city council meeting.
Uh, so for our first item, we have, um,
our presenters here from United Way.
Thank you to Jackie Rosa for being here with us.
I will ask you to introduce yourself, introduce your team,
and then we can go into the presentation.
Wonderful. Thank you. Can you hear me all? We
Can Hear you. Wonderful. Thank
you for having me. My name is Jackie Rosa.
I am the Vice President
of Strategic Initiatives at United Way of Metro Chicago.
It is an honor to be in front of so many older people
that are champions for Health
and Human Services that understand, um, how vital it is
for us to continue to support public services,
social services across the city of Chicago
because they are vital and lifesaving.
So today we're here to talk about, uh, 2 1 1,
which is a social service hotline for the city
and for Suburban Cook County.
We can go to the next slide in front of you all have a deck
so you can follow along with us.
Um, we're gonna present and then give you all some time
to ask questions.
So again, Jackie Rosa wanna introduce my team, uh,
Richard Ret, who is the executive director of 2 1 1,
and then Ethni McIn, who is our director of policy
and advocacy that will be presenting with me today.
All right, so what is 2 1 1 2?
One one really came about, um,
during the Pandemic 2 1 1 is a national social service
hotline that has existed in the majority of the country.
Chicago was one of the last, uh, major cities
to receive the 2 1 1 Social Service hotline.
And really what happened was that during the pandemic,
it became clear to both the city officials
and social service human providers
that there was not a dedicated line for people to call
to be able to access social services in the city of Chicago
and suburban Cook County.
So as you all know, who have worked, um, for the city
and for the for public at large.
Uh, as a result, people were calling multiple numbers
to be able to receive things as basic as um, you know,
face masks and at the beginning of the pandemic, um,
sanitizer and there was not a centralized line.
So it caused a lot of chaos in terms of
where people could go to receive services.
So 2 1 1 again is available
for residents living in Cook County.
That includes the city
and it is a 24, uh,
7 365 day a week social service hotline.
Alright, so what is 2 1 1 and what is not 2 1 1.
So 2 1 1 is not a replacement
for 9 8 8 or 9 1 1.
It is not a, um, crisis line.
It is really an information and referral source.
So we help connect people to food, housing, utility,
payment assistance, healthcare, transportation, childcare,
mental health, disaster information assistance and more.
However, this is not a crisis line
and if people are calling in crisis, we do a warm handoff
and are able to connect them to either 9 1 1
or 9, 8, 8, depending on the situation.
It is also, I wanna name, it's not a tool for surveillance,
um, evaluation of services
or reporting on individuals and agencies.
Um, we are very careful with our information
and how it is disseminated
and the only thing we require people to give in terms of
identifying information is their zip code so that we're able
to connect them to services in their areas.
So not only are we able to connect people to services
by calling our line, but people can also go on our website.
It's a search function that allows people on their own time
to look up our database.
Again, with local, state, and federal government
and nonprofit services and resources.
We also have a live chat
and text message for folks
that don't feel comfortable calling
and that is manned by a live person on the other end.
So they're not receiving automated service
when they're texting.
We also, again, have our live phone line,
which I think is the best way to connect the 2 1 1.
We're gonna talk a little bit more about our resource
navigators, which are full-time staff that are dedicated
and trained to be able
to provide the best quality information.
All right, so now I wanna talk a little bit about
the United Way difference.
So United Way is the organization
that houses 2 1 1 United Way is a longstanding social
service funder for the state of Illinois.
United Way has been around nationally
for almost a hundred years,
and we are the largest funder
of social services in the state.
Meaning that we fund anything from basic needs to
what we call our place-based investment,
which is our hyper-local work
that we do in communities across Chicago,
primarily on the south and west sides.
So I think this is really important to note
because not only is United Way, um, housing the hotline,
but we are also the main providers of funding
for the organizations that are providing the services.
So it's really a holistic approach
and we're able to update our database in real time to know
what services are available
because of our relationships
with the organizations providing the services.
We also have a 91% client satisfaction rating, meaning
that when people receive our services, we send them a survey
and 91% have said that they're satisfied
with the service we're providing.
Our wait times are approximately 29
seconds, let me repeat that.
Our wait times are approximately 29 seconds.
As many as you know, part of the frustration
with receiving services in the first place is calling
customer service lines and then being put on hold
for hours would only further exacerbates a situation when
you're trying to receive help.
The average abandonment rate of our calls are 3.8%,
which is very low.
As well as, like I said
before, we have a curated list of 3,500 agencies as well
as 10,000 programs in our database system.
So it is a very comprehensive database system
and we're updating it in real time.
And lastly, our resource navigators are all individuals
that reside in the Chicago region.
They are trauma informed in their training
and we often hear from people
that call the line the difference was having a live person
on the other end that was caring and empathetic
and understanding of their needs.
So to us, we're really proud of the fact
that we've done such an amazing job
of training the individuals
who are the ones connecting people to services in real time.
All right, now I'm gonna turn it over
to my colleague Richard LabRat,
who is the executive director of 2 1 1.
Good morning, can all of you hear me Okay.
Thank you for having us today.
We are delighted to present the services
for 2 1 1 Metro Chicago to all of you.
As we wanted to start this part of the presentation.
The city of Chicago, as well as Cook County, has access
to nine different N one ones.
2 1 1 is Health
and Human Services designated in the late nineties.
As far as a health
and Human service hotline,
it is available in 99% of the country.
If you have a family member that does not live here
and they need assistance, you can simply go
to two one one.org, put in their zip code,
and it will give you the 800 number
of the closest 2 1 1 to them.
3 1 1 is for city municipal services
and it is usually only available in the larger cities.
4 1 1 is your information.
Line 5 1 1 is your transportation hotline, where individuals
that need to know if there are traffic jams
or alternate different paths to take that you can call
for an automated service
that will give you the correct line.
Six one one is your telephone repair line.
This will work for any telephone
provided that you have Landline
or cell 7 1 1 is for those individuals that are hard
of hearing or who are deaf that require a teletype machine.
8 1 1 is what is known as Miss Dig for those individuals
that are needing to flag their yard for cable fire
or water 9 1 1.
Of course, if we don't know what that is in this room,
there may be some issues.
Um, but then 9 8 8 is your crisis suicide hotline
for those individuals that are in danger
of harming themselves or others.
2 1 1 is a part of this matrix really serves
as a support network for the community at large
and works with each of these hotlines
to making sure the individuals are connected appropriately.
What a two one one call looks like is figuring out the
location first of the individual.
How can we best figure out what resources are available
to them in our community at large, they will speak
with an empathetic resource navigator that will listen
to their concerns, whereas more
or less of their direct services that are needed, as well
as the indirect as well.
If they hear screaming children in the background
or they hear that there might be food issues,
the resource navigator is going
to be looking at all resources for that individual.
They're not just going to be looking at maybe the root
cause, but they're gonna be looking at all services
that are encompassed in the individual's needs,
the resources, when the call is finished
and the referrals are completed, they will get them both
by email or by text, depending upon
what the individual requires and what is easiest for them.
That way not only are they hearing it straight from the
resource navigator, but they can also have a copy
of the referrals themselves
as we talk through this.
A referral? Yes.
One a little bit closer to your Yes, there
You go. Is this better? Yeah,
that's better. Sorry about that.
Awesome. So the difference between a referral
and a call, a referral is when we make a reflection
or a referral to an actual program
or service in our community.
This means that we're finding a program
that best matches the needs of the individual,
both in their direct as well as indirect relatable services
that they're requiring on the phone.
The contact is when we pick up the
actual individual service.
This could be a call, a text, a chat,
or it could be a self-service item through our web service.
This means that the individual can have any opportunity
to speak with our staff
or be anonymous in the fact that they just go online to look
for services as well.
We opened on January 27th, 2023.
In that time, we have handled more than 440,000 contacts
and within the next month or two, we expect to hit 500,000.
On average, we handle anywhere between 19
to 23,000 contacts per month, and this number is increasing.
The top needs that we are seeing currently in the 2 1 1
line, which is pretty no different than other two one ones
across the country, is housing utility assistance, access
to food and income support.
One of the other facts about 2 1 1 is really about
how it partners in the community.
When we first started, the main call that we used
to receive was getting housing referrals for
the different various, uh, rent assistance
services in our community
where individuals were waiting anywhere between six
to eight hours before their phone call was answered.
Two one one stepped in
and is now answering the calls
for the coordinated entry line, as well
as the homelessness prevention calls for the city of Chicago
as well as Cook County.
Since taking these in January of 2024,
we have handled more than 83,000 calls
for housing themselves,
bringing the call wait times from six to eight hours down
to less than 15 minutes per call.
The average resident that calls our 2 1 1 services
between the ages of 25 to 34
and 75% of the contact
that come into our service are from the city of Chicago.
What we see as far as the trends, if we can go
to the next slide, the bigger items
that we are seeing currently, we have seen a 45%
above average for employment services,
individuals seeking jobs.
In the last quarter alone, we received over 1600 requests
for employment services themselves for food.
One of the innovations
that 2 1 1 Metro Chicago did in bringing a partnership
with the Greater Chicago Food Depository is making sure
that all food pantries are updated in our
database every six hours.
This means that no individual in the City of Chicago
or Cook County should go hungry.
There are resources available at any time to making sure
that we have all of the updated information.
We saw a 27% increase over the last few quarters
with more than 1500 individuals requesting food
alone in this past quarter.
Healthcare is also exceeding our current, uh, records as far
as how far we've seen the increases overall with individuals
fearing the cuts that are happening with Medicaid.
We are looking for more
and more ways to partner in the community
to help people getting into free clinics, as well
as advocating for further services when it comes
to their healthcare and income support,
where we have seen one of the higher needs as far
as the higher increases,
more than 1200 individuals have been calling in
for income support and assistance when it comes
to their current income levels being depleted.
Additionally, when it comes to housing
where we do the housing lines,
we are seeing rapid increases in contacts each quarter
with this last quarter having more than 16,000 calls alone
regarding to rent housing, affordable housing overall,
the successes that we've been able
to bring since we came on board is handling more than
430,000 contacts since opening,
and this is rapidly increasing
as we go forward in our quarters.
We have recently received the Inform USA National
Accreditation for the next five years.
Uh, this is a mark of excellence that is utilized
by all two one ones of across the country to making sure
that we are working the utmost to help each citizen
and our community that we serve.
We have acquired the three homelessness prevention contracts
with homelessness prevention in the city,
coordinated entry in this in the city, as well
as the Suburban Cook Homelessness Prevention
and coordinated intake for the Suburban Cook area.
Additionally, we also have our partnership as mentioned
with the Greater Chicago Food Depository,
where all 900 food pantries are updated every six hours.
And then lastly, 2 1 1.
Metro Chicago was instrumental
during the flooding in 2023 in helping individuals getting
connected with City county services as well
as direct connections with the American Red Cross and fema.
And it was due to this effort that we recently advocated
and were able to secure
for the Cook County region $244 million in
CDBG disaster relief funding.
It was through this partnership that we were recognized
as well as making sure to bring to the fold
how we could help our community as a whole.
We're not done in where we're going right now.
We've set up these partnerships to bring quality
and efficacy to the individuals that we serve.
But as we watch more services being cut
and federal funding being depleted,
we see the value in even more partnerships in our community
that can help with specialized populations.
The first being birth to five,
we are working on a data consortium in more
or less what we've done with Greater Chicago Food Depository
and making sure that all services
regarding children are updated in the database
that we can work in coordination
with children's programs here in the city
and the county as a direct result of the Cuts and Medicaid.
We are looking at Medicaid HBIA services
to help those individuals that may need additional services.
We are working with the free clinics as well as the FQHCs
to look at ways that we can enhance as well
as direct calls appropriately when they're both full,
as well as when there's, uh, apparent openings.
We are also partnering
with the city right now in reentry services
for those individuals that are system impacted
and how best to relay reporting
and what we're seeing overall as a service.
And then employment services.
As we watch more
and more different people looking for jobs in our community,
we want to have the most up-to-date services
regarding employment.
We are partnering with a number of agencies
to do another project like the Greater Chicago Food
Depository, where all those resources are
updated daily or weekly.
The last item on this is
what is called the Community Information Exchange.
As we work with multiple agencies in the community,
the county has brought together a consortium called the
Community Information Exchange,
where it is a front door entryway to a closed loop network
that would involve health
and human services throughout the community.
What it would show would both be the
what are the individual needs of the client,
but would also show the success
of the individual services in our community as a whole.
2 1, 1 2, 1 1 is working as a partner with them
to help be an intake partner for those individuals
that are in need, as well as look at the follow up process
to look at efficacy of services overall.
The last slide that I'll present on here is our staff
and partner testimonials.
Brian, who is the first member over on the left, left,
has been with us since our our shop opened.
He sees the value of 2 1 1 each
and every day where he can look at each
individual client as a person.
He gets to bring empathy
and gets to show every day when he goes home,
how best he can serve the population as a whole.
How can he give back?
Kelsey has provided testimonial for us, both
for state advocacy as well as multiple advocacy claims
where they have been an instrumental partner
with Greater Chicago Food Depository
and actually getting the word out about the need for food
and how we can best utilize services
and enhance services in our community overall.
And then lastly is Jennifer Hill, our partner
with Suburban Cook Entry Point, where we work with them
with the homelessness prevention dollars as well as
with the coordinated entry for the county.
Without these partners, without these individuals
that support our services, 2 1 1 wouldn't be here,
but more importantly, it's
because of our partnership with the City of Chicago.
That 2 1 1 is possible in becoming one
of the best 2 1 1 services in the country.
Thanks, rich. Again, my name is Ethni McIn
and I'm the director of policy
and advocacy with the United Way of Metro Chicago.
Um, as rich laid before you a wealth of data
and information about who
and how we serve the city of Chicago.
I wanna talk for just a minute about, um,
how this all works from a funding perspective.
Um, our partnership with the city
and county is an excellent example
of an effective public-private partnership.
This is not only is it a an effective example, it's um,
a trailblazing example.
It's a, it's an innovative example that exists in very few,
if perhaps no other place in the country.
Um, it's a deeply collaborative relationship that
as Jackie pointed out, began during the pandemic
where the city and the county
and all the social service providers around this, uh,
the region came together to, um, to solve the issue, um,
of, of people accessing service.
Um, our city funding is 70%, the breakdown is 70%,
sorry, between public, uh, funding sources.
Uh, and that includes the city, the county, and the state.
Uh, and this offers operational stability, um,
and reliable public funding insurers, uh, trustworthy,
consistent services for the public.
Um, 30% of our funding is foundation funding
and that is a flexible, uh, funding source that allows us
to innovate and expand existing pilot programs
and enhance our offerings.
It allows us to target specialized populations such
as seniors, youth, and others.
And in fact, we just launched a pilot program
with the A A RP to target caregivers.
So when people call in
and indicate that they are a caregiver of any sort,
we are able to access a wealth of services to help, um,
support them in their caregiving responsibilities.
Foundation funding creates a culture of innovation
and allows us to be responsive to the ever evolving needs
of our communities.
Um, and that public funding, again,
it offers a joint branding of services with public funders.
It also provides a sense of trust for the public.
Next slide. These are just, um, the, the list
of foundations that we are, uh, in relationship with
and that help fund, uh, 2 1 1
here in Cook County in the city.
Next slide. We are
absolutely thrilled to, um, come to you today.
Um, having just opened last week, our two,
our brand new 2 1 1 contact center at the Exchange Chicago.
Alright, uh, and it's located in Grand Crossing
and it shares a building again, it shares a building
with the Exchange Chicago, which brings it jobs
to local residents providing training and services.
And the 2 1 1 contact center provides 60 local full-time
jobs that start at 20 plus dollars per hour.
Uh, and we will have an upcoming ribbon cutting, uh,
likely in September, uh, when all that gets coordinated.
And we would invite any
and all of you to join us for that ribbon cutting.
Next slide.
And so you might be wondering what we need from you.
We need you to help us get the word out about
2 1 1 in your communities.
No doubt you have people calling your offices every day in
need of all of the services that Rich laid out, housing,
utility assistance, food,
and this is a deeply, um, resourced
option for you all to share
with your constituents when they call your offices.
And we're here to help train your staff.
We are happy to come out to your ward offices
and train your staff on how best to utilize 2 1 1.
Um, we also have a, uh, social media toolkit,
the QR code on the slide.
We'll take you directly to our recently updated, uh,
social media and, uh, communications toolkit.
You can download posters and flyers
and any of our other materials.
You're also able to put in an order with us.
We're happy to print those materials for you as well.
Um, so those are just a few of the ways
that we can work together to get, get the word out about
about 2 1 1.
And I'll just end by saying that, you know, in this time
of confusion and uncertainty around public benefits,
it is essential that we have a trusted community resource
that can help people know where to turn
to get their questions answered
and to direct them to available
alternate resources and services.
The challenges coming from the federal government are
designed to create fear.
The city's partnership with 2 1 1 Metro Chicago
and all the service providers in our database can help
alleviate that fear.
It is imperative that we all support
and continue to strengthen this vital service
that serves all the residents of our city.
Thank you. We also have data sheets on
call volumes in your individual wards,
and we're happy to pass those out as best, uh,
uh, whatever the best way is to do that.
Thank you.
Is that the end? Thank you so much for the presentation.
I, um, I have to say, um,
my staff in the 33rd ward got trained, um, last week
and everybody was talking about how helpful it is.
So I do encourage you to reach out so that, uh,
we can help train your staff.
We are also going to host a webinar on this for, uh,
all our colleagues, everybody that wants to participate.
We're happy to bring you in.
Um, I have a question about, uh, federal funding, um,
and the impact on the services
that you are connecting people to.
I see that the top request is housing
and everybody on this committee
and in council knows that people call our office constantly
to be able to be connected with housing.
Um, how are you being able to navigate, uh,
those requests that we have so little, um, resources for?
So part of our partnership with all Chicago, the city
of Chicago, as well as the Suburban Cook entry point,
allows us to understand how many referrals are available
for individual services when it comes to nowadays housing.
Most often when you talk about these housing contracts,
you're talking about the rental assistance program,
you're talking about rapid rehousing,
you're talking about transitional housing.
All of those different efforts
that we have into play are helping us navigate
how we can best get individuals to the right service.
And due to the fact that the housing hotlines are housed at
2 1 1, they're able to interconnect
with our 2 1 1 services when we can't.
Let's say you get an individual that can't afford their rent
for the month, they maybe have three quarters of it,
but they don't have the full amount.
2 1 1 can not only provide the referral
for the housing rental assistance programs
and things that are there for the direct notion,
but can also provide the additional supports, maybe food,
maybe there's some legal issues in the house
that are causing some,
some outrageous funding issues in the household,
or maybe there's something that they need to do
with their water bill or
utility bill that they can't afford.
2 1 1 is not only sitting there to help out
with the direct issue, but also help with the ancillary
to help offset resources themselves.
But our partnerships with all Chicago, the city of Chicago,
as well as the suburban cook entry point, all serve
to help us see what the picture looks like as we look
to the next couple of quarters.
We're also gonna be building out a locational map
of all services in the city of Chicago
and Cook County so that we can see where are the gaps,
where are the individual dark areas that we need to be able
to fill for the individuals that are in need?
How can we best relay information
regarding transportation needs?
All of those are a core piece of how we work
to help offset that.
Yeah, then I can just share from the philanthropy side
that we're sit at tables with funders from across the city
that can help fill the gaps at least temporarily.
We know that nonprofit
and philanthropy are not the ultimate sustainable solution,
but we're able to go to foundations
and say, Hey, we're getting an increase in calls
for rental assistance.
Can your organization fund an organization
that is doing rental assistance?
Because we know that there's an immediate need right now.
So I think that's the other beauty
of having it at United Way, that we have relationships
with all the funders across the city to be able to say,
based on the data, we need you
to up your grant making in this specific area.
Thank you so much.
Um, uh, Sala, I have you listed for questions.
Thank you, chair. Um,
and thank you to everyone who presented today.
Um, I was wondering what is this, uh, um, the, the numbers,
the hard numbers for this, uh, funding blend.
Uh, what is your operational budget, uh,
and what are the dollar amounts that you get from each
of the different, uh, government entities?
So currently from the city of Chicago,
we receive 1.9 million for 2025
from the suburban cook.
We receive 1.25 million per year for the next three years.
So 1.25 in 20 25, 1 0.25 for 2026
and 1.25 for 2027.
We received funding from the state in 2024 in
the amount of $750,000.
Um, and we expect next year
with the current funding structure coming from the state
of Illinois to receive anywhere between 125
to $175,000.
Over the past four years,
the state has invested over a million dollars
2 1 1 service in our area.
Over how much? You said? Over a million. Okay.
From the state. And we are one of the only, if not the only,
um, privately run two on one in the, in the country
that receives state funding.
Got It. Just for the folks in the room,
our funding is coming directly as A-D-F-S-S line item.
So DFSS is the agency. Thank you.
Also wanna share that the city, um, it's a year
to year agreement, whereas with the county,
it's a three year multi-year contract.
Right. Okay. Just taking some notes down.
Um, so that's about $3 million from the public.
Um, and then you got 30% from foundations.
Um, and which foundations are the ones
helping out with funding?
I don't think I saw that. We did.
Or is that just, is that the private funding?
Yes, the partners. Mm-hmm. Okay. Sorry. Great.
Um, lost my train of thinking.
Um, I think what, uh, kind of just, uh, what, what
do you need help with moving forward?
I mean, what are some of the challenges
that you are experiencing right now?
Um, I also know that it's, it's a tricky thing, right?
Because you all are managing
or trying to help manage the decay
that we're seeing in our communities, right?
From the federal onslaught, um,
and through just unsustainable models of privatization
and austerity.
Um, and so you all are just being dealt
this, this brunt of work.
So what are the challenges that you're seeing?
How can we be helpful? And then I think a third part is, um,
uh, would like to know, you know, is there policy work
that you all are engaged in that is being informed by this?
Because when I look at these numbers, you know,
with the amount of calls that are coming in
for housing, right?
And housing assistance utility, that should be a
glaring call to action, a clarion call
to our legislators at all levels of government to say,
we need to do something on housing.
We need to build affordable housing.
We need to lift the ban on rent control, right?
We need to do all these things, um,
instead of doing nothing.
So if you can also speak to that, those efforts on how, um,
this work and these numbers inform maybe your other,
your other forms of advocacy.
Yeah, absolutely. So I'll start
and then I'll hand it over to my colleagues, um,
specifically ethni with the policy
work that we're embarking on.
So I would say from you all,
really it's supporting the funding
and sustaining the funding
that's coming from the city of Chicago.
Uh, this funding is the funding that goes
to pay our navigators.
We're, we're paying them 20 plus hour and,
and these are entry level jobs
and the navigators love their jobs.
We have an, a really high retention rate for call centers.
Typically call centers, you know, they see a revolving,
revolving door of staff.
We've had staff with us from the very beginning,
which is now going on three years.
Um, by being able to open up this call center,
we're also contributing to the ecosystem
of disinvested communities by hiring locally as well.
So I think just continuing to advocate
and champion for
that sustainable funding from the city is
very, very important.
Also, as we see cuts coming down the pipeline, we're going
to need trained informed staff that is able to deliver
that comprehensive information in real time.
So if we see a decrease in staffing
because of funding cuts, there's going to be an impact in
how that information is disseminated into community.
Creating a funnel where people are going to, um,
become even more, um, challenged in terms in terms
of accessing services,
which is already a challenge to begin with.
So I'll turn it over to Rich
and Ethni for the remainder of your questions.
I think one of the things that we also would put in front
of you is we have, uh, in-depth reporting
that we provide out to the community at large.
It's interactive, uh, power BI reporting
that shows every week an updated claim as far as
how are the resources, what types
of things are actually happening,
which demographics are being affected, what areas
of the community are most effective or affected,
and then where can we best look at services overall.
So the reporting itself, by putting that in front of you,
we have it both in city as well as county specific.
We also have it zip code specific.
And we are now, we have now put together a ward specific.
So now we can see what is actually happening by month
by day in the individual wards in our community so
that we can best look at the services overall,
look at needs, unmet needs, the whole bit.
But as we go forward, we're not alone. Mm-hmm.
What we do, as with our partners, is making sure
that we can fill those gaps United Way
as the essential key partner this city DFSS,
along with the county.
With each change that happens with each program
affected in our community, the city, the county,
the United Way are first to call to say how can we help?
Where do we need to put programs
and how can we best adjust Anthony,
In terms of our policy and advocacy agenda, it is, um, uh,
the foundational piece of our policy
and advocacy agenda is around economic security.
Right. Um, 'cause without economic security,
nothing else is possible.
Right? Um, we, uh, sit at several tables that are advocating
around the earned income tax credit
and the child tax credit.
We helped establish the first child
tax credit here in the state.
Uh, with, uh, with our coalition partners.
We also have, um, we use the data from 2 1 1 as well
as some lagging data from, um, some reports
that we also put together.
Um, that track how many families o above the PO
above the poverty line are still
struggling to make ends meet.
And those around food and housing and healthcare
and our advocacy agenda is, um, again, is undergirded by
that e economic security piece.
And we also advocate around those other pieces,
those other pillars.
Um, and we sit at tables with other,
with other organizations that are doing that work as well.
'cause we can't do this, we can't do advocacy work alone.
I just have a couple more questions.
Um, well thank, thank you very much.
Um, I think that I, I, um, one,
I think this report is great.
I'd love a, a virtual option, uh, file of this. Mm-hmm.
But I would also, uh, encourage you to send this to all
of my colleagues, uh, not just the ones on this committee,
but all the aldermen.
Um, so that this helps inform, uh, their policy priorities,
especially as we're moving into budget season,
because I think this is a really good indicator of
what we should be focusing our efforts
and conversations around.
Um, uh, I have a question around immigration.
Um, so, you know, of course right now we're seeing this, um,
horrendous attack towards our immigrant populations.
Um, I see that one of the, um, uh, services
or referrals that you offer is under the category of legal,
consumer and public safety services.
Does those legal services include, um, referrals
for immigrant, uh, uh, services and needs?
Yes. Okay.
What might, might be helpful, um, is maybe if that could be,
I, I wonder if it would be helpful if we could break it down
to actually specifically say like immigration related
services, because I think that can also highlight, um, some
of the, the specific need, nuance need of that, uh,
individual, um, concern.
Um, one other question I had,
maybe we can talk about this offline, is just, um,
a breakdown of the age and need categories.
Like what, like what,
what are the specific needs under these?
Like if, if 25 to 34-year-old folks are the ones
who are self-reporting, what are the specific needs?
I imagine that there's a,
a difference in needs across the age populations
or maybe that's a false assumption.
Um, but I'm just curious as to
how the different age breakdowns,
um, reflect different needs.
Could you maybe speak to that? Yes.
So part of what we've designed with our reporting, you,
you've brought up two different things.
First is looking at the actual specific needs outside
of the actual blanket need of what you're provided.
That report is meant to be just more
or less, here's a snapshot.
Sure. Yeah. We can do
actually go down a bit further down the rabbit hole
and show the actual specific services themselves.
Secondarily though, the reporting
that we have is interactive.
That means if you select an age group, you're able to see
what needs they're requesting,
what is actually happening per that.
So not only that,
but we also have specific questions around veterans
or individuals with children in the home.
So you can start seeing maybe
what those individual needs are
for those specific populations.
We've also introduced the system impacted so that we know
who, you know, what types
of issues are hitting those populations.
All of that is interactive on our reports to kind
of showcase what you need.
And we can alter those reports to making sure
that they're admitting your, you're admitting your
individual's offices.
So if there's a specialized report that you need,
it takes less than 10 minutes to build.
Excellent. Okay. That's fantastic.
Um, I appreciate all of that.
I'll do some more homework and
tinker around with the system. Thank you very much.
Thank you Alderman. I want
to acknowledge other woman Gutierrez, uh, who is here.
And I also want to acknowledge our interns in the 33rd Ward
office who are present here.
Sina and Angel, thank you for being here with us
and thank you for all the work
that you're doing this summer.
We deeply appreciate you.
Um, I have vice-chair Ramirez Dex for questions.
Good morning everyone. Um,
forgive me if you guys have talked about this,
but I was wondering about, um, multilingual capacity
with 2 1 1 and then curious if somebody calls,
do they have a, um, a way
to look back into the system on like previous calls,
how long they've been waiting.
I think that that's been sort of like a complaint sometimes
that people don't get the follow up.
Um, so curious if they have, um, maybe a, a, a certain login
that they can refer to.
So I'll answer the first question,
which is the language accessibility.
Um, 25% of our staff are certified in Spanish.
We actually have them certified
through a local university here to making sure
that the individuals not only can speak, but can write
and making sure that we have everything
appropriate in the system.
For those individuals that do not speak English
or Spanish as their primary language,
we have a third party language line that we can use
for those individuals
to get them the assistance that they need.
Once those goes, once those numbers go over a certain
percentage, we'll start looking at certifying more
languages inside the center.
Um, but we're watching it very closely to making sure that
that language is accessibility, is meeting the demand.
As far as the contacts that are coming in when it comes
to follow ups, what you're asking is if we can go back
to take a look at a client that is in our system,
and the answer is yes.
The database is not shareable outside of the 2 1 1 world.
We don't do surveillance.
We don't share PI with any individual outside the matrix.
However, in the event that an individual calls in
and we have their information, we can go back
through the referrals that they were provided.
When it comes to follow ups, one of the things that we do,
each and every call that receives a referral, we are going
to ask the client if they would like a call back.
So as far as what is the efficacy
or the efficiency of the service itself, now
that would probably be about 60 to 70% of our overall calls.
But I can tell you that the success rates when it comes
to follow ups across the country is between 10 and 20%.
We're looking at ways to automate that systems
that we have better follow up procedures in that endeavor so
that we can reach out to more people.
Part of the issue is hours
and trying to follow up with an individual
and getting back with them on their phone,
but right now we have anywhere between a 12
to 15% follow up rate in success.
Thank you. And um, you know, for our office for instance,
like we have direct contact with specific organizations
that help support specific needs.
Curious if, if there's any support,
if people needed transportation.
Do you guys give out bus passes or?
We do not provide bus passes. Oh, okay.
But we are now entering into a partnership
with Ford Philanthropy as well as United Way Worldwide.
And Lyft. Once, uh, we finished the legal, uh, coordination
with that, we will be providing, uh, round trip free rides
for those individuals requiring non-emergent health
appointments as well as for those individuals going
to first time job interviews.
Yeah. So that is part of a pilot project that we've worked
through with our foundations and helping with that.
The mapping that I talked about earlier,
where we're looking at services in our community,
we're also gonna be looking at how we can enhance
that transportation program to go beyond the setup.
Amazing. Well, thank you so much.
Um, we had to reschedule with you guys,
but now I'm aware it's not just
for me, it's for my whole staff.
And so I made sure I text the staff that we have to be ready
for everybody 'cause this is super beneficial.
So thank you for all your work.
Thank you. And our committee is happy
to put together trainings.
You can reach out to us, um, for anything that,
that you want around 2 1 1
and we can, um, serve as a bridge.
Um, I have chair Hadden next.
Thank you chair. Um, thank you all for the presentation.
Um, Julia, I'm so un like I realize I'm sitting in your seat
and you really have to crane your neck to like talk
to your mic and, you know,
walking a mile in someone else's shoes, just
nothing like it.
Um, um, thank you guys for this
and I know we have, um, time that we're scheduling, um,
with the team for, for my office.
And, um, one of the things that, um,
I'm wondering, one, thank you for these.
Um, I would love to see, um, all the wards.
I'm just curious and then like the aggregate,
and we're working on something in 49
that this is gonna be most helpful in.
So I'm looking at the categorization
that you guys have for the calls.
Do you anticipate maintaining this categorization?
The categorization that you see in there is, according
to what's called the heirs taxonomy,
it is the highest level.
So like when you go to a library
and you see the different white cards,
I'm really showing my age with stating them.
But that is the high level we can adjust to down
to six levels below.
So it's really about adjusting what it is
that you would like to see.
As far as the center point, we can go as high
or as low as you would like
each one of these different things.
This is more or less the pilot to see
what could garner interest
and how we could build out more of the facets
that would help the individual offices.
So the reports themselves are malleable in the fact
that we can make adjustments very quickly.
Um, and it's really to inform,
Good to know. And I,
and I ask not, not so much in thinking of that level,
but from our office to you guys.
So I've got, um, volunteers
who are current currently working on, um, uh,
they determined it would be really helpful for my office
to have a different way
to show community resources.
Right. So like an asset map, if you will. Yes.
Um, we currently have like an interactive Google map
where hey, like, you know, it's more like,
here are these nonprofit organizations and um,
and this is where, you know, this is
where you can find them.
Um, and so community members have been working for a couple
of months to kind of thoughtfully engage with what we've had
for a few years and what they think that we need
and working on kind of the categories.
So we'll do, you know, at a basic level, be an updated map
of kind of resources to our area.
Um, but, um, we're also working on, um, a needs assessment.
We're gonna do a couple canvassing days in August, uh,
to go door knocking in a few, um, kind
of higher concentration areas in our ward
where we know we have more people of a certain age.
Right. Or kind of certain economic, um, status.
And we are also, um, we're asking questions, um,
about things related to federal government cuts.
So our broad categories are like, you know,
do you have concerns about, um,
federal changes related to immigration?
Do you have concerns about federal changes related to, um,
you know, trans rights
and L-G-B-T-Q issues, um, employment services or,
or have you had changes related to your employment?
Right. Um, food resources, uh, veterans services,
um, education, and I think healthcare.
Um, but as we are asking those questions
and thinking about the tools, it would really be nice
to have, um, a template.
So that's what I'm thinking of, of
what you guys have is like, hey, if you guys have, um,
categories like this that you think you're gonna stick with,
pretty, pretty much,
and like, that's like a standard that we could adapt to.
I'm more thinking about how we could adapt the way
that we are coding things, right.
Um, whether it's, you know, how we want
to show resources on our map
or how even our staff can talk about
and kind of catalog things.
So that's where I ask, so
'cause this is helpful to have a frame instead
of trying to create a frame.
Does that make sense?
But we're, we'd be more than happy, we would love
to partner on that specifically
because we have the full lists from the different levels
and we can either go up one for a very specific
or go down for others.
That's not a problem at all.
Awesome. Okay, then we'll,
we'll add that to our follow up. I
Just wanna share, we have a pretty big database team.
We have six full-time people
that are consistently looking at our database team
that could partner with any of your organizations to,
I think it's a great idea to like systematize
what you all are doing on the ground
to inform our system as well.
So that way it's all sort of on the same sort of categories.
Yeah, no, that would be really helpful
and would also help them, I think as a group of volunteers,
they're like, we're trying to figure out the categories
and I'm like, there's no wrong answer here.
Um, but this is, uh, helpful to have, uh, again,
just something that translates across systems.
So, um, I think those are, um, I might invite, if it's okay,
some of our volunteers then
to join us when we set the time for our meeting.
That'd be amazing. Thank you. Thanks Chair. Thank
You for your questions.
Um, next I have Chairman Sik Cho Lopez.
Thank you. Thank you Chairwoman.
And, um, I appreciate the opportunity to,
to discuss this important service in a time of need.
I think it is great
and definitely our office will reach out to have a,
a training with, with the 2 1 1.
Um, and, um, a lot of the questions that, that I had, um,
I think have been answered one of the questions
that I had In terms of the, I know, um, in terms
of the funding, 70% is funded by the state and city
and the rest is, and county.
Do you have a breakdown of kinda what is the contribution
of each, um,
like a breakdown from the state, county, and city?
So the city itself for 2025 is 1.9 million.
And then for the county it's 1.25
for the next three years consecutively.
And then from the state, uh, we've received just shy
of about a million dollars from them
over the past three years. Mm-hmm.
Thank you. So I, I will, I I'll say, um,
it is like a pretty evenly uh, a partnership
with everybody's, contributes a similar amount.
Um, I think that the, um, I would, I would say that,
um, just given the federal cuts
and what we're experiencing, right, um,
just at the state level, uh, I think a number that we saw,
it was a cut of about $168 million for
substance abuse programs
and another critical, um, services that the state
and city need, uh, have, what would have been the,
if there's any way to, um,
seeing the increase versus last year?
I think now we have at least maybe like half the year
for this year compared to last year.
What, what can you tell us about the, the, I mean, not
to assume, but probably like the increase of,
um, in service.
As I said, you know, judging my word, this was about, uh,
an incredible number is about 6,000,
almost 6,633 referrals for housing alone.
You know, you got like about 13,433 referrals.
Those are huge numbers. So in terms of like,
and just to quantify, you know, maybe there's a comparison.
I think this for last year, if there's a way to, to see how,
what, what has been the,
the increase versus last year? Yes.
Mm-hmm. We keep, uh, very specific data on all of that.
When you talk about the overall needs, uh,
we not only have it
for Cook County, we have it for the state.
Um, so 'cause we work very part very closely
with 2 1 1 Illinois.
When we look at housing, uh, in the Cook County area,
specifically, as we look from 2023 to 2024 to 2025,
housing itself has seen anywhere between a 30
to 50% increase overall in the referrals
that we're providing.
This is both attributed to the housing lines
that we've taken on as well
as the increased need in the community.
The second biggest one is really around utilities.
Utilities has been a big force in the community lately, um,
whereas we've seen the other three, which is food,
healthcare, and employment do a massive
increase over the past two quarters.
This is more related to the federal cuts
that we've been watching lately.
We know that this is causing a bit of fear
amongst the individuals that are calling us as well
as many people losing their jobs.
All of that data we can categorize by ward, by city,
by county, by zip code.
So you can see the individual increases overall from an
interactive basis as far as any way that you want it.
You can hash it by demographic, by veteran status, by age.
We can give all that to you so
that it's right there in your hands.
Thank you. I I think that we will be very helpful in terms
of also advocacy.
And I appreciate the partnership
because, um, as the federal government continues
to make cuts in, in very, uh, critical areas,
we're seeing like SNAP benefits, uh, many of the things
that you mentioned, um, housing, uh, public education,
head start programming, um, really concerned that the,
the effects that this will have
and continue to have in communities like ours
that are working class neighborhoods.
Um, and I do think it'll be, um, critical.
I think we've seen that in many of the responses
that we have seen in terms of crisis.
Uh, state, county, city must act, uh, together.
Um, I think that, um, Chicago in particular,
just at the state level for every dollar
that we pay the state and we only get 80 cents back.
Uh, so that inequity added to the federal cuts,
I do think really, um, are devastating.
The, the other thing that I see in terms
of like extreme weather, you know,
and other factors that are really contributed
to emergency responses.
Um, I don't know if you've seen like, um, um, you know,
in terms of what else we can do, um, collectively
for advocacy, you know, in terms of coming together, state,
county, city, I think there's a need of revenue
and I don't know if there's anything out there
that maybe your team has been discussed.
Uh, no. Alderman, uh, ADA mentioned
how we can advocate together.
I think a lot of it is at the state level,
but I do think that it will be great to partner together
to raise attention about the need to have a local
response in line of these cuts.
Go ahead. I was gonna say absolutely.
So we're happy to convene round tables of,
of advocacy stakeholders.
Um, as Ethni mentioned, we do have our policy
and advocacy framework, which is again, um,
rooted in economic security.
But we're able to cut the data in any way that you all need
to be able to support the policy
and advocacies that you are trying to move.
So again, please see us not only as the resource for 2 1 1,
but also as a data resource
for the important work that you all are doing.
So if you are already meeting in coalition
or advocating, um, for any
of these critical issue areas, I'm hearing housing a lot.
We're happy to come and, and speak on behalf of the data
and current trends that we're seeing.
I think it's also really important,
say this is not stagnant, this is real time data, right?
Often a lot of needs assessments
and reports, they might be a few years old.
We're, this is literally every single day,
every minute we can cut the data.
So again, please see us as a resource.
Happy to convene a table, happy to come to your table
and, and share this information.
I think the only thing that I would add,
there are two pieces that you're referring to.
One is around federal benefits.
Right now we're watching
as federal benefits are a question mark.
One of the programs that we are partnering with,
with the state is called My Friend Ben.
And what this program does is it tells us
what state programs an individual may
or may not be eligible for by putting in the kind
of their income range and everything else.
From there, we can then determine
why the individual's requesting need.
Whereas before, when you're talking about SNAP benefits
or Medicaid or other services, we may not know
where they fall in that range.
This program in partnering with us,
will help us look at the overall path of the individual
and what we need to do to support them from a
local need standpoint.
The second piece of what you're talking about is
around disasters.
Cook County, city of Chicago is not
what I would call the disaster city.
You know, in the south, in New Orleans, South Carolina,
Florida, they see their certain amount of hurricanes
and their disasters that have come forward.
But taking those examples with the experience
that this 2 1 1 has
with the management leadership when it comes to disasters,
we're able to bring those individual resources
that they have seen in the South
that can best enhance without bringing federal
dollars into play.
How we can best supporting services in our community
through disasters
and using those examples to help us move forward.
Um, thank you so much, your women.
I think that love to have a follow up.
Definitely welcoming, maybe presenting this data in our ward
to raise awareness right.
About the needs and maybe, you know, using it also
for advocacy at the state level.
I think it's critical that the state looks at
ways to fund these gaps.
'cause the federal cuts are devastating in areas
of huge need, like access to food, uh, access to, uh,
to housing, public education, uh, but even disaster
and emergency responses as we're seen in, in Texas and, and,
and the horrific response
and what it is to actually, um,
take away from emergency services
to actually use the funding
to terrorize immigrant communities is horrific
what we're seeing in our country.
And, um, I think this is really a call
for action at the state level, um, to really find, uh, re
re uh, revenue resources.
I think one of the think the quickest,
I think is really charging, uh,
the surcharge on millionaires
that people already voted last year,
that 3% surcharge could bring $4.5 billion
of desperately needed of revenue for
key key services that are needed.
So I definitely love, uh, to maybe find a way
to present this in a joint effort to the state and county.
I think the advocacy is critical
and the data you provide, I think an informed policymaker.
So I appreciate your, your presentation. Thank you. Thank
You. Yeah, the data is,
is pretty incredible.
I had a point of information
before I go to, um, my colleague.
Um, when I look at the referrals in the report
for 33rd, um, I see that the calls
are always a lower number than the referrals.
Is this, because when people call, let's say for food,
you also figure that they are in need for rental assistance.
Okay. So the best way to describe this
to you is the calls will always be lower than the referrals
with each call 2 1 1 services are mandated
by a national approach that we provide anywhere
between 2, 2, 4 referrals per call.
So that that way the individual isn't just getting blown
off, they're not, you know, basically said, well,
there is no resources.
We're looking through what we have that can help both
with their direct and their indirect,
but by providing those individual referrals,
those individuals can then have the breadth
of services available at their fingertips.
That's why you see the, the difference.
Okay, thank you. I have other woman,
mana Hop, penworth next.
Thank you. Thank you Chair.
Thank you all for coming to the 48th Ward.
We really appreciate it. And, and for being here today.
Um, along the lines of what, um,
elder Ramirez was asking about follow up,
and thank you for being data-driven as well.
Can you tell me a little bit more about how you
report success in helping folks?
Like what, what's the best way that you could, um, show us
and, and how could we show our neighbors
that two on one actually works if you use this service?
So as part of the follow up reporting in our system,
we actually can see when an individual gets assistance
according to the follow-up responses from the individual.
So we're reaching out, you know, we've, about 60 to 70%
of our calls are going to have referrals.
We're going to be asking those individuals so
that we can call them back.
We're having a 10 to 12, 10
to 17% success rate in getting back with the individual.
From there, we're able to show the success
of the referrals themselves and whether
or not they're satisfied with the call.
Each month we produce a 22 page report to the city
through DFSS that not only outlines the needs
that are happening on the call,
where the calls are coming from the demographic breakdown,
but there are two pages that are dedicated to the success
of the resources themselves.
You know, how effective are those
referrals to the individual?
What is the reason
behind the effectiveness behind that referral?
It may be that the individual didn't have the right income,
there may be barriers to what's going on.
So that 22 page report is a map
that we do every single month.
That helps kind of break down all of that.
Thank you. I also
appreciate your reports that you shared with us per ward
for the last three years.
Would it be possible for you to send a year over year report
so we can kind of see the trends
or is that something that you do through the chair? Yes,
That is very simple. We can do that for you.
I am glad that data is very simple for you to get.
Um, what I appreciate about this report is that you
had client demographics in here and included transgender
and other, um,
because you of course know that, uh,
the mayor started Transf Femicide working group
and we wrapped up the third of the third of three, um,
meetings in the Broadway, armoring Edgewater.
And so we had, um, several dozen people there.
I think it was the largest group of the three meetings.
And, um, I appreciate what you said about,
if if you don't have a job, then it's gonna be hard
to get everything else.
Um, and so that, I just wanna reflect that that was one
of the main things that,
that folks are really concerned about trans women are, are,
um, having difficulty finding jobs.
And so, um, and,
and also they are, um,
having trouble finding city services too.
So, um, one idea that came up was, you know, how how is it
that we can share this service 2 1 1
and D-D-F-S-S?
Like how, how can we do that together?
So I look forward to working with you, um, on trying
to promote what you do, um, with our ward offices.
But one idea that they shared was, you know, go
to the people who need the services
and oftentimes the community is underground
because they don't feel safe.
So, but one of the places that they do, uh,
find community is a nightlife.
So I just put that out there to say that there are a lot
of creative ways that we could find, um, ways to promote
what you do with our community.
Um, and that would be fun.
So, um, I also,
it's also striking to me that we are talking about
how employment is number one,
but in your 2 1 1 calls
and referrals, it's, it's really housing in,
in the 48th ward, there's al almost 2000 calls for housing
and it's over 6,000 referrals for housing.
So I would like to work with you more on that.
Our numbers are very similar to 49th Ward Hans.
Um, and, and it's, it's, um, it's very important
to me that we, we address this, especially in the 48th ward,
Edgewater uptown, where we have a very high number of
LGBTQ plus folks living.
And we know that, um, uh, you know, there's only 7%
of youth in all of the us
but there's 40% of them are, are reported, um,
to be impacted by housing.
So how is it that we can work together
because we're talking about, um, our youth, um,
who are not finding the city services
that are available to them.
Right? So that's very frustrating to me
and I would like to do better with that,
especially since we're in the front lines.
Um, and working with you would be really powerful.
Um, the other thing I wanted to know, um,
I appreciated the language access, um,
that you spoke about earlier.
Oh, I wanted to know, how is it that in your, um,
reporting of success
and helping folks, how are you able to reflect on
and report on how you're coordinating agencies?
Because that was one of the, the things
that somebody brought up.
It's not just housing, it's usually something else.
It's employment. It might be, you know, something
with the legal system, you know, how is it
that you report on how you're coordinating services
or is that something that you do?
So we have a couple of different reports.
We also have what is called the, uh, secondary need report.
So when we make a referral for let say housing,
we can also see what the other referrals
for the individual were.
So we can actually start mapping out when an, in
what an individual looks like as they come into the system
for their primary and then the
alternative needs that are there.
We have a database team of about four individuals that work
with the individual agencies throughout our community so
that we're updating them, we're making sure
that we get those individual services into our database.
We're also looking at the larger agencies
that have consortiums to kind of get in the door to talk
to more of their branched agencies as well.
So there's a number of ways that we're looking
to connecting services, not just with housing,
but with others, so that we can see these
ancillary effects as well.
Terrific. Thank you.
Um, I had a question about,
you're three years old, is that right?
Yeah, three years old. Congratulations.
Um, and I'm glad to, again, I'm glad
to hear about the certification for language.
Can you talk about the demographics of your staff?
So right now, about 25%
of our staff are Spanish certified.
There's a couple, probably say about another 10%
that just haven't received the certification yet,
but that they, they may be getting that soon.
Um, I know that when it comes to calls inside of our center,
Spanish is about four to 7% in any given month.
And then the other languages, uh, range between 0.5% and 1%.
Right now, the two languages
that we're watching closely is Polish
and Swahili were two of the, the languages most recently
The racial breakdown.
The racial breakdown inside of our center is, I want
to say 60% African American.
And then we have a number of individuals, um,
Hispanic probably about 20%,
and then the other 20% are Caucasian or other.
Can Can you talk a little bit about how
you train your staff on,
of course, anti-discrimination,
but particularly on, um,
discrimination against trans people?
So we have a number of things at our disposal.
So as I said in the beginning,
we are now informed USA accredited for the next five years
a mark of excellence.
That's because we incorporate various aspects into our
center that we keep to various KPIs
and that we have policies accordingly.
But more importantly, it's about following the informed
USA training.
And what the inform USA training really works around is how
to be empathetic, how to deal with difficult individuals
and how to be non-discriminatory towards any population.
And a larger piece of that training really revolves
around the LGBT community
with various components when it comes
to the trans community as well.
We also have the Trans Lifeline where it's one
of our resources that we can provide warm handoffs
for those individuals that are in need.
Um, and then we are looking to add more
and more LGBT resources to our, our database as a whole.
I think one of the things to recognize
when you talk about the LGBT community
and 2 1 1 is there has always been an openness
to adding more and more resources
and to enhance the training overall.
Not just here in Cook County, but throughout the country.
This is something that is deeply impactful
to the individuals that are in need.
You brought up a very good point when it comes to housing
and you look at other populations, the LGBT community,
specifically the trans community, is directly affected
by a lot of the housing concerns.
Now how do we work as a system
to moves forward?
And that's where 2 1 1 really steps up.
We're looking at more and more resources.
We look at the training and we look at ways
that we can bring in other partners
that can help in those concerns.
We know that we cannot do it all,
but we understand that there are partners
that can help us in supplementing that.
But part of our training is really
around anti-discrimination.
It's really around how do we make the LGBT FA family feel
as a whole to us.
Terrific. And then I know you're,
you're only three years old and you're building your staff.
Um, can you speak on ways that you might be, um,
promoting positions that do come up
and we, we wanna continue to fund what you're doing
of course, but, um, how is it that you would promote
positions to attract trans, trans people to apply?
I'll start and then I'll let Jack you finish.
I think one of the bigger items
that we've run into is really being a part of the,
the Exchange Center and kind of partnering with SDI
and our current employment approach.
But I think more importantly, when we advertise
for positions both within our staff as well as
for leadership positions, we're looking to cast a wide
blanket out to the community so that we're reaching all
of these different organizations when we talk about
advertising positions, we would also be reaching out
to those LGBT specific organizations
as a whole in the current community so that
that way we're getting all individuals
that could be interested,
that could bring us even more facets into this.
As we start to see our call volume trends change,
when we start to see more calls related to specific aspects,
we're gonna be looking to change the way that we hire.
So trends impact overall how that works,
but getting each one of these specialized populations inside
of our staff, inside of our database only serve
to help people even more.
Jackie, what did I miss?
Nothing. I just wanna reiterate our commitment
to hiring diverse
and making sure that we're reflective
of the Chicago community.
So that's something that we're really proud of.
Happy to reach out to you in terms of specific populations
and organizations that work to hire individuals like that.
But I think that, you know, it's really important again
to note that we're committed to that.
Also committed to ensuring
that people not only are paid well,
but they do get really good benefits
with our organization as well.
So including paid time off in healthcare,
which is super important.
Looking at the chairwoman right now. Smiling.
Perfect. Thank you.
Thank you so much for being here
and thank you for the work that you do for the city
through 2 1 1.
Thank you. Uh, other woman Gutierrez, followed
by Alderman Yancy, are you still there?
Alderman? Yancy, go ahead.
Uh, wo Gutierrez? Yes, I am here. Sorry.
Okay, we'll come, we'll come
to your questions in, in a little bit.
Okay. Okay. Thank you.
Thank you Chairwoman. Just wanted to ask, uh,
with the recent storms that we had last week
and the flooding that we experienced in the southwest side,
um, 14th ward was one of the wards, uh, impacted as well
as 23rd and 13 the most.
Just wondering, uh, if you have, um, a report of, uh,
constituents that call for, um, assistance for any type
of resources, either housing
or emergency disaster information or anything like that.
Food as well. Just wondering if, if, um, many
of our constituents did call 2 1 1,
We can take a look at that directly to making sure
that we can compare your last month versus this month.
As well as look at the specific
resources that were referred.
All of the deck different taxonomy terms
that we use in there can break down
how those referrals were made.
So we can see where the disaster
resources were referred as well.
But we can definitely break that down for you. Sure,
We'll appreciate that.
And also if you have any other resources that you can share
with our office so we can, uh, share with the constituents
that have been calling our offices as well.
'cause right now, you know, we're preparing um, all
of the documents and everything, um,
to hopefully they could declare the
emergency for them to get reimbursed.
But if you have any type of resources that we can share
when our constituents call our office,
we really appreciate that. Yeah,
And I would say definitely have
'em call 2 1 1 to begin with.
And again, because we have bilingual services, they're able
to have Spanish speakers on the line.
Sure. Thank you so much Jackie.
And on that, uh, one thing that my office is planning, uh,
we have been doing a lot of canvassing out to
get people familiar with certain services
and we're doing specific 2 1 1 canvases out just
to let people know that this is a resource that they can use
and I think it's a great way to engage community, uh,
knock on doors and offer offer services.
Um, they have really great materials
that you can use for that.
Yeah. Um, so I'm happy to also facilitate,
um, that coordination. Yeah.
If you can please send any materials
with all the services that you have.
'cause I know a lot of our constituents just call
3 1 1 or nine one one.
Right. And they don't know yet about the great, um, things
that you do and 2 1 1
and the opportunities they have and resources.
So if you can share any PDFs so
that way we can print 'em out in their offices.
Uh, it could be, uh, English and Spanish please.
So we can, uh, disseminate.
'cause we also do canvassing
and we visit a lot of block parties and stuff this summer
and our back to school events.
Right. So that way we can share all of
that information with our constituents.
Exactly. You, you did say that you have a toolkit that
We do, and Emily's coming right now
with a swag bag for you.
There's a QR code
that everybody should have on the presentation
as well as in your bag.
That QR code takes, takes you to our toolkit
if there are specific orders.
So I know like, um, door knockers,
door hangers are very popular.
We can print them out to you and bring them to your office.
We're doing that with, uh, that's amazing.
The chair woman's office. So, uh, we'll make sure to connect
before we leave, um,
either your constituent service director
or your chief of staff and then follow up directly
to be able to provide you those materials.
Awesome. Thank you so much. Uh, you're next.
Aman, are you there? You're my last speaker.
Sorry. Yes. I was pushing the button
on my phone and it wasn't working.
Good lord. Uh, I didn't have a lot to add.
I wanted to mention that I've been, uh, a supporter
of the Exchange Project and SDI
and, uh, they've been so excited about, uh, United Way
and the 2 1 1 center coming just amazing workforce
development program happening in Greater Grand Crossing, one
of those forgotten communities.
And to have United Way, um, really commit
to hiring local
and supporting this initiative, um, just adds
to the excitement around the work
that you do across the community.
So I just wanted to lift that up and say thank you.
Thank you, alderman. Are there any other questions?
Anybody else? I think that everybody got
to ask really great questions.
We're so grateful for your work.
You're so, we are so grateful for your partnership.
Um, I am happy to get any information to my colleagues
through the chair, so anything that was asked today,
feel free to send it and I will, um, make sure
that everybody gets it.
And I am also very happy to facilitate any, um,
any other coordination to make sure
that all our neighbors in the city of Chicago are aware
of the service, um,
and are aware of all the help
that they can get through this line.
Uh, thank you so much for being here with us. Thank you.
All right. Next on the agenda we have item number five.
It's R 2 2 5 0 0 1 7 4 9 9.
Introduced by other person, Jesse Fuentes
to call on the US Congress, Congress
to establish an end date
for the Puerto Rico financial oversight of management board
and ensure transition to our Puerto Rican fiscal autonomy.
Can I get a motion to accept item
R 20 25 0 0 1 7 4 9, 9 other percent cast.
So move all those in favor, uh, signify by saying aye.
Opposed say nay in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have,
uh, I would like to pass, um, the mic to Al Fuentes
to get us started and introduce our guest.
Thank you. Uh, chairwoman, uh,
Rosa San Rodriguez Sanchez Aye represent one
of the largest Puerto Rican constituencies in the city
of Chicago, um, and am unapologetically Puerto Rican.
The circumstances that we see in Puerto Rico as it relates
to what we call La Junta, uh, the fiscal control board, uh,
has caused serious austerity in Puerto Rico
and who bear the brunt of the financial crisis
are the working families.
Uh, we have been working at the congressional level, um,
to ensure that we can pass pieces of legislation
that do several things that ask for, uh, LA Junta,
the fiscal control board to come to an end.
Uh, but that, you know, also call for Congress to, um,
repeal and close the tax loophole
that is causing mass gentrification
on the island of Puerto Rico.
Today, uh, we have a really good friend of ours, uh,
who has done a lot of work, uh,
for the Puerto Rican diaspora, uh, who serves as, uh,
our advocate and lobbyist in Washington DC So I'm going
to turn over, uh, this component
of the presentation to Federico.
Thank you Fuentes.
Thank you Chair Rodriguez Sanchez
and members of the committee for the opportunity to speak
before you this morning.
My name is Federico de Jesus.
I'm a senior advisor to Chicago's Puerto Rican cultural
Center, and I'm here to urge you
to pass all the Fuentes resolution calling on the US
Congress to put a mandate
to the fiscal control board it imposed on Puerto Rico.
You may be wondering why the Chicago City Council should
be addressing this issue.
There are more reasons than you may think.
Allow me to explain. Nine years ago,
the American municipal bond market was on the brink.
Due to Puerto Rico's debt crisis.
Congress passed a law that summer Promesa
to save the municipal bond market precisely
because of the contagion effect in cities like Chicago
and states like Illinois.
That is how the Junta ruling over Puerto Rico was born,
charged with overseeing a bankruptcy like
process for the island's debt.
The unelected fiscal board has since controlled Puerto
Rico's budget, often overruling its duly elected leaders.
The austerity and colonial policies imposed by this board
combined with natural and manmade disasters,
has caused thousands of Puerto Ricans to move to Chicago
and have made the already robust
barua community in this town.
More vibrant. The Junta installed in the US territory
of Puerto Rico brings to light certain inconvenient truths
that affect the close to 100,000 Puerto Rican Chicagoans
and the rest of the population of this great city.
One of those inconvenient truths is
that Chicago is losing tax revenues.
Federal tax loopholes allow wealthy Chicagoans
and other Americans to move to Puerto Rico
and stop paying Chicago, Illinois and federal taxes.
Under Act 22,
these individuals are evading taxes costing Chicago
and other US cities desperately needed revenues for roads,
schools, and hospitals.
While this is happening, colonial gentrification has made it
unaffordable for many to remain living in their communities.
Many of those displaced have moved right here
to Chicagoland The Junta.
And by extension the US Congress has
allowed this to continue.
Congress needs to close the Act 22 loophole as you
and this city council called
for a resolution passed on January, 2024.
Thankfully, congresspersons Delia Ramirez
and Chewy Garcia have taken the baton
after Luis Guttier has left office
and are working tirelessly in Congress
to close the Act 22 tax loop poll.
We also look forward to the leadership
of our friend Senators Durbin and Duckworth.
And we know that other leaders such
as Governor Pritzker understand why the wealthy need
to pay their fair share in taxes just like the rest of us.
And speaking of the wealthy,
while the fiscal control board in Puerto Rico has paid bond
holders vastly more than what they originally paid
for working Puerto Ricans children,
seniors have suffered under the deep cuts in services island
communities depend on some argue
that the fiscal control board
or FOMB should remain in place
until the last major bankruptcy is resolved,
prepa the electric utility.
Others say that the Junta has defended rate payers
and is pushing for the utility to repay as little debt
as possible to avoid paying bond holders
billions more than they deserve.
I agree that the Junta has acted correctly on this score,
yet arguing that they should stay is asking Puerto Ricans
to choose between continued undemocratic rule
or feeding the vultures.
This is a false choice.
This committee should approve this resolution
and call on Congress to put an end date
to the Junta ruling in Puerto Rico
so it is dissolved in no later than two years.
If the preppa debt has not been settled by then,
the utility should be placed into regular
federal bankruptcy.
Continued direct colonial rule is unacceptable.
That is why I strongly urge you
to pass over Fuentes resolution
and urge Congress to put a date certain
to end this sad chapter in our shared history.
Thank you very much.
Thank you so much for your statement.
Um, I would like to take a second to acknowledge
how important this is for me.
Um, I am originally from Puerto Rico.
I was born and raised there, um,
and I had to leave Puerto Rico because of colonialism.
I had to leave Puerto Rico because of austerity.
Um, I had to leave Puerto Rico
because there was no other choice,
and I had to leave Puerto Rico alongside thousands
and thousands of people that had to leave Puerto Rico
and they didn't want to leave.
All of my family is there. I came here alone.
And although I have made Chicago my home,
and I love it here so much, I miss my family every day.
Um, and I miss my country and my nation every day.
Um, what we're seeing in Puerto Rico, it's a disaster.
We are seeing, um, v uh,
taking over our land.
We are seeing people being displaced to create resorts
to own our natural resources.
Um, and it is absolute destruction.
It is absolute devastation.
Um, we have a nation that is now full
of Airbnbs, uh, so that other people can come
and enjoy the natural wonders of our nation
that we can enjoy as Puerto Ricans.
Um, so this this piece of legislation, um,
I'm very grateful for.
Thank you, Jesse, for introducing this.
Um, I think Puerto Ricans deserve to be able
to rule over their land.
Puerto Ricans should be able
to make decisions about their finances without a board
that tells them how they're going to use the money,
where they're gonna cut, um, how they're gonna cut education
so that they can pay vultures.
Um, and I I do believe that we need to get rid
of Promesa already.
This is, Puerto Rico has been colonized for so long.
First, um, under the rule of Spain,
and now for 127 years under the rule of the United States,
we have been victims of imperialism.
Um, and Promesa came
to be an effort of recolonization over a land
that has never been able to be free.
Um, so I do ask for your favorable consideration
to this item, um,
because Puerto Ricans cannot wait any longer.
And now I'm going to pass it again to, um,
other woman Jesse Fuentes for remarks.
Thank you, chairwoman.
Look, a lot of folks would ask, well, well, why bother
with this resolution when a municipality like Chicago has no
authority over a congressional piece of legislation?
The reality is, is that we are all interconnected
and we must utilize our political
and social platforms to apply pressure to the people
that behold the office that can make the difference.
What we are asking for here today is for the people
of Puerto Rico to be able to determine their own future,
both in financial status
and their ability to determine what gets funded
and what does not, and how taxpayer dollars are spent
on the island of Puerto Rico, Rico and in status.
Puerto Rico is the oldest colonial
property in the world
with Puerto Ricans living on every continent on this earth.
And so, as a representative of, of robust,
beautiful Puerto Rican community, I need to ensure
that I'm also representing my family's interest.
And the reality is, is that people
who come from Puerto Rico always dream
of the day that they can go back.
But if Puerto Rico continues to be under colonial rule
with Aster austerity measures that are taking place today,
there will be no Puerto Rico to return to.
We have corporations
and multimillionaires privatizing our beaches.
The island of Puerto Rico belongs to the Committee
of Natural Resources.
It goes to show you what Congress thinks of Puerto Rico.
We can no longer continue to allow the reality
of Puerto Rico to continue without fiercely advocating
and pushing our legislators to do the right thing.
Now, I'm extremely lucky to have a congresswoman
who lives in the 26th Ward who is seeking
to close the tax loop of Puerto Rico.
But we know that there is so much more work to do.
Ending Promesa is one part, allowing
for a true self-determination process
for Puerto Ricans is the second.
And so I urge my colleagues
to support this resolution knowing that
this symbolic process today will allow us to continue
to advocate in the halls of Congress the way we need to do.
So thank you Chairwoman.
Thank you. Wo anybody has questions
or comments about this item?
All right. Uh, can I get a motion to approve item
R 20 25 0 0 1, 7, 4, 9, 9.
Other person, ADA.
So move all those in favor of approving this item.
Please say aye. Aye.
Opposed, ay nay in the opinion of the chair's, Des have it.
And I will report this recommendation at the
upcoming city council meeting.
Thank you Federico, for joining us today.
Um, thank you for taking bold action. Really appreciate it.
Yes, absolutely.
Um, next on the agenda we have item number six R
20 24 0 0 1 1 0 1 8, introduced
by other persons, six Cho Lopez to call the United States
to remove Cuba from the state sponsored terrorism list
and complete the restoration of travel
and trade between our nations.
There is a proposed substitute to this item
that was circulated.
Um, alderman, would you, uh, walk us
through the proposed changes?
Yeah, thank you so much, chairwoman.
And, um, I, um, I first wanna thank you for,
for taking on this item.
The resolution was, um, uh, introduced, uh, uh, last year.
So this substitute simply updates a little bit
of the language as now, um, there's an, um, a new,
uh, federal administration.
So this just simply updates the language, uh,
just based on the change of federal administrations.
And again, I wanna thank you for taking on this item.
Do we have any questions about the changes from members?
Can I get a motion to accept the substitute
to item R 22 4 0 0 1 1 0 1 8
Elder Fuentes.
So move all those in favor to accept, say aye.
Opposed say nay in the opinion of the chair.
The aye have it. Um, I'm going to pass the mic now
to Aldermanic Cho Lopez
to get us started and introduce our guests.
Thank you. Um, thank you very much, chairwoman.
Um, I wanna, um, um, thank, just first share
how proud I am of, uh, the city
of Chicago on taking on these issues.
The resolutions that we, uh,
are talking today throughout the health
and Human relations Committee certainly should be a,
a reason for all of us to be proud of, of, uh, of Chicago
and to stand up for constitutional rights
and human rights for everyone.
And I wanna thank in particular, uh, uh,
chairwoman Rosana Rodriguez Sanchez
for taking on these important issue, um, or, or, um,
or Cuban brothers, sisters
and siblings, as we heard in public comment,
are important part of, of our city.
They have also been, uh,
here in medical missions in 2017.
Uh, medical doctors came, uh, from Cuba to Chicago
to help us in, um, in some of the poorest areas of the city
of Chicago medical missions that are here to collaborate
as Dr. Howard Erman has shared, uh,
that have helped us not only on medical missions here,
but across the world, um, they really explored solidarity.
They really explored, um, um, health
and literacy campaigns that are of mutual benefit, not only
to our country, to Cuba for the world.
In 2014, thanks to the efforts of the Cuban government
and, uh, the Cuban Cuban people that have always been a, um,
a people of solidarity
and care for one another that prevented a huge outbreak
of Ebola worldwide.
Thanks to the support
and efforts in West Africa, um, here in our own city.
I can attest as a former adult educator,
when we have had missions not only for medical care,
but also to improve our literacy rates.
Uh, we had, um, Cuban, um, teachers that came
to exchange experiences
and how we can improve our leadership rates that are given,
um, that we are the richest country in the
world that we should have.
Our leadership rates are a hundred percent we can be,
we really look at Cuba as an example of
how they have achieved, um,
almost a hundred percent leadership rates
that have actually, um, have the highest rates of graduation
for doctors that really invest in public education,
in healthcare, and many of the basic needs to
that any country should have.
But really, uh, also in, despite
of all the challenges have been an example
of solidarity across the world.
And here in Chicago, we can attest,
and that's what the city council actually voted in 2021
to leave the embargo on the Cuban, uh, on the Cuban people.
As these Cuban, uh, uh,
as this embargo has created a huge humanitarian crisis
that have only have worsening.
Uh, when, uh, the tru, the Trump administration decided
to add it to the list of a steady sponsors of terrorism
since two, two since, since, um, then in the last few years,
we have seen a massive exodus of Cuban, uh, residents, one
of the largest in all Latin American countries,
almost 1.25 million people have left the island
because of this, uh, inhumane and,
and, uh, um, a a really, really atrocious, uh,
embargo enlisting them in the state.
Sponsors of terror terrorism have only worsening the
already dire conditions.
That's why we put this resolution last year calling on
attention on city Council.
City Council that already voted again to leave the embargo
that continues to be in place.
But to add, um, insult to injury, this list
of state respons of terror is in, is unjust,
is unfair, is uncalled for.
It doesn't qualify for any of the, um, uh,
the criteria that is being used to add Cuba in this list.
And it's created tremendous pain
and suffering, as you heard from some Cuban
and Cuban American residents here in Chicago
that are really, um, as the neighbors
and the people who are coming missions really, uh, um,
to us a reason to have much of solidarity as they're being
for us to help us in, um, medical and educational missions.
I think throughout the world, they're exporting vaccines
to treat even, uh, preventable.
Um, and, and,
and really prev, um, widespread illnesses like diabetes.
We can benefit by mutual collaboration
and solidarity that can make both
of our countries better off,
but a world that is really free of violence
and free of despair.
So today, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm proud to introduce people
who have been, um, uh, directly involved in,
in the, in, in these missions that have visited the,
our Chicagoans that have visiting also Cuba
and AC can attest, uh, to the work of mutual benefit
and collaboration that is really needed in a time like this.
So, uh, I want like to introduce the three speakers, uh,
Dr. Howard Irman, Michael, uh, Tmore
and Margaret in Harbert three, uh, Chicagoans
that are example of the different, uh, collaboration
that we have had between our city and Cuba.
And I'm grateful for their, uh, presence today so
that they can inform why this is so important
and the dire need right now in the, in, in Cuba
and the need for solidarity.
I think Chicagoans, I think, um,
are the hardest working people in the, in the country
and also people that we believe in solidarity
and much collaboration to, uh, address the challenges
that we had in front of us last global, uh, climate change,
the pandemics, the challenges in in, in global health, uh,
climate, uh, change, education, and many others.
So, um, I'm not sure it may be, uh, Marguerite,
you wanna start and then we go down the line.
And thank you again, chair women.
I'm really proud of being here
and I'm very thankful for your leadership.
Thank you for inviting me to present my statement today.
My name is Marguerite Hoberg and I'm the founder
and current executive director of Hothouse,
a widely recognized cultural center,
which this year is cel celebrating our 39th year
of service to the city.
Hothouse, among other things, provides many Chicagoans
with employment
and has contributed substantial tax dollars to the city
in the four decades that it's been in operation.
I am pleased to also announce we are currently pursuing the
development of a new hothouse in Bronzeville
and the great Pat Dolls Ward.
Among other things, hothouse is one
of the nation's premier presenters of Afro-Caribbean
and Cuban cultural programming.
And for the last 15 years, we've been leading delegations
to Cuba twice a year.
This program started in 2016
when Hothouse was awarded a grant from the US State
Department to build a cultural exchange
with artists in Guantanamo.
More than 150 people have traveled
with hot house in safe and legal trips.
Last February when we were,
when I was returning from our tour
to the Havana Jazz Festival, I was pulled out of line
and customs in the Miami Airport
and subsequently detained in what I call a black site
for more than five hours
where I was not told why I was being detained.
I was not allowed to make any phone calls
or speak with an attorney.
My two telephones
that I had while traveling were confiscated
and private information on the phone was examined
and was held by customs
and border agents for more than two weeks.
Subsequently, my global entry privilege,
which I had paid the fee for, was also revoked.
I can only surmise since I was never told directly
that my detention
and harassment was a result of my legal work in Cuba,
which brings me to my appeal today.
Labeling Cuba as a state sponsor of terror allows uninformed
and nefarious actors to label me as a supporter
of terrorism instead of a person with no criminal record
and a lawful abiding, upstanding citizen of the city
of Chicago, where I've contributed greatly
as a model citizen.
Moreover, as somebody who has traveled
to Cuba more than 100 times,
who has relatives living in Cuba, who has many projects
with friends and colleagues there,
and who also has enjoyed an enrichment of my intellectual
and spiritual understanding of life by being there.
And who remains in awe of the outside contributions
that the people of Cuba have made to the world,
particularly in fields of international solidarity health
and medicine, and scientific and cultural advancement.
I can attest that I have never remotely encountered anybody
who has any violent tendencies, let alone
terrorist proclivities.
Contrasting my experience there with a heavily guarded
and menacing security forces in the Miami Airport
and wi witnessing all sorts of brutalities
under the auspices of war on terror, as well
as apprehending without cause or due process, black
and brown people in the us and the lending of cover
and material aid to the genocidal machine in Israel leads me
to conclude that the designation of Cuba as a state sponsor
of terror has other motives than any based in reality.
And for that reason, I encourage all members of the council
to pass the resolution to take Cuba off the list.
In 2020, I was part of the Broad Coalition
who encouraged the council to condemn the embargo of Cuba,
a measure that passed the city council unanimously
and went on to also pass in the state.
While these are largely symbolic measures, the psychological
benefits to people who are trying
to live without electricity or food is immeasurable.
It tells them they are not alone. Let's do that today.
Thank you for your time.
Hello, uh, I wanna thank y'all for having me here.
My name is Michael Tidmore.
Um, I have had the opportunity, the chance to go
to Cuba a couple of times on an educational tour.
And my experience there was just, uh,
it was an amazing experience just to see the resilience
and, uh, the enthusiasm of the people that have
so much peace and love
and really wanted to build a bridge and,
and build a positive relationship
with the people in the United States.
I also had the opportunity to host, uh, some doctors, uh,
delegation of Cuban doctors
that came into the Inglewood community that was
focusing on a study on maternal health.
And it was well received by the people in Inglewood.
It was a lot of information that was imparted, uh,
that alderman Byron, he gave a whole list of a lot
of the things that anybody that does research
and study on what's happened globally, uh,
in Cuba and around the world.
So I won't run off that list
'cause he did such an elegant job in doing that.
But I wanna say this, as Margaret said,
and I'm sure my colleague, uh, Dr. Howard is gonna say
as well, Cuba does not deserve to be on a list
of terrorism.
You know, Cuba is a real friendly, friendly nation,
a real friendly people.
Uh, the political bigot bullet points
or talking points that we hear so much about Cuba.
We need to look past the smoking mirrors,
look past the, all of those bigot points
and see the real humanity of the people.
See the real humanity of the Cuban, uh, people.
It is very important here today.
We, at a important point in time
with all the global things that's going on
around the world now, we have it in our hands.
You all have it in y'all hands to be the, the human medicine
to help the people of Cuba
because this embargo is something that's been really, really
hurting to the people.
And if we are people of humanity,
caring about humanity, we should all do the right thing.
Look at ourselves, do a our own personal
inventory on what's right,
and we would come to the conclusion.
I'm very hopeful that we need to stop this
embargo on the people of Cuba.
Thank you. Thank you very much, uh,
to my two colleagues who just spoke
and certainly, uh, to chair Rosanna Rodriguez, um,
and to Alderman, uh, Byron Citro Lopez.
Uh, it's no coincidence
that we're talking here a couple minutes, uh,
after the resolution about Puerto Rico, uh, as
one of the most famous poets in the world,
not just in Puerto Rico, lo Rodriguez,
that the said Puerto Rico
and Cuba, our two wings of the same bird.
And the question of energy just to begin with, is crucial
in terms of what's happening.
Uh, everyday people on the island of Puerto Rico are dying,
uh, because of the blackouts in particular diabetics, uh,
who I met myself in 2023, uh, as a public health physician,
we were invited to go, uh, to one
of the world's most incredible projects, uh,
not just in the Caribbean, Casa Pueblo in Junta.
Uh, we met Puerto Ricans, um, who lived,
because I'm sure, as the chair of this committee knows, um,
and the other alder from Puerto Rico, uh, Casa Pueblo, uh,
has a specific priority to provide solar energy, uh,
to diabetics so that they don't lose their insulin.
But on other parts of the island,
uh, this is what's happened.
The same thing now is happening in Cuba.
Uh, you don't have Luma, uh, one of the worst of the worst
of privatized energy companies
who never did anything like this before.
Uh, but what you have is the US is tightened the blockade.
45 banks in the same hour
that the Trump administration on January 20th this year
signed off to put Cuba back on the list of terrorism.
45 banks with one hour cut ties with Cuba.
Cuba's infrastructure
for its energy is a colonial infrastructure built
by the same imperialist country, the United States
that continues to occupy Puerto Rico.
That infrastructure means there's only seven major power
plants that are not connected at all to each other in terms
of the flow of oil.
Although Cuba, uh, with the help of China
and other countries is massively as quickly
as it can building, uh, solar power,
it can't keep up with the demand.
And so, because of the blockade and
because of the situation now being worse
because of SSOT, uh, Cuba can,
has a very difficult time not just to get the fuel
to these seven power plants,
but to actually get all the different parts
that need to be renovated.
They're making their own parts as we speak.
This is not easy to do at all.
Uh, three of us who were here, uh,
early today just came back in May, uh, for two weeks.
Uh, we were staying a block from the second largest
maternal child health, uh, hospital on the island.
And even that hospital,
that's the number one priority on the island,
suffered blackouts every day.
Um, so this is not a coincidence.
It's not a coincidence that this is directly tied
to the true terrorist nation in the world.
Uh, the United States and Israel, who
as we speak on your phones, you can watch children
and adults dying of famine during this meeting.
So what we're calling for is very simple.
Uh, this blockade
and this blockade is being made worse by Cuba's designation.
You know, illegally as a state sponsor of terrorism, um,
is not just hurting all these countries.
It's hurting millions of people in Chicago,
cook County, Illinois, and the United States.
Uh, as we spoke about earlier, uh,
we are gonna have hundreds of people in Chicago, uh,
lose one or more limb
because of diabetes when they could get
this medicine from Cuba.
The same thing with lung cancer, the same thing
with adult literacy.
And we could go on and on down the book.
Um, the trade that has to be opened up is not just trade
with major capitalist corporations.
What's needed is to trade with small companies, both rural
and urban, in places like Chicago, uh, in New Mexico
and whatever, uh, that are run by African American,
Latinos, native Americans.
There's been Native American delegations go to Cuba
who have offered ways in which to grow food in some
of the worst droughts in the world
that are happening on the island.
Uh, will be taking a delegation, uh, from Mexico, uh,
in December, which if anybody here who wants
to work on water can come with us so that people can learn
how to capture water,
because they have these periods
that are happening all over the world,
including here in Chicago
where you have massive droughts followed by Eros,
where you have 6, 7, 8 inches of wa
of rain in a couple hours.
Um, so these methods are extremely important to share.
Uh, this is being inhibited, uh,
by Cuba being on the SSOT list.
So it's in the interest of everyone,
and we really, really respect
and honor everything
that the city council committee is doing
to not just pass this,
but to develop a mass movement so that this makes it out
of this council into the full city council
and gets adopted as soon as possible.
Thank you very much. Be happy to take any questions.
Thank you so much, um,
for your comments and presentations.
Uh, alderman, ADA, I have you first for question.
Hmm.
Thank you Madam Chair, and thank you to, uh, all of our,
uh, speakers today.
I actually wanted to share my own testimony that I,
I shared earlier today at our press conference.
Um, and I'll just, I'll just read for from that.
Um, so I want to thank the Chicago Cubi Coalition,
all the community leaders, uh, for all their, their advocacy
and work on this issue.
Um, to the members of the committee, you know, I'm someone
who has seen firsthand the devastating impact
of the United States failed policy
and a designation of state sponsor of terrorism, uh,
on Cuba, and also the embargo blockade.
Uh, I've seen firsthand that these
policies are harmful and they're deadly.
That is why I'm in firm unyielding solidarity
with the Cuban people and the movement to end the moral
and economic abomination
that is impacting, uh, their country.
I had the privilege of joining a delegation to Cuba in 2023
to assess the conditions, uh, and,
and to interact with various Cuban institutions
and conduct normalize
and respectful dialogue, uh, with, uh, their leaders.
We also brought over 500 pounds of medical equipment
and medicine because that is, uh, a deep need.
As was mentioned earlier today during my visit,
I walked the streets of Havana, spoke
with families struggling to access basic necessities,
and met with doctors, educators,
and public servants doing the best they can
with the limited resources they're forced to, uh, work with.
I have seen the resilience, compassion,
and beauty of the Cuban people,
but I have also seen the unnecessary suffering
that our country's harmful
policies have inflicted upon them.
We saw firsthand how our nation's policies have led
to shortages of life-saving medications, forced hospitals
to operate with outdated equipment, limited Cuba's ability
to recover from natural disasters
and severely stunted their ability to develop their nation,
to build homes, to repair infrastructure, et cetera.
So we have to be very clear
that these policies are not just a relic
of Cold War politics.
It is an act of policy of collective punishment
and human rights violations
that has been repeatedly condemned by the United Nations
and rejected by nearly every nation in the world.
It's actually also visiting, uh,
the United Nations, uh, website.
Um, and you can look at a statement
that they issued on February 7th, 2025.
Uh, the state, uh, statement is United States, uh,
experts dismayed by decision to reinstate Cuba
as state sponsor of terrorism call for the, uh, lifting
of unilateral co uh, co, uh, coercive measure.
Um, I want to quote something from this, uh, statement
where they say the decision, uh, for, uh,
reinstating the state sponsor of terrorism is another act
of unilateral coercion
that which goes against all United Nations resolutions,
stressing the illegality
of unilateral coer coercive measures
and their serious adverse human rights
and humanitarian impact.
It also defies the overwhelmingly adopted annual United
Nations resolution on the, quote, necessity
of ending the economic, commercial
and financial embargo imposed
by the United States of America against Cuba,
and conveys a clear message on the future, uh,
United States government's stance on this issue.
Um, it goes on to say that, uh, Cuba has reportedly lost,
um, about, uh,
two two, two hundred and fifty $2 trillion
because of the impact of the embargo.
Um, so, you know, as an, as a local elected official,
I believe that we must raise our voices
and call on our federal leaders to act.
So I, I call on our congressional delegation,
our Senators Durbin Duckworth, um, to raise their voice
and use their powers to speak out against the humanitarian
crisis that has taken place in Cuba.
Uh, Chicago is home to a vibrant
and diverse community, including many of those
who have ties to Cuba.
That is why I was proud
to introduce a similar resolution at the
Cook County Board of Commissioners.
And that is why I will, uh, be voting in the affirmative
for this resolution as well. Thank you very much.
Thank you Alderman Alderman Lopez,
do you have any, anything else you wanna say?
No, I just, uh, basically just thanking you
and the coalition, the Lavante, uh, for, uh, for Cuba,
the Chicago Co, uh, Cuba Coalition,
and all the city council members for taking the time
to lease in this important resolution.
Um, again, even though we voted on the blockade, um,
to leave the embargo in Cuba, the blockade continues
and it has devastating effects on, uh, Cuban, um, uh,
brothers, sisters, and siblings.
Um, we also understand that, um, the, uh,
the resolution was taken upon the state.
And even though it is again, um, not a, a policy
that we can affect in the federal level,
it really calls attention of the inhumane conditions
that are being created by our foreign policies
that are creating massive displacement
and for immigrants to come here
and not only, uh, looking for refuge,
but now they are also being terrorized here in our
country once again.
So this is, uh, a call for us to take the,
to take the lease, to take Cuba out of the, uh, lease of,
uh, states that, uh, promote terror,
but also is a call of action across the state
and across the country to elevate the issue of the suffering
of, uh, our neighbors, uh, from Cuba who had come
and help us in time of need.
They were here in 2017 17 medical mission, uh, mission
as an adult educator
of seeing him coming on educational missions
and exchanges that are mutual benefit.
So this is a, an, um, a column action.
I hope that city council not only takes on on this
resolution, but also urge the state of Illinois
to follow suits as we did when we, um,
call on lifting the embargo
and to call attention at the inhuman inhumane treatment
of people, not only in Cuba,
in Puerto Rico, in Latin America.
Uh, that is the reason why many people are migrating
to our country because of flee violence
and fleeing sanctions, fleeing now, uh, inhumane treatment
that put 'em in a, in a really unfair list.
They're no terrorists.
The Cuban people
for generations have exported international solidarity
medical missions, education, admissions,
and I call on city council and Chicagoans to take on this.
These are neighbors that are here also in our city.
And as, um, many panelists mentioned, we can have so much,
uh, we can do so much good by doing more exchanges,
cultural, economic, and otherwise.
What we think we cannot do is silent
and look the other way when we see so much suffer
that can be prevented.
And our follow policies at the, as they change, I tell you,
will, uh, will prevent people from leaving their homes.
As, as you mentioned, chairwoman colonialism is really
what is, uh, and violence.
The state violence is provoking displacement
of massive scales.
And today we have an opportunity to take on a moral action
and to raise awareness, hopefully also at the state
level and at the federal level.
This is inhumane, is unfair, and I hope
and urge my colleagues to, to, to support this resolution
and also to create a massive movement
that condemns inhumanity, that condemns violence
and genocide everywhere.
Today we can take action. Thank you, chairwoman.
Uh, thank you Alderman. Si Lopez.
Um, I want to add to this conversation as
a Puerto Rican, um, who watch
people in my country died
after Hurricane Maria, who watch my family be without
electricity for a whole year in my town of Oma Kao.
Um, the hardships
that cause lives that we experienced, just
because the government of the United States, um,
have all this contempt
and all of these power that goes unchecked.
Um, and we have been seeing this in Cuba for so long.
Um, the only thing
that we have experienced in Puerto Rico
from Cuba is solidarity.
And unfortunately, because of our colonial status,
when Hurricane Maria, uh, happen,
and Puerto Ricans were dying of preventable causes.
'cause in Puerto Rico, nobody died because of the wind.
Nobody died because of a flood.
In Puerto Rico, people died
because they had to drink contaminated water.
They died because of lack of electricity
after the hurricane.
Uh, lack of dialysis, um, lack of insulin.
Um, that's why people died in Puerto Rico.
And the Cuban doctors wanted to come to Puerto Rico to help,
but because of our colonial status,
the United States did not allow international aid
to reach Puerto Rico.
But the United States also did not provide aid
for Puerto Rico in a timely manner to preserve lives.
So, um, the only thing
that we have experienced from Cuba is solidarity.
We know that the term terrorism tends
to be used very loosely, um,
by the government of the United States.
And I think that this is a moment where we need to speak up.
This is a moment that requires deep solidarity
and requires that we get out of the comfort zone, um,
of silence, and,
and we take a stand, take a position, um, in support
of people who are being incredibly oppressed by,
uh, US imperialism.
So I am a yes on this item.
I encourage all my colleagues to support,
uh, this resolution.
Do I have any other questions or comments? Okay.
Yes.
Again, I think it, what was really, um, I,
I said this earlier, but I just wanna stress it again.
The United Nations condemns this because it's illegal.
No other place in the world does this
to other people except us.
Um, the whole world is condemned, our country for doing this
to an entire population of people.
Um, our nation uses the guise of, uh, fighting
for democratic norms when this is a country
that is backsliding and democracy itself.
Other countries rank higher in democracy than the
United States, and they don't do this to other nations.
So I think it's just really important that we break the mold
that, um, imperialism has allowed us to just feel
so comfortable in living with
and like normalizing complete destruction and devastation.
And as elected officials in the heart of this nation, it's
so important that we break the normalization of this, um,
plague that we've committed.
Uh, that's been happening for over six years.
So it's time that we, we put a stop to it. Thank you.
And I love that we get to do that in this committee
and I'm so grateful for all of you.
Um, there be no further question.
Can I get a motion to approve item R 2 24 0 0 1 1 0 1 8
as substituted person Fuentes.
So move. Um, all those in favor
of approving this item, please say, aye.
Opposed, say nay in the opinion of the chair.
The ayes have it. And I will report this recommendation at
the upcoming city council meeting in September
with there being no further business before committee.
Can I get a motion to adjourn? See, no Jefferson.
So ordered the meeting of the Committee on Health
and Human Relations is now adjourned.