Jobs/Economic Opportunity

We support living wage jobs that keep up with the cost of living, allowing employees to afford the necessities of life. These jobs should provide benefits, security, stability, decent working conditions and opportunities for advancement. We support workers’ rights to join a union, and economic development strategies built upon a commitment to expanding opportunities in economically disadvantaged communities.

Education

We believe that all students in Evanston should receive a quality education regardless of race, income, or circumstance. The significant existing gaps in academic achievements must be addressed. Racial disparities exist beyond academic achievement: black students are more likely to be suspended from school than white students. Since nearly 80 percent of black students in District 65 come from low-income households, income also plays a role in differential educational outcomes.

Affordable Housing

Evanston has experienced major losses in affordable housing in the past decade. Rising rents and home prices are making it less feasible for individuals and families with modest incomes to live in Evanston. Many residents already are spending a percentage of their income on housing that is significantly above the norms set by HUD. Evanston needs to develop innovative means for reversing this situation, increasing housing options for a wide-range of incomes and ensuring that affordable housing will not be concentrated in a few neighborhoods.

Racial Equity

We believe that our community has a responsibility to diminish the root causes of violence in Evanston. Besides improving access to economic opportunity, education, and affordable housing, this includes equitable public investment across all of Evanston. All three branches of the Evanston Public Library are located in wards where the population is majority white. Although people of color make up just under 35% of the population in Evanston, 48.9% of all traffic stops are of minority drivers. They are also nearly four times as likely to be arrested during the course of that stop than white drivers. We support policies that dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline, especially as it affects black youth.

Energy & Environment

We support local efforts to reduce pollution and end the reliance on fossil fuels in order to improve the quality of life in Evanston. Pollution sources must be eliminated as a matter of public health and environmental justice. We favor promoting energy efficiency, green manufacturing, renewable energy development, and job training for workers. With pollution and climate change disproportionately impacting low-income people and people of color, cleaning up our environment and transitioning to renewable energy are also matters of racial and economic justice.

Contact: info@reclaimevanston.org