Chicago is one of the largest cities in America, but it has a lot of problems. There are problems with economic inequality, homelessness, and mental illness. Chicago has a lot of room to improve. Here are three ways to help improve Chicago so that residents have a greater quality of life. The first would be to implement a universal living wage. What this means is that no matter where one lives, they make a living wage to live in that area. This would mean that people wouldn’t have to have more than one job.
Second, a combination of rent freezing and building more affordable housing could make a massive dent in Chicago’s homelessness problem. The city’s rent has been rising too high to the point that people that had homes have to move to other places. The rent prices skyrocketing also contribute to things like gentrification by pushing people out of their own neighborhoods.
Finally, Chicago is, unfortunately, going through a mental health crisis. Many Chicagoans don’t have access to mental health services. The mental health crisis within the city persists as trauma is spread from person to person every day. This is the reason that people advocate for “treatment, not trauma.”
Living Wage for All
Chicago has a massive economic inequality problem. There are multi-millionaires living in the city, while entire neighborhoods barely make over 35,000. This is the problem with economic inequality. People on one side of the city shouldn’t be living lives of bliss and luxury, while on the other side are lives of pain and sorrow. This shouldn’t be the norm, and yet it is.
A living wage for all citizens of Chicago could mean two things. The first meaning could be raising it high enough that all jobs pay a living wage no matter where one lives. The second meaning is making a living wage for all relative to where that person lives. So the jobs in that area would have to keep up with the expenses in that area specifically. “As of 2023, the living wage is $14.42/hr with employer-provided healthcare benefits, and $18.03/hr without,” according to Cook County.
Chicagoans Deserve Better
This would encourage people to start living in the city to be paid higher. Yet, this shows the problem with the system in the first place. People need money to live, and people are forced to do what they can to survive. Raising the minimum wage to the living wage of the city would do the trick in this case.
Imagine being a retail worker trying to pay off college and suddenly waking up and one’s job pays a living wage. People shouldn’t have to have two or three jobs to cover all their expenses. There is nothing admirable about working to death. The people of Chicago deserve a life full of joy and happiness. There is no joy in wage slavery.
Housing for All
Every human being needs a home, yet not everyone has access to housing. This is the state of affairs in the city of Chicago and many places in the world. Human beings will die without having access to shelter. The Windy City is known for its hectic weather, which is why it is all the more important that every Chicagoan has access to housing. No one should have to sit outside in the cold during a Chicago winter. Furthermore, sometimes when affordable housing is developed, it isn’t actually affordable.
Unaffordable affordable housing is unfair to all the people who need affordable housing. Chicago is full of vacant homes and lots, yet the city refuses to provide for its citizens in a way only they can. People need to live in safe and livable homes. They don’t need homes with lead poisoning, or homes that are over 70 years old, “Arwady says lead paint hazards are present in 99% of Chicago homes built before 1978, which constitutes the vast majority of the city’s housing stock.” according to WTTW News.
One could also freeze rent to make it impossible to raise rent past a certain point. Chicago’s rent is getting higher and higher every year making it harder and harder for people to pay rent. “The report found that Chicago is outpacing the Midwest, as the median rent for a one-bedroom apartment in the city is up 10.7% since January.” according to NBC Chicago.
Treatment, not Trauma
Finally, the mental health crisis within Chicago must be addressed as soon as possible. Within the city of Chicago, people experience many different kinds of trauma. Some of these traumas are inflicted by the city itself. Yet, Chicago is desperately lacking in mental health services for the people that need them the most.
The city of Chicago is in dire need of spaces where it is safe to be vulnerable and express one’s feelings. Bottling one’s feelings and leaving trauma unaddressed is a recipe for disaster. All in all, the fact of the matter is that Chicago needs to heal from its traumas, and providing more mental health services and creating more safe spaces is the only way to do that.
Chicago needs help
Chicago is a beautiful place with beautiful architecture and wonderful people. Unfortunately, Chicago needs help. There are many different problems in the city of Chicago and they all need attention. Yet, the city does little to nothing about these problems. Politicians will pay lip service to them but do nothing when it’s time to act. Chicago needs more than promises, it needs actions. If actions are to be taken, here are three ways to help improve Chicago.
Written by Kenneth Mazerat
Sources
NBC Chicago: Rent Booming in Chicago, Up 11% in 5 Months by JC Navarrete
WTTW News: Lead Paint Is Still a Problem in Chicago Apartments, but Expanded Screening Is a Costly Proposition by Paris Schutz
Cook County Il Gov: Living Wage Ordinance and Regulations
Top Image Courtesy of MK Feeney’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Featured Image Courtesy of Rich Bowen’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
First Inset Image Courtesy of Eric Allix Rogers‘ Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Second Inset Image Courtesy of Marshall Segal’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Third Inset Image Courtesy of Charles Hackley’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
