SAVE THE DATE

Planned by over 50 LAC leaders and attended by nearly 600, LAC’s 2008 Convention on June 16^th was successful in moving our issue work forward and making a powerful statement to our local officials. In fact, these officials all made significant commitments to us; they are listed below.

Homeless Youth/Police Relations:

Chief Rozensweig, the Chief Administrator of the Independent Police Review Authority committed to keep us involved as she works to reform the police accountability system
Chicago Police Department Deputy Superintendent of Professional Standards Brust agreed to keep us involved with his reforms, and get us a meeting with Superintendent Weiss.
Our new Commanders, John Kenny from19 and Kathleen Boehmer from 23 agreed to work with us to deploy officers who would be specifically trained in dealing with the issues of LGBT and homeless youth on late nights.
Aldermen Shiller and Tunney agreed to write letters to those involved in the labor negotiations between the city and the Police Union, pushing for reforms in that contract that would allow more transparency in dealing with police with high numbers of civilian complaints.

Access to Healthcare

Commissioner Quigley agreed to work with us to ensure that all non profit hospitals live up to our “Charity Care Bill of Rights”, which includes provisions to make it easier for un and under insured low income people to access free or reduced price healthcare.
Commissioner Quigley and Alderman Tunney agreed to work with LAC for a local Emergency Room diversion clinic.

Affordable Housing

State Representatives Feigenholtz and Fritchey, and State Senator Cullerton agreed to build alliances among their colleagues and fight for $100 million a year for 5 years in the State of Illinois capital budget for affordable housing for the first time in history.
Alderman Tunney agreed to continue to do everything in his power to ensure that the owner of the Diplomat fixes the building or sells it to someone who will preserve and improve it as affordable SRO housing. He also agreed to broker a meeting between the owner of 510 West Belmont and the tenants, and work with us to ensure that all units in the building are preserved as affordable.
Ed Hinsberger, the Midwest Regional Director of US Housing and Urban Development agreed to working with us to ensure that all of the units in 510 West Belmont are preserved as affordable.
Although she did not attend the meeting, the Chicago Housing Commissioner, Ellen Sahli had previously agreed to work with us to preserve both the Diplomat and 510 West Belmont.

Thanks to everyone who attended.