Join us for a memorable evening as we celebrate our 55th anniversary, reflect on our accomplishments, and share our work that galvanizes action for social justice! | |
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Thank you to our current and past supporters, including:
Applegate & Thorne-Thomsen, Boston Consulting Group, Bernstein, BMO, Dentons, Goffen & Glossberg, The Habitat Company, Hughes Socol Piers Resnick & Dym, J.P.Morgan, Perkins Coie, The Sidley Austin Foundation, Lucy & Peter Ascoli, Christian Coon, Steve Galler, Deborah Harrington, Jonathan & Susan Kaden, Sheila & Chris Kennedy, Betsy & Scott Lassar, Rosanna Marquez & Jonathan Medow, Sarah Walker Pauls & Robert Pauls, Augustin Wegscheider & Erin Amico, and Jodi & Christopher Wilson.
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This year Impact for Equity launched a new series of issue briefs entitled “Advocacy in Action,” where we shine a spotlight on policies shaping Illinois in the spheres of housing, criminal legal systems, and police accountability. Read about them below, and be on the lookout for more to come! | |
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AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLANNING & APPEALS ACT
We issued a brief detailing the amendments to the Affordable Housing Planning & Appeals Act (AHPAA) and recent changes that went into effect this year. We examine the affordable housing shortages across Cook, DuPage, and the collar counties, and how recent changes in the law have the potential to enhance the affordable housing stock across Illinois. Read the full issue brief here.
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SAFE-T ACT & POLICE BODY-WORN CAMERAS
In February, we launched our first brief in a series examining the status of SAFE-T Act implementation beginning, with an examination of the Chicago Police Department's body-worn camera program. The report flags concerns about accountability identifies issues for other departments in Illinois that are implementing body-worn camera programs. Read the full issue brief here.
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Criminal Legal Systems Director Loren Jones speaks outside Chicago City Hall at the Arbitration rally alongside Empowering Communities for Public Safety (ECPS) coalition members and rally attendees. | |
A Big Win for Police Accountability
On Wednesday February 14th, Chicago's City Council voted down a provision in the police union contract that consideration of the most serious cases of police discipline from the public-facing Police Board. This provision would have allowed these cases to be heard by a private arbitrator, removing them from public scrutiny and transparency. This marks the second time the City Council chose police accountability and rejected this provision. Criminal Legal Systems team members Andrea Dantus and Loren Jones contributed to this victory by providing public comment, speaking at rallies, and participating in strategic efforts in coalition with grassroots organizers and advocates. As the battle transitions to municipal court, Impact for Equity will continue advocating fervently for the preservation of police oversight mechanisms.
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Building on Opportunity
We are thrilled to unveil
"Building on Opportunity," a groundbreaking report that takes a deep dive into six of the approximately twelve Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) mixed-income sites, shedding light on their unique challenges and opportunities.
With approximately 110 acres of vacant land and an additional 22 acres of land vacant buildings, these sites hold immense promise for transformative development.
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Our report calls on the City and CHA to prioritize development on these site and makes other policy recommendations, including the appointment of an independent coordinator to streamline City processes. | |
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Discussing Traffic Stops with the Chicago Bar Foundation
The Chicago Bar Foundation invited our Criminal Legal Systems Director Loren Jones and Communications Manager Nida Hasan to present on Impact for Equity’s 2023 traffic stop advocacy with the Free2Move Coalition at the Legal Aid Committee's Highlight Meeting.
We extend thanks to our partner Denzel B. Johnson for allowing us to share his personal experience navigating a pretextual stop near his home on the Southwest Side of Chicago.
Photo Caption: Criminal Legal System Director Loren Jones and Communication Manager Nida Hasan present Free2Move advocacy work in 2023 to Chicago Bar Foundation members.
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From right to left Carly Strand ACS UIC Student Chapter President; Care Hendrickson Executive at Impact for Equity; Jerry Brown ACS Chicago Chapter Executive Committee Co-Chair; Jenna Corbett ACS UIC Student Chapter Vice President. | |
Panel Discussion Assessing the Chicago Police Department Consent Decree
On January 24, Cara Hendrickson presented to the American Constitution Society’s Chicago Chapter in a discussion entitled The Chicago Police Department Consent Decree -- Where Do Things Stand? The event featured a robust discussion of opportunities to propel this important tool for reform.
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Conversation with Chicago Housing Initiative about CHA Vacant Land
The Chicago Housing Initiative and its members have been fighting for affordable housing in Chicago for many years, and invited Ashley Meeder to present key findings from our Building on Opportunity report at a recent member meeting. With more than 120 acres of vacant land at six sites alone, focus on development of housing and community resources on this land is a critical priority.
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Free2Move Coalition Strategizes About Eliminating Harmful Pretrextual Stops | Policy Strategist Joi Imbohio facilitates a Free2Move Coalition meeting at the Lorenzo Library in Pilsen, Chicago. | Impact for Equity recently convened an in-person meeting with the Free2Move Coalition members at Lorenzo Library. The Free2Move coalition was founded by Impact for Equity, Active Transportation Alliance, and Equiticity. They're working with dedicated organizations and individuals to build a more racially equitable traffic system in Chicago. Throughout the gathering, the coalition strategized to bring about racially equitable traffic systems on the local and state level in 2024. Watch our coalition member Greg's testimony to end pretextual traffic stops! | If you've been personally impacted by a pretextual traffic stops share your story with us! | |
Get involved in Impact for Equity Equity's work for racial, economic, and social justice. | |
Read more about Impact for Equity in the news! | |
Introducing New Staff at Impact for Equity!
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Amy Cross - Managing Director of Advocacy
Amy Cross joins Impact for Equity as the organization’s first Managing Director of Advocacy, bringing her wide-ranging experience as an attorney, educator, and organizer for racial and economic justice.
Prior to joining Impact for Equity, Amy served as Project Director with the READI National Center at Heartland Alliance and as Senior Program Associate with the Vera Institute of Justice; in these roles she shaped and led several national initiatives aimed at transforming and shrinking the criminal legal system through policing reform, community violence intervention, jail decarceration, prison reform, and reentry.
Read more about Amy on our website.
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Meet Our New Extern George!
George Encarnacion Jr. is a 3L at DePaul University’s College of Law, as well as a second-year Master of Public Policy Candidate at DePaul University’s School of Public Service. He previously attended the University of Cincinnati, studying Biomedical Engineering. As he prepares to finish law and graduate school and take the bar exam, he looks forward to continuing his career in policy design and implementation, advocacy, and crafting legal solutions within the affordable housing realm.
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