From the Office of 48th Ward Alderman Harry Osterman:

“October 4, 2021

Dear Neighbors,

Dear Neighbor,

Congratulations to the team at the Andersonville Chamber of Commerce on a great event last weekend, Andersonville Homecoming. Seeing neighbors together on Clark St enjoying food, entertainment, and local artists was a welcome sight after two summers in a row without Midsommarfest. Thank you to the Chamber staff and board members, volunteers, and local businesses who helped to make this a festive and safe event.
Last night I joined the team from Uptown United and the Uptown Chamber of Commerce, along with representatives from Choose Chicago and Chicago Department of Transportation Commissioner Gia Biagi, to cut the ribbon and officially celebrate the Argyle Alfresco program. Argyle marks the first of four “Alfresco” projects, a program designed in partnership with CDOT and Choose Chicago to add vibrancy and expanded dining and active use of sidewalks and streets in neighborhoods across the City. Uptown United and the Chamber received a grant that will allow for three years of Alfresco programming on Argyle, which complements the Shared Street design that was created to allow for more dynamic activations on the street. Click here to read more about the program and last night’s celebration.

Every day this week I have joined my colleagues at City Hall for Budget Hearings with each of the City Departments, and we’ll continue next week. Among the hearings we participated in this week were the Department of Family & Support Services, Department of Public Health, Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA), and today we’re hearing from Office of Emergency Management and Communications and Department of Water Management. On Monday the Chicago Police Department is scheduled for their Budget Hearing and will address the ongoing violence in our city. I am committed to ensuring that our 2022 City Budget includes responsible allocation of funds to critical social supports like mental health, supportive housing, and affordable housing. Additionally, it is critical that our City Departments are able to carry out their missions on behalf of Chicago residents. Please feel free to share with me any questions you’d like to ask of the City Departments and your feedback on the proposed budget. I encourage you to listen in to the Budget Hearings on the City Clerk’s website. Click here to view the schedule for hearings.

The eviction moratorium entered by Governor Pritzker is scheduled to end this Sunday, October 3. With the moratorium coming to a close, there is help – both legal and financial – to keep residents in their homes:

• Don’t self-evict. A notice of eviction from your landlord does not mean you need to leave your home right away. Only the Sheriff can legally remove you from your home.
• Get legal help. Free legal assistance is available to Chicago renters. Go to Rentervention.com, which is provided by the Lawyers Committee for Better Housing, a DOH delegate agency.
• Get financial help. DOH maintains a current list of places residents can apply for emergency rental assistance at Chicago.gov/RentHelp.

Next week, the Chicago Department of Housing will launch a court-based rental assistance program, an offshoot of the city’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP). This program will serve as a safety net of last resort for tenants and landlords in eviction court who have either applied for assistance but not yet received help, in which case their applications will be expedited; or who have not yet applied, in which case applications will be created for them if they are eligible. Receiving this direct rental assistance should have a significant impact on deterring evictions. Click here for an Eviction Resource Flyer.….”

Click Here, to view this and more directly from the source.