Who Is Listening to Local Communities? Connections between Chicago Region Community-Based Organizations and Regional, State, and National Policy Initiatives

(December 2005)

This report focuses on the role that community-level organizations have had, currently have, and could have in setting regional agendas. This project grew out of discussions with community-based organization leaders, foundation representatives, and regional organization staff members. Our examination of community-regional connections contains lessons not only for our metropolitan area, but for most large urban areas in the United States. It speaks to the preservation of democratic planning processes at a time when “regional,” “national,” and “global” overviews seem to have more credibility in policy-making circles than local needs. The report serves as a reminder that the basic building blocks of regions, nations, and the world are still local communities. It is a needed documentation of how local organizations have maintained a voice in some cases and where better connections to policy making at regional levels and beyond are needed.

Data for the report come from a representative sample of 49 community-based organizations in the City of Chicago, the Illinois counties of Cook, DuPage, Will, and Lake, as well as the Indiana counties of Lake and Porter. We also completed eight case studies of regional initiatives to examine the different ways in which community-based organizations connect with regional and statewide issues. Research was guided by a working group comprised of university-based researchers, community-based organization leaders, and regional group representatives.

Final Report

Research Team:

• P. Nyden, CURL

• N. Benefield, CURL

• M. Hellwig, CURL

• T. Walsh, CURL

• S. Sager, CURL Graduate Fellow

• M. Lanum, CURL Graduate Fellow

• J. Brown, Community Fellow

• S. Nebel, Community Fellow

• G. Smith Community Fellow

Community Partners:

• Adult Basic Education

• Alliance of Residents Concerning O'Hare

• Bethlehem Community Development Corporation

• CAAAELII (Coalition of African, Arab, Asian, European and Latino Immigrants of Illinois

• Calumet Project for Industrial Jobs

• CEDA Northwest

• Center for Neighborhood Technology

• Center of Concern

• Chicago Child Care Society

• Chicago Manufacturing Institute

• Chicago Mutual Housing Network

• Citizen Advocacy Center

• Claretian Associates Neighborhood Development

• Deborah's Place

• Des Plaines River Watershed Alliance

• Diversity, Inc East

• Eighteenth Street Development Corporation

• Elmhurst Economic Development Corporation

• Erie Neighborhood House

• Evanston Environmental Association

• Evanston Neighborhood Conference

• Family Focus

• Genesis Housing Development Corporation

• Glenview Prairie Preservation Project

• Greater North Pulaski Development Corp.

• Greater West Town Project

• HICA of North Lawndale, Inc.

• Hispanic Housing Development Corporation

• Housing Helpers, Inc.

• Instituto del Progreso Latino

• Interfaith Housing Center

• Lake County Minority Health Coalition

• Logan Square Neighborhood Association

• Metropolitan Alliance of Congregations

• Mid-South Planning and Development

• Neighborhood Capital Budget Group

• Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago

• Nobel Neighbors

• North River Commission

• Oak Park Regional Housing Center

• Organization of the Northeast

• People for Community Recovery

• People's Resource Center

• Service Jobs for Progress

• South Suburban Action Conference

• South Suburban Housing Center

• Southeast Environmental Task Force

• Suburban Job Link Corporation

• Voice of the People

• West Town Leadership United

• Woodstock Institute

• YWCA Child Care Resources and Referral