Westside Lawmakers and the Fight to Be Made Whole

“I’m aware of the illness we have endured from the mold and I’m aware that people are dying because of the flood,” Ald. Emma Mitts (37th) says. “So, my whole body, mind and soul is [saying] ‘we need help.” 

Mitts says since last year’s flooding, she’s talked with city officials about infrastructure improvements, such as installing more detention ponds. But she’s urging government officials at every level to do more to fund residents’ more immediate needs, too. 

“Most of the people whose basements flooded didn’t have [flood] insurance,” the alderwoman says. “They need drywall and new doors. There is a lot of stuff that needs to be done that volunteers can’t do. I’m not going to stop talking until every single one of us is made whole!” 

Rep. La Shawn K. Ford (8th) also stresses the need for government officials to focus on both short-term and long-term fixes. 

“We’ve learned that we need to make sure we push for infrastructure changes in these neighborhoods because infrastructure is so old that this is going to be a recurring problem,” Ford says. “We’re pushing for funding for flood prevention mechanisms for homeowners.” 

Ford says he’s reserved $1 million in special appropriation funds so that additional funding can go to people who need more money on basement repairs and to fix potential code violations. Ford said the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) put out a request for competitive bids. Westside Health Authority (WHA) was awarded the bid. 

“This grant funding will allow us to work in the 8th District to make whole people who experienced disrepair, code violations and all kinds of housing issues,” says Justin Hill, WHA’s policy analyst. 

“We’ll open window up for people to apply to be part of this. The grant will allow us to work with about 40 homes at roughly $25,000 to $30,000 each home to do those repairs. We’re not just removing mold or fixing stairwells; we’ll fix drainage systems, tile basins, sump pumps, etc. The question is how do we make home improvements that are long-lasting and will prevent the next big water issue here in Chicago.” 

Ford said he’ll work to grow that $1 million grant by asking big businesses like The Home Depot and Lowe’s to pitch in. 

“We hope the $1 million is a seed that grows,” he says. “We will show there are probably 4,000 or more households in Austin alone that have been impacted and are still living with mold. There are still people right now probably without hot water.” 

Lawmakers also affected by floods 

Ford, who lives in Austin, says he thinks about the community’s infrastructure crisis quite a bit. He’s directly affected by it. 

“You talk about traumatized,” he says. “Rain is supposed to be beautiful. People are supposed to wish for rain for their grass and flowers. We have a real infrastructure problem. When it’s raining, I’m wondering whether or not I’ll go down to my basement and see it flooded. I’ve had three or four major floods in my basement since 1997.” 

Congressman Danny K. Davis (7th), who also lives in Austin, says his basement was one of thousands across the city that flooded last year. 

“I didn’t apply for any money because we were able to clean it out,” he says. “My son came over and cleaned it out. We got a good sump pump, but it just didn’t handle all that water.” 

Davis says he’s still working with FEMA to get more money for disaster assistance. 

“There’s still a possibility that people will be able to get additional funding,” Davis says. “We’re steady pushing for another round and we’re talking to FEMA executives and people at the state level, saying to them there are people hurting and still in need. So, another round of funding is possible but we have to get the agreement and get more money. We’re still working. It’s not over.” 

Of course, how much more funding, if more comes at all, depends on which party controls Congress — a point the longtime federal lawmaker isn’t shy about emphasizing. 

““It’s no doubt about it,” he says. “Everything that exists, the Republicans are trying to cut because they don’t want to generate additional money. And, of course, the way to generate money would be to make the rich pay more and that’s why we increased the budget for the IRS [Internal Revenue Service]. So, they could hire experts to stop rich cheaters from cheating.” 

Ford is urging lawmakers at all levels to pour more money into addressing the Westside’s inadequate infrastructure. 

“Some of this [home improvement] work we’re doing and that residents have done — if the city, state and federal governments don’t come together for infrastructure improvements, we’d be just throwing money down the drain,” he says, “because the work will just have to be repeated after the next flood.”