9 years of decline: Expect Chicago to be No. 4 behind Houston by 2035

By Bryce Hill

05/16/2024

Chicago lost 8,208 residents in 2023, the third-largest decline of any city in the nation. At this rate, the Second City will drop from No. 3 to No. 4 by 2035

TAGS: Chicago, population

Editorial: Homeless Chicagoans number steady despite 3X city spending on issue

By Hilary Gowins

03/15/2024

The city’s data shows there are 6,139 homeless Chicagoans. That number has barely budged since 2014, when the city counted 6,294 homeless Chicagoans, but city spending on homelessness has jumped from $21.7 million in 2014 to $58 million in 2023.

TAGS: Brandon Johnson, Chicago

Common-ground solutions to empower Chicago’s poor: A model for America’s cities

By Josh Bandoch

01/25/2024

Published Jan. 25, 2024

Chicago poverty higher than San Francisco, Los Angeles

By Bryce Hill, Dylan Sharkey

09/27/2023

Chicago has one of the highest poverty rates among the nation’s biggest cities, including San Francisco and Los Angeles.

TAGS: Chicago

Center for Poverty Solutions: How to better assess poverty in Chicago and America

By Bryce Hill

09/26/2023

Published Sept. 26, 2023 America’s War on Poverty has been an abject failure. Nearly $12 trillion and 60 years later, official poverty rates remain basically unchanged. While the nation waged a well-intentioned assault on poverty, it inadvertently launched a far more sinister war: on dignity. While attempting to eradicate poverty, America created countless government welfare...

3 ways Chicago Mayor Johnson is likely to repay unions for bankrolling him

By Mailee Smith

08/24/2023

Nearly 83% of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s funding has been from unions, according to data obtained from Illinois Sunshine. More than half of that came from teachers unions. Here are three ways we could see him pay them back.

TAGS: Brandon Johnson, CTU: Chicago Teachers Union

Chicago households making $100K targeted by Brandon Johnson allies

By Bryce Hill, Justin Carlson

06/06/2023

An ominously titled document by close confidants of new Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson states the new administration’s top priority is to take more money from households making $100,000 or more to fund what they claim is a “just Chicago.”

TAGS: Brandon Johnson

Each Chicago taxpayer on hook for nearly $42,000 of city debt

By Justin Carlson

02/10/2023

Fiscal watchdog Truth in Accounting found Chicagoans are each responsible for the second-most debt in the nation. It again gave the city an ‘F’ grade despite improvements from one-time federal COVID-19 aid and unusually high pension investment returns.

TAGS: Chicago, debt

Illinois home building lags virtually every other state during past decade

By Bryce Hill

07/18/2021

New census data shows Illinois ranked 48th in the U.S. for new single-family home permits during the past decade.

TAGS: construction, homeownership, Illinois, real estate

Chicago dominates competition for most red-light cameras

10/18/2019

Chicago has more red-light cameras and revenue from them than any other large city in America. The cameras are costly for drivers, create government mistrust and foster corruption.

TAGS: Chicago, red light cameras

Philadelphia

9 years of decline: Expect Chicago to be No. 4 behind Houston by 2035

Editorial: Homeless Chicagoans number steady despite 3X city spending on issue

Common-ground solutions to empower Chicago’s poor: A model for America’s cities

Chicago poverty higher than San Francisco, Los Angeles

Center for Poverty Solutions: How to better assess poverty in Chicago and America

3 ways Chicago Mayor Johnson is likely to repay unions for bankrolling him

Chicago households making $100K targeted by Brandon Johnson allies

Each Chicago taxpayer on hook for nearly $42,000 of city debt

Illinois home building lags virtually every other state during past decade

Chicago dominates competition for most red-light cameras

Fighting poverty with employment: Chicago block clubs

Report Archive

Diana Graham

Process for unionizing non-state workers raises red flags

CBS Chicago: Illinois’ highest-paid superintendent receives $400K per year to oversee 1,200 students