Since being elected as Alderperson in 2019, Byron has not relented for a moment in supporting the residents of the 25th Ward in closing the past 23-year chapter of corruption under disgraced former Alderman Danny Solis and transforming the Ward Office into one that attentively serves all residents with the care and dignity that every Chicagoan deserves.
As our Alderman, Byron is a fierce advocate for our communities. During Alderman Byron Sigcho Lopez’s first term, he fought for:
Public Safety & Safe Communities
Economic Development, Labor Rights, and Small Businesses
Transparency and Accountability to End Government Corruption
Public Safety & Safe Communities
- Byron has expanded investment in violence prevention efforts and job creation in our neighborhoods.
- When Mayor Lightfoot failed to prioritize violence prevention efforts in the city budget, Byron worked with State and County partners to bring over $500,000 from the state for public safety infrastructure to the ward, and $80,000 for programming at Rudy Lozano alternative high school.
- Over the course of regular public community safety meetings, neighbors organized to create “2532”, a non-governmental organization securing resources and applying best practices for immediate reductions in gun violence block by block across the 25th Ward.
- Byron’s office applies a block-by-block strategy with residents regarding public safety issues on their immediate block and has successfully applied community-driven interventions to address the root causes of violence and reduce harm.
- Byron has fought to hold the Chicago Police Department accountable for low clearance rates and to uphold the civil rights of city residents, working with victims of violence and their families to get answers, and with business owners and community members to have their concerns addressed.
Housing
- Byron has had a transformational impact on fighting for affordable and sustainable housing in the 25th Ward.
- Today, undocumented residents across Chicago have access to the Low Income Housing Trust Fund. Byron advocated strongly for the administrative changes needed to make this essential lifeline available to undocumented and immigrant residents and families.
- Byron successfully fought for public investment to buy the largest vacant site in Pilsen at 18th and Peoria to build at least 280 units of affordable housing and stopping a plan to build luxury housing in accessible to 25th Ward residents, which would have accelerated displacement The site - a former paint manufacturing facility - is currently being remediated for environmental hazards by the City of Chicago. Like many development projects that have been proposed since 2019, the 25th Ward office will engage in robust community meetings to solicit input from neighbors and the community to ensure the development positively impacts the quality of life for the community.
- Byron has democratized zoning decisions with his inclusive Zoning Advisory Board including residents from across all the neighborhoods of the 25th Ward, who help facilitate community engagement and feedback on proposed zoning changes in their respective communities.
- Byron passed legislation to protect homeowners, seniors, and long time residents from harassment from predatory developers. The legislation has been so effective in stopping harassment of homeowners in Chicago that it is now being considered for passage in Evanston.
- Byron has supported the development and preservation of over 800 units of affordable housing that is already developed or in the development process, with a goal of reaching 1000 units by May 2023.
- Byron successfully supported hundreds of neighbors in stopping the Mayor’s plan to landmark approximately 900 homes and buildings across Pilsen, which would have astronomically increased the cost of the upkeep of the buildings and led to rapid displacement of long term residents. Byron worked with community residents and the City to support legislation to protect the buildings in the community while not burdening residents with additional housing costs.
- As a freshman Alderperson, Byron co-chaired the Mayor’s Affordable Requirements Ordinance task force alongside Alderman Burnett and Alderman Osterman. With Byron’s strong advocacy, this task force ultimately doubled ARO minimum from 10% to 20% but in lieu fees continue to be permissible. In the 25th Ward, the zoning advisory board advocates for the southwest side pilot affordable requirement to 30% in the Quality of Life plan and discourages in lieu fees, which has contributed to the over 800 units of affordable housing created or preserved in the 25th Ward since 2019.
- Byron is fighting for rent stabilization, and to reform the property tax system to protect seniors and working families.
Strong Schools & Libraries
- As a teacher, Byron understands how critical our schools and libraries are for the strength and fabric of our communities.
- Byron successfully worked with the State of Illinois to secure over $1 million in infrastructure improvements in Benito Juarez Community Academy and other public schools in the 25th Ward.
- Byron supports fully funding our public schools, creating an elected school board now, and ensuring our children and young people are given every opportunity to expand their imaginations, explore their creativity, and achieve their academic potential.
- Byron has challenged the appointed Board of Education to fight against recent proposed budget cuts in schools in the 25th Ward
- Byron successfully stood against retaliation against teachers who faced termination - including a 25th Ward resident teacher - following their successful participation in the General Iron Hunger Strike which fought against environmental racism in Chicago.
Byron initiated the process to finally expand Rudy Lozano Public Library to ensure community residents have expanded access to the exceptional educational and recreational opportunities that our public libraries provide.
Environmental Justice - Byron has been a leading voice in the fight for environmental justice, clean air, and for climate change resiliency.
- Byron is at the table in the process of creating legislation to stop the concentration of toxic polluters that harm our neighborhoods.
- Byron won a commitment to perform a cumulative burden health impact study which is in process now.
- Byron joined the Hungerstrike to #StopGeneralIron to fight against environmental racism harming our working class communities.
- He has consistently demanded accountability for the disastrous Hilco implosion and fought for improved air quality to fight against asthma, heart disease, and other health problems in our communities.
- Byron has been a leading voice holding MAT Asphalt accountable for perpetuating environmental racism in McKinley Park, leading a successful effort to include consideration environmental justice impact in city procurement contracts, which directly impacts the quantities of pollution in McKinley Pk and surrounding communities.
- Byron is fighting to reopen the Department of the Environment in the city of Chicago to ensure city residents are assured concerns about climate change and environmental justice are institutionalized and proactively, effectively addressed.
Environmental Justice
- Byron has been a leading voice in the fight for environmental justice, clean air, and for climate change resiliency.
- Byron is at the table in the process of creating legislation to stop the concentration of toxic polluters that harm our neighborhoods.
- Byron won a commitment to perform a cumulative burden health impact study which is in process now.
- Byron joined the Hungerstrike to #StopGeneralIron to fight against environmental racism harming our working class communities.
- He has consistently demanded accountability for the disastrous Hilco implosion and fought for improved air quality to fight against asthma, heart disease, and other health problems in our communities.
- Byron has been a leading voice holding MAT Asphalt accountable for perpetuating environmental racism in McKinley Park, leading a successful effort to include consideration environmental justice impact in city procurement contracts, which directly impacts the quantities of pollution in McKinley Pk and surrounding communities.
- Byron is fighting to reopen the Department of the Environment in the city of Chicago to ensure city residents are assured concerns about climate change and environmental justice are institutionalized and proactively, effectively addressed.
Gender Equity
- Byron is committed to reproductive justice and gender equity for all.
- Byron successfully advocated with his colleagues to the Mayor’s Office for increased funding for LGBTQIA+ inclusive social and health services spaces.
- Byron supported legislation to make Chicago a reproductive health sanctuary city.
- Byron is proud to be the first Alderperson in the 25th Ward with a majority female leadership team, including his Chief of Staff.
Constituent Services
- Byron has opened the doors of the 25th Ward office to make excellent city services accessible to all residents
- Every Tuesday night, including throughout the pandemic, Byron hosts Ward Night where residents and community stakeholders can have their concerns addressed. Byron has continued to uphold his commitment to be accessible to all residents and stakeholders in the 25th Ward.
- During the pandemic Byron and his team personally delivered masks, sanitizer, and other safety supplies to residents across the ward.
- Byron’s Ward office also created an emergency fund with nearly $100,000 to distribute emergency funds to residents who did not qualify for other assistance, including undocumented neighbors.
- Byron and Ward office volunteers provide shoveling services to elderly and disabled ward residents every winter. They also work with ward residents in the spring and summer to host clean ups across the neighborhoods of the 25th Ward.
- Byron’s team pushes 311 to be responsive to requests to fill potholes and streetlights, and Byron led the way for Cermak Road to be repaved.
Economic Development, Labor Rights, and Small Businesses
- Byron always stands with workers to fight for workers rights and dignity in the workplace.
- After years of disorganization, Byron supported the creation of the Pilsen Chamber of Commerce so that small businesses have direct and self-determined access to resources and advocacy. He is working to integrate the Pilsen and Little Village Chambers so that the ward as a whole benefits from the economic development led by the chambers.
- Byron supported workers in an Amazon distribution facility in the 25th Ward. When city agencies were not proactively advocating for workers to have reasonable access to a bathroom, or adequate air conditioning during the summer months, Byron’s ward office was able to rapidly and successfully advocate for these changes.
- Byron walked the line with unionized, unionizing or organizing workers across the city to ensure greater access to self determination and dignity for all working people.
- Byron successfully stood alongside the small businesses of the Discount Mall to fight for them to stay and preserve the economic vitality and culture of 26th Street. He is continuing to organize with the entrepreneurs to fight to allow the businesses of the Discount Mall to remain, for good, and to continue to invest in the cultural and economic vitality of Little Village.
- Byron supported the Pilsen Food pantry serve more neighbors by assisting them to move into a larger space in the basement of Holy Trinity Church where they feed over 1,500 people every month and constantly expand access to other critical social services.
- Byron never stopped fighting for small business recovery after COVID. He partnered with restaurants in the ward and across the city to make sure they’re reimbursed for costly license fees they paid to the City but couldn't use as a result of the shutdowns.
Transparency and Accountability to End Government Corruption
- Byron has taken a stand against the institutional structures that incentivize corruption in Illinois
- Byron took disgraced former Alderman Danny Solis all the way to the Illinois Supreme Court and won changes to campaign finance rules so that indicted politicians can’t freely spend campaign funds on their legal defenses.
- Byron has worked to strengthen the office of the Inspector General, which he supported as they authored reports exposing corruption and abuse in the cases of the toxic Hilco implosion, the illegal raid on Anjanette Young, and issues of public safety in our communities.
- Byron has advocated for publicly financed elections to get big money out of politics
- Byron has committed to not take political contributions from large corporations or developers, and he has upheld and continues to uphold that commitment
- Byron supports a LaSalle Street tax. Over a *quadrillion* dollars in financial transactions come to the Chicago Mercantile Exchange every year. While working Chicagoans pay a sales tax on all of their financial transactions in Chicago, the financial transactions on LaSalle Street pay zero in sales taxes. Byron is fighting to end this subsidy the working families of Chicago pay to the wealthiest in our city.
- Byron has advocated for a public bank so our small businesses and residents are able to access credit and loans under fair conditions
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