Chicago to expand pilot that pays $1,500 for funerals of homicide victims, $1,000 stipends for survivors
The Emergency Supplemental Victims Fund will see another $6.4 million — some of that from federal COVID-19 stimulus dollars — over the next two years and expand from five to 15 community areas.
Mayor Brandon Johnson will increase the scope of a pilot program that funds basic needs for victims of gun violence and their families, he announced Thursday as the latest update in his public safety plan ahead of the summer.
Under the expansion, the Emergency Supplemental Victims Fund will see another $6.4 million — some of that from federal COVID-19 stimulus dollars — over the next two years and expand from five to 15 community areas. There are three categories of funds: $1,000 for basic needs such as medical expenses, child care and groceries; $1,000 for relocation services to move to a safer place; and $1,500 for funeral and burial expenses.
In touting his announcement, Johnson repeatedly decried his predecessors as “stingy” toward communities on the South and West sides that needed relief from disinvestment and violence the most. The fund in question was started in 2022 under former Mayor Lori Lightfoot and has since doled out aid to almost 400 victims.
“When a 7-year-old is stepping just outside their home and is gunned down, it’s an indication of failures of previous administrations who have been intentional about leaving our communities behind,” Johnson said, referencing a West Side shooting this week. “These same communities that are experiencing violence are the communities in which pensions were raided. … This crisis did not show up with simply a bullet. This crisis showed up when previous administrations decided to give up on these communities, and they have demonstrated and shown disdain for our people.”
For gun violence survivors to be eligible, they must live in one of 15 neighborhoods: Gresham, Austin, Chicago Lawn, East Garfield Park, Englewood, Grand Crossing, Humboldt Park, Back of the Yards, Lawndale, South Shore, West Englewood, West Garfield Park or West Pullman. The maximum amount those recipients can get is $2,000 per shooting.
For families of homicide victims aged 24 or below, Chicagoans from across the city can apply, for a cap of $3,500 per death. Applicants will work with community nonprofits who receive city funding from the Public Health Department to receive the stipends.
Johnson is heading into his second summer, traditionally the most violent season in the city, as homicides and shootings are down so far this year, a continuing trend after 2022 saw Chicago’s worst crime spike since the 1990s.
ayin@chicagotribune.com