Neighbors, 

This November, 26th Ward Voters Will Have a Ballot Referendum Question: Here’s What You Need to Know

Our interns have put together a graphic to explain the ballot question, and they are currently seeking your feedback! Visit our poll on Instagram to informally weigh in and let us know what questions you have! Government transparency is an important part of my work as your alder, and we will use your comments to drop another post about the ballot question.

Civic House Rock - Gentrification

Our new Civic House Rock video about Gentrification in the 26th ward is live! Policies were designed to displace people and that means we can design policies to protect them. And we have!

From the Northwest Side Preservation Ordinance protecting our two to four flats, to community land trusts keeping our homes permanently affordable, to hundreds of new affordable units across Humboldt Park, to the new ballot referendum question on short term rentals (AirBnb’s and the like), we are proving that protection is a choice our community can make together. Watch the latest video HERE, share it with your neighbors and tell us what you’d like to learn about next. Per your requests, my team is already working on episodes about rent control, community safety and teen trends.

Intern Reflection: Community Safety Committee Reflection

During the Community Safety Committee meeting, I truly felt inspired by all of the points that everyone brought up. I have never really experienced a group of many community leaders coming together to discuss different issues in the city and how to address those issues to ensure connection and safety within the community. I truly believe that coming together and working alongside one another to bring about change is truly impactful and necessary in order to fully understand the next steps one should take to better the safety and peace in the community.

It was a very peaceful moment that brought a lot of hope for me, and made me truly appreciate the amazing work that everyone has done within society and within the different organizations in Chicago. It is surprising that this does not happen in a lot of places. I have never really seen people come together to actually address issues; usually addressing issues, at least from many areas, is given to the people in power as their responsibility. But that is not the case.

One does not have to be in power to make a change, and one does not have to have political authority to address the problems within society. This meeting was such an amazing experience and I truly hope that more communities are able to have these important conversations that can help bring people together in a world that is so broken, where us as individuals can help pick up the pieces one by one in order to make a change. 

Sewer Structure Work Street Closure

The upcoming street closure for the sewer structure work at W Division St and N Spaulding Ave will impact traffic on Division Street from Homan to California between the hours of 7am-4pm. This reroute was created and approved by CDOT, DWM, and CTA. Only local traffic will be allowed through – all heavier trucks must follow the reroute.

Thank you for your patience as our teams work hard to upgrade the sewer infrastructure!

Colombian Fest & Road Closures

Get excited for the 12th annual Colombian Fest happening this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday! Friday entrance tickets will be free, and weekend tickets can be purchased through this website: CLICK HERE! There will be lots of multi-cultured latino music, endless dancing, and delicious latino foods! On Saturday (7/18/26) there will be a 5k run at the start of the Colombian Fest (9:00 AM) where all ages can participate with joy to make great memories! This event is a great time to spend with our lively community in Humboldt Park. Amazing bands and artists will be present at Colombian fest, some of which include Guayacán Orquesta, Jose Alberto, Checo Acosta, and so much more! It is also important to note that the streets below will be closed for the festival, so be sure to plan accordingly.

In Solidarity,

Alderperson Jessie Fuentes

26th Ward Office Updates

Community Resources

26th Ward Events

Immigration Rights Resources

Construction Projects

26th Ward Zoning

The 26th Ward's community-led zoning process requires anyone requesting a zoning change to first complete a zoning intake form. After review, they present their request to the Zoning Advisory Committee and answer questions. In some cases, they may also present at a community input meeting.

Reproductive Justice

If you know someone looking for reproductive justice resources in Chicago, they can go to this Department of Public Health resource page to use the City’s digital community resource directory. There is also a free talkline (1-888-493-0092) where operators are available to share information on various reproductive justice options.