Uploaded February 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

---

EVANSTON, A CRITICAL STEP FORWARD! 🚨 The Fight to Protect Our Seniors & Longtime Residents Moves to the Next Stage! Evanston, this is a pivotal moment. The Circuit Breaker Program referral has passed through the Referral Committee and is now moving to the Finance & Budget Committee and the Human Services Committee in their first March meetings!

I want to extend my deepest appreciation to the Referral Committee for hearing me out and allowing this initiative to move forward.

A special thank you to Council Member Clare Kelly, who has truly been in the trenches with me, putting in the work and having the critical conversations to push this forward. Your commitment to Evanston’s longtime residents has been invaluable.

To Council Member Tom Suffredin—I watched you fight during the pandemic to stop a property tax increase, and that moment planted a seed in me. Your willingness to challenge the status quo for the sake of residents is something I’ve never forgotten.

To Council Members Eleanor Revelle and Devon Reid, thank you for sponsoring this initiative and supporting its movement forward.

And a special shoutout to State Representative La Shawn K. Ford, who, as a guest on Where The People Meet TV, encouraged us to be bold in protecting longtime Evanston residents. Your words fueled this effort.

And most importantly—to the residents who showed up to Where The People Meet TV, shared their stories, and made their voices heard—I listened. I heard every word. This moment belongs to YOU. Your voices, your struggles, and your experiences are what pushed this forward. Thank you for trusting this platform and making sure your voices were part of the conversation.

Now, the real work begins.

🔹 WHAT IS THE CIRCUIT BREAKER PROGRAM?
This initiative is a lifeline for longtime Evanston residents—especially seniors—who are on fixed incomes and struggling under the weight of skyrocketing property taxes and rent increases. It’s a safety net to prevent displacement, protect the most vulnerable, and ensure that the people who built this city aren’t forced out of it.

🔹 WHY DOES THIS MATTER?
As I said in my public comment:
"Evanston is growing, changing, evolving. But what good is growth if it leaves behind the very people who built this community? Some of our seniors—many of whom have lived here for decades, raised families here, and contributed to the fabric of this city—are now struggling under the weight of skyrocketing property taxes and rent. At their age, starting over isn’t an option. Evanston is their home. Their only home. The only home they’ve known. The question before us is simple: Will we choose leadership? Will we choose innovation? Will we choose compassion? Or will we allow the very people who shaped this city to be priced out of it? A city that grows without its people is not progress—it’s abandonment. And that is not who we are."

🔹 WHAT CAN YOU DO RIGHT NOW?
✅ SPREAD THE WORD! Share this post, tag your neighbors, and talk about it.
✅ SHOW UP TO THE UPCOMING COMMITTEE MEETINGS! We need to fill the room and make it clear—this program must move forward.
✅ EMAIL YOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS and tell them you support the Circuit Breaker Program. Your voice matters!
📌 More details will be shared soon! We are still gathering data and preparing for the March meetings, so stay tuned for specific dates and action steps. For now, just know that the fight is ON, and we need YOU!
🚀 Evanston, we cannot let this moment pass us by. The fight is just beginning. Let’s make it count!

#EvanstonStrong #ProtectOurSeniors #NoOneLeftBehind #CircuitBreakerProgram #HousingJustice #CommunityFirst #EvanstonAdvocacy #wewontbesilent #evanston