Johnson Administration Marks One Year of Achievements, Critical Investments in Chicago’s Communities
From landmark $1.25 billion investment and reduction in violent crime, to hundreds of millions of dollars in support for Chicago’s unhoused and plans to spur housing and commercial development, Mayor Brandon Johnson’s first year in office keeps promises to invest in people
CHICAGO — Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Johnson Administration today mark one year in leadership of the City of Chicago, and fulfillment of a vision to build a better, stronger, safer Chicago where every resident and every community has access to tools and resources that enable them to thrive.
Mayor Johnson was sworn in as the 57th mayor of the City of Chicago on May 15, 2023, and from a landmark $1.25 billion investment in neighborhood development and reduction in violent crime, to hundreds of millions of dollars in support for Chicago’s unhoused and plans to spur housing and commercial development, the first year in office has kept promises to invest in people.
“Google and JPMorgan Chase are making long-term commitments to our city because they are businesses that believe in Chicago – a city that now has the most expansive paid leave statute anywhere in the country, impacting an estimated 1.38 million workers,” said Mayor Brandon Johnson. “We eliminated the subminimum wage for more than 100,000 tipped workers, reopened the Department of the Environment and have a cabinet that is 43 percent Black and 60 percent women – demographics that are radically different from previous administrations.”
“I am deeply proud of the incredible strides we have made this past year, and it is just the end of the first quarter. There is still much more of the game to be played, and much more work to do.”
The Johnson Administration today is also releasing its “Better, Safer, Stronger” video, which highlights just a few of the achievements made in the first year, with the following remarks:
A lot has happened this year, Chicago.
We put forth a vision to build a better, stronger, safer Chicago where every community has access to tools and resources that enable them to thrive.
We got better by addressing our city’s homelessness crisis, passing a budget with $250 million in support for Chicago’s unhoused, and announcing the creation of our first-ever Chief Homelessness Officer.
We got stronger by passing the historic Paid Leave Ordinance, delivering paid time off for workers and working families, so they can be stronger for the businesses that depend on them.
We also passed the One Fair Wage ordinance, eliminating the subminimum wage for tipped workers, improving the lives of hundreds of thousands of Chicagoans, and helping small businesses by bringing workers back into the restaurant and hospitality industry.
We got safer in creating the Office of Community Safety to address the root causes of crime, and the Treatment Not Trauma Working Group, dedicated to improving and expanding mental health services in our city.
And we invested in our future by making youth employment a top priority, employing nearly 25,000 young people this summer and investing nearly $80 million into youth engagement for next year.
But this year’s work for a better, stronger, safer Chicago is just the beginning.
I am deeply proud of the incredible strides we have made, and I look forward to another year of working with the people of Chicago to create safety, unity, and prosperity in the greatest freaking city in the world.
And, we’re just getting started.
In recent weeks, the Administration has been recapping its work over the past year, highlighting victories and achievements in business and economic development, labor, environmental justice, youth support, housing and homelessness support, community engagement, policy and the new arrivals mission. Among Mayor Johnson’s signature first-year progress and achievements are:
Environmental Justice Takes Major Strides in Mayor Johnson’s First Year
Celebrating a Year of Transformative Initiatives for Chicago’s Youth
Mayor Johnson Highlights Year of Building and Preserving Affordable Housing
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