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.”
The mother, center, of 7-year-old Jai’Mani Amir Rivera, attends the vigil for her son on June 19, 2024, outside Oakley Square apartments. Jai'Mani was killed in a shooting on Tuesday afternoon. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)
Children gather during a vigil on June 19, 2024, for Jai’mani Amir Rivera, 7, who was killed in a shooting outside Oakley Square Apartments on Tuesday. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)
Friends and family watch a balloon release during a vigil on June 19, 2024, for Jai’mani Amir Rivera, 7, who was killed in a shooting outside Oakley Square Apartments on Tuesday. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)
Neighbors begin to gather at a memorial, June 19, 2024, for 7-year-old Jai’mani Amir Rivera, who was killed in a shooting at Oakley Square Apartments on Tuesday. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)
Children gather during a vigil, June 19, 2024, for 7-year-old Jai’mani Amir Rivera, who was killed in a shooting outside Oakley Square Apartments on Tuesday. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)
Chicago police Superintendet Larry Snelling and Mayor Brandon Johnson walk out to speak to members of the press on June 18, 2024, outside Stroger Hospital, following the fatal shooting of 7-year-old Jai’Mani Amir Rivera at the Oakley Square apartment complex in Chicago. (Vincent Alban/Chicago Tribune)
Chicago police work a crime scene on June 18, 2024, at the Oakley Square apartment complex in Chicago, where 7-year-old Jai’Mani Amir Rivera was shot and killed. (Vincent Alban/Chicago Tribune)
Mayor Brandon Johnson speaks to members of the press on June 18, 2024, outside Stroger Hospital, following the fatal shooting of 7-year-old Jai’Mani Amir Rivera at the Oakley Square apartment complex in Chicago. (Vincent Alban/Chicago Tribune)
Ethiopia Jackson, right, hugs Samiram Dyson, 11, both residents of the Oakley Square apartment complex on June 18, 2024, near the scene where 7-year-old Jai’Mani Amir Rivera was shot and killed. (Vincent Alban/Chicago Tribune)
Chicago police work at the Oakley Square apartment complex on June 18, 2024, where 7-year-old Jai’Mani Amir Rivera was shot and killed. (Vincent Alban/Chicago Tribune)
Oakley Square apartment complex residents Ethiopia Jackson, right, and Samiram Dyson, 11, embrace as Jackson speaks to members of the press on June 18, 2024, outside the complex in Chicago, where 7-year-old Jai’Mani Amir Rivera was shot and killed. (Vincent Alban/Chicago Tribune)
Chicago police work a scene on Tuesday, June 18, 2024, at the Oakley Square apartment complex in Chicago, where 7-year-old Jai’Mani Amir Rivera was shot and killed. (Vincent Alban/Chicago Tribune)
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.
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