RESOLUTION ACKNOWLEDGING THE CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENT PARTICIPANTS IN THE 2021 NEXT GEN CITY COUNCIL
WHEREAS, On March 16,2021, students of Harlan, Lake View, Benito Juarez, Michele Clark, Amundsen, and George Washington High Schools participated in the Office ofthe City Clerk and Chicago Public School's "Next Gen City Council", which encourages students to be civically engaged and provides Chicago Public Schools students an opportunity to participate in a mock City Council process where each of the students takes on the role of a member of City Council as they draft, debate, and vote on policies; and
WHEREAS, Throughout the day, the student participants worked on separate ordinance drafts with the help of elected officials and other civic leaders, to be presented to and voted on by the full group during the Next Gen City Council meeting at the end of the day; and
WHEREAS, Students of Harlan and Lake View High Schools presented a mock ordinance which was voted on and passed by their peers during the Next Gen City Council simulation, that provided housing support to Chicagoans due to the harmful effects on communities caused by COVID-19; and
WHEREAS, Residents in communities across the nation have suffered the loss of jobs and reduced wages due to the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Financial hardships have undoubtedly been exacerbated for the working class; and
WHEREAS, To no fault of their own, hundreds of thousands of families suddenly found themselves out of work, and unable to provide basic needs such as food and housing, for themselves or their families; and
WHEREAS, Residents across the State of Illinois and the city of Chicago are at risk of homelessness; and
WHEREAS, Via EO2020-72, State of Illinois and City of Chicago officials implemented an eviction ban to ensure that families effected by COVID-19 financial hardships would not end up on the street; and
WHEREAS, The City of Chicago has allocated millions of dollars to provide Chicag...
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