To inform voters and to help the baiduhai Editorial Board make endorsements, the board posed a series of questions to the candidates running for alderman. See their answers below. See how other candidates answered here.
Name: Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth
Ward: 48th
Current job: Small-business owner: Chicago Dance Supply and Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth photography.
Previous political experience: Current board member and co-chair of diversity, equity, and inclusion committee with Andersonville Chamber of Commerce; co-founder and co-coordinator of Indivisible Illinois and co-chair of the Racial Equity and Inclusion committee; founder and chair of ILVOTE; founder and chair of Indivisible IL9 Andersonville Edgewater; co-secretary of Peirce School Multi-Lingual Parent Teacher Student Organization; Jones College Prep Local School Council parent representative and co-chair of health and safety committee; director of operations at Women’s March Illinois; Elizabeth Warren delegate.
Education: I went to Buckingham Elementary School, graduated from Chicago Academy for the Arts in music and dance, and graduated from UIC with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy.
Spouse’s occupation: Physical Therapist and manager of Chicago Dance Supply.
Sources of outside income: None
The rise in violent crime remains a top priority for City Hall. Homicides, shootings and carjackings are all unacceptably high. Tell us how city government can be innovative in combating crime, and explain what measures you would propose if elected.
One innovative idea that already exists but needs our support to pass it is the Peace Book Ordinance, created by GoodKids MadCity and introduced to City Hall in July 2021, as described below:
Peace Book. A public safety resource for Chicago that: (a) provides contact information for youth and/or youth approved peacekeepers, violence interrupters, mediators, circle-keepers, and restorative justice practitioners; and (b) provides a directory of services for youth who live in communities targeted by over-policing and mass incarceration, including resources for recreation, employment, mental health services, and social and emotional learning. The Peace Book shall be published in various forms: as a physical book, in the form of pamphlets and zines; on a website; as a cell phone application; and in other forms as deemed appropriate by the City-Wide Peace Commission.
Neighborhood Peace Commission. Neighborhood-based commissions comprised of Youth-led Violence Reduction Organization (YVRO) representatives and select community members, and responsible for identifying and implementing neighborhood-based initiatives that will create peaceful, safe, and vibrant communities.
City-Wide Peace Commission. A city-wide commission comprised of two representatives from each Neighborhood Peace Commission responsible for distributing funding and resources to the Neighborhood Commission and coordinating peace keeping activities between neighborhoods.
These resources can be funded by diverting 1-2% of the city budget that is currently spent on policing. Passing the ordinance will make our South and West sides safer, effectively offsetting that change in budget distribution.
The CTA, one of the nation’s largest transit systems, remains a troubled agency grappling with issues ranging from violent crime and ghost buses and trains, to flagging ridership. Give us your thoughts on what specific measures CTA should take to make train and bus service safer, more reliable and more equitable for Chicagoans.
Trust is gained when systems are reliable over time. CTA has plans to increase their workforce to meet the needs of its ridership and also to improve its bus tracker accuracy. These are good first steps towards trust building.
I support the 5.6-mile red line extension that is long-overdue as an equity measure towards connecting communities that have for far too long seen disinvestment over generations, and would include four new stations near 103rd Street, 111th Street, Michigan Avenue, and 130th Street. More investments are needed towards fulfilling the City’s vision for Equitable Transit Oriented Development around mass transit. Per the City site, Equitable TOD (ETOD) is development that enables all people regardless of income, race, ethnicity, age, gender, immigration status or ability to experience the benefits of dense, mixed-use, pedestrian-oriented development near transit hubs. ETOD elevates and prioritizes investments and policies that close the socioeconomic gaps between neighborhoods that are predominately people of color and those that are majority white. ETOD projects and processes elevate community voice in decision making processes and in realizing community-focused benefits such as affordable housing, public health, strong local businesses, and environmental sustainability, to name a few. When centered on racial inclusion and community wealth building, ETOD can be a driver of positive transformation for more vibrant, prosperous, and resilient neighborhoods connected to opportunities throughout the city and region.
Making bus routes more efficient will help cut down transit times. Creating Bus Rapid Transit lanes so that buses do not have to weave in and out of traffic is one solution towards that end. We must implement a holistic and comprehensive solution to public safety, whether it’s on our streets or on our public transit system. In the meantime, while violent offenders must be held to account, criminalizing poverty is not the answer. CTA staffing solutions must include a treatment not trauma strategy that involves a non-police model in response to behavioral and mental health issues.
Ten years ago, enrollment at Chicago Public Schools was 403,000 students. In September, enrollment stood at 322,000 students. Enrollment at CPS has dropped for 11 consecutive years. What specific measures should CPS undertake to reverse the trend of ever-dwindling enrollment?
The population of Chicago has gone down so this is not a CPS-specific issue. We need to give people reasons to come to Chicago and stay in Chicago, including quality public education. Closing schools is not an equitable solution. Decreases in CPS enrollment is a reflection of decreasing working class population in Chicago especially in already disinvested areas where school and public housing developments have closed in recent years. CPS already has a trades certification program. CPS Career and Technical Education programs offer the opportunity to earn industry-recognized certifications that can be used to gain full-time employment or jobs to help pay for college. We all can and should promote these programs as legitimate pathways to long term career opportunities for students to consider immediately after high school.
We must work with Springfield to find a better public school funding formula that is not based on the number of students but based on evidence of need. And we must adopt a more fair tax system in Illinois so that municipalities are less burdened with the responsibility to make up for inadequate public school funding. Neighborhood public schools make our communities healthier. Every Chicagoan should have easy access to high-quality public education in preparation for a life of civic engagement. Public school buildings should be well-maintained and equipped with needed tools and supplies. Schools should be staffed not only by caring and competent teachers and administrators, but also social workers, counselors, librarians, nurses, special education instructors, and other supportive staff.
As a foundation, school should be a safe place for everyone. We need to employ culturally responsive teaching models which recognize that students may be coming into the learning environment after facing many challenges outside of school. Conflict can be resolved using restorative justice programs which already exist but are underutilized. While Alderpeople don’t get to control budgets and contracts or pick school superintendents and board of education members, we can educate and encourage parents and residents to run for Local School Councils (LSC), participate in the electoral process, and share with our constituents why public schools matter. As a parent representative on the Jones College Prep LSC, I had the opportunity to participate in my child’s school culture and support the teachers and faculty.
As alderwoman, I will:
Promote community involvement with Local School Council; every Chicagoan over the age of 17 has the right to vote in their LSC, regardless of citizenship or whether or not they have a child enrolled in the school. All politics is local.
Support teachers and the Chicago Teachers Union.
Champion TIF reform with the surplus of TIF funds returned to CPS. We need investments in school buildings and infrastructure, and we also need funding so that public schools are fully staffed, including social workers, counselors, and support staff.
Support the efforts of Chicago’s first elected school board in 2024. Elected officials should work for the public. I will advocate for a diversity of representation on the board that cuts across race, ethnicity, and economic status.
Disinvestment on the South and West sides is a decades-long problem with myriad causes. Give us at least one innovative idea that you believe could play a role in reversing South and West side disinvestment, and explain why the idea is realistic and feasible.
The Invest South/West plan lays an excellent foundation for this work, but we must listen to community members in these neighborhoods to tell us what is needed. If we implement the plan as described, with community involvement at every step of the way, we could lift up these disenfranchised neighborhoods.
Do you support giving Chicagoans property tax relief? If yes, please explain how you would accomplish it. If no, please explain why not.
Yes, I support fair and equitable property tax relief especially for some such as homeowners, seniors, military personnel and veterans, and those who are disabled. As alderwoman, my office will provide assistance to residents. I will advocate for streamlining the application process to apply for tax exemptions which are made through the Cook County Assessor’s office.
Give us your take on the city’s use of tax increment financing districts. Do you feel they have been useful, or do you feel that the problems associated with them outweigh their usefulness? What if any reforms would you want to apply to the city’s usage of TIFs?
As defined, “Tax Increment Financing is a special funding tool used by the City of Chicago to promote public and private investment across the city. Funds are used to build and repair roads and infrastructure, clean polluted land and put vacant properties back to productive use, usually in conjunction with private development projects. Funds are generated by growth in the Equalized Assessed Valuation (EAV) of properties within a designated district over a period of 23 years.” Under state law, areas proposed for TIF designation must possess numerous blighting factors to be eligible. We must ensure that we are following the letter of the law when considering TIF distributions and that we give any excess money back when the project is complete.
Lead in drinking water is a major health concern for the city. It is estimated that in Chicago there are roughly 400,000 homes and small apartment buildings with lead service lines. So far, the city has replaced less than 300 lead service lines. Do you feel the pace of lead service line replacement should be expedited, and if yes, what is the best, most feasible way to accomplish that?
The lead service line replacement project should absolutely be expedited. It takes the will of the government to take seriously how we are poisoning our people. At this rate it will take a very long time – we need to commit to this issue before more people, particularly those who are disenfranchised on our South and West sides, are harmed. We should look to other cities that are succeeding at this endeavor. The City of Newark, NJ completed nearly 24,000 replacements citywide in under 3 years at no cost to residents. If Newark can do it, Chicago can too.
If you are an incumbent, please explain what is it about your service on the City Council that makes you most qualified for the job. If you have never served on the council, please explain what is it about your background that makes you most qualified.
I have the lived experience of working with a diversity of people. I know what it takes to coalesce people of different backgrounds in order to get things done.
As a licensed physical therapist since 1997, I have participated in complex negotiations with many different parties while always centering the needs of the patient and seeing them not just as a diagnosis, but as full human beings. Alderpeople should have the empathy to center people.
As a small-business owner and an Andersonville Chamber of Commerce board member, I have an executive responsibility to my business and fiduciary responsibility to the members of the chamber. I must weigh those interests while ensuring the economic wellness of the community as I make recommendations and take action as co-chair of the DEI Committee.
As co-founder of the statewide group Indivisible Illinois, I collaborated with individuals and organizations with both rural and urban interests for the benefit of the state. As founder of Indivisible IL9–Andersonville/Edgewater, we organized Chicagoland residents and allies to pursue a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive society by organizing in support for (or against) policies and candidates to achieve economic and social justice. I understand what it means to be civically engaged and to work with broad coalitions of people toward a common goal.
As a mother, wife, caretaker, and entrepreneur, I know what it takes to prioritize the needs of various entities that require different levels of care to succeed. Caring for many people with basic needs including my ailing mother and young children while opening a small business was one of the most challenging and memorable times of my adult life. As alderwoman, I will care for all of the people in the ward, centering our most vulnerable.
I am a queer woman of color and my lived experience reflects the diversity of the ward. Representation matters.
What is the most pressing issue facing the people of your ward, and how would you address it?
Housing. We must center both the unhoused and those struggling with housing affordability. We must take a Housing First approach with wraparound services to help people get stability to thrive. We have so much abundance and yet we step over people living in the streets. It’s wrong and immoral. People living in tents should not be normalized. Additionally, people with homes are getting priced out of the ward; I will do all that I can working with agencies and advocates to ensure that all of our neighbors are supported.
Housing is a human right. We are proud of the diversity of our unique neighborhoods in the 48th ward and we all deserve truly affordable housing. When our neighbors are supported and not priced out of the community, everyone benefits.
Houselessness is an issue that impacts many members of our community, disproportionately the most marginalized, such as trans youth and people facing reentry after incarceration. I support lifting the ban on rent control, stabilizing rental fees, and preserving and expanding SROs to include wraparound services and mental health supports. We can engage and empower residents if we utilize community-driven zoning processes and help “mom-and-pop” landlords get the resources they need to pay their property taxes and maintain their buildings.
As a community organizer, I have fought for these issues and, as alderwoman, I will continue that work by supporting the following:
Bring Chicago Home would provide a dedicated revenue stream to combat homelessness in Chicago by levying a one-time real estate transfer tax on high-end properties sold for over $1 million. This would generate $163 million dollars annually to be used to combat homelessness
Accountable Housing and Transparency Ordinance would create one centralized waitlist for CHA affordable housing units. There would be placement preferences for vulnerable people, and processes would be streamlined, making it quicker and easier for people seeking affordable housing to find a home that fits their needs.
Equitable Transit Oriented Development encourages affordable housing development close to transit lines, while working with local businesses and residents so that they are not negatively impacted by construction in their neighborhoods.
Sum up why should voters elect you and not your opponent(s)? (Please limit this to policy and approach, not a biography recitation.)
I have been doing the work in the ward and am uniquely positioned to expand upon that work for the good of my community.