It’s been nearly a year since a record-setting storm dumped 8 inches of rain on some parts of Chicago. The Austin community, which has a population of more than 96,000, was significantly affected by flooding, along with Cicero and Berwyn.
The TV cameras, news media, city, state and federal officials have left, but too many senior citizens continue to struggle with mold remediation and other issues related to the flooding. The West Side Long Term Recovery Group estimates that more than 200 senior citizens living in Austin still have flood damage in their homes.
“We still have hundreds, if not thousands, of people who don’t have water heaters, furnaces, who still have mold in their basement,” Jitu Brown, a resident of Austin and national director for the Journey for Justice Alliance, said, as quoted by the Austin Weekly News in February. The group is calling on Mayor Brandon Johnson, an Austin resident, to “find $25 million to $50 million to help clean up hundreds of residents’ mold damage and debris, plus fund humidifiers and replace water heaters and furnaces that were destroyed by the storms that hit Chicago last June 29 and July 2.”
A WBEZ analysis from October found that more than 60,000 applications for assistance were approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, with the average payout around $3,400. According to WBEZ, one Austin resident, Trish Green, received approximately $3,000, but her furnace cost $14,000 to replace.
The Austin community’s experience represents a microcosm of wider neglect in predominately Black and brown communities. Years of underinvestment in water infrastructure caused a water crisis in predominately Black communities including Flint, Michigan, and Jackson, Mississippi. The Center for Neighborhood Technology, a think tank that works on urban sustainability issues, found that “just thirteen ZIP codes represent nearly three-fourths of flood damage claims paid in Chicago between 2007 and 2016. In these areas, 93% of residents were people of color.”
The report noted more than a quarter of the households in the ZIP codes live below the poverty line. Also, the think tank’s analysis found the areas that experienced the most flooding received the least help and the residents there are least able to pay for flood repairs. Johnson, Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle should tap emergency resources to assist the senior citizens in Austin with mold remediation. This is a matter of life and death for our senior citizens.
Elected leaders have been quick to respond to the needs of migrants by investing millions of dollars to provide for their well-being. As reported by WBEZ, “the city has paid about $31.3 million to feed migrants between August 2022 and February 2024.” Johnson has requested another $70 million for migrant-related funding. Pritzker has spent $478 million in state funding to care for the migrants, and he has committed more in the budget. Preckwinkle has already spent $100 million on migrants.
The senior citizens in Austin voted to elect Johnson, Pritzker and Preckwinkle. The least these leaders could do is provide resources to remedy environmental inequities that could further exacerbate serious health issues. It is common sense to take care of your own citizens’ needs first.
The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, which is responsible for reducing flooding and keeping raw sewage out of Lake Michigan, has spent $3.8 billion on the “Deep Tunnel” project. The Wall Street Journal notes, “In Chicago, the Deep Tunnel project does little to alleviate one major source of flooding: areas where older local pipes aren’t big enough to send water out of the neighborhoods during big rains.” According to Ed Staudacher, assistant director of maintenance and operations with the MWRD, that is one of the reasons so many basements flooded during the July 2 storm.
Government leaders must do more to ensure that Austin residents recover from the flood. Additionally, city, federal, state and county officials must prepare for the next major rain or storm event. I applaud the U.S. Department of Transportation’s announcement of $8.6 million to help alleviate flooding along Interstate 290 near Maywood.
Long-term exposure to mold can cause memory loss, poor mental health, constant fatigue and lung issues. The Austin community has some of the widest health disparities in the city. Heart disease, diabetes, infant mortality and drug overdose far outpace city averages. Many senior citizens are on fixed incomes, and they cannot afford the costs of mold remediation, a new water tank and furnace. The government has an obligation to assist our senior citizens — low-interest loans are not an option.
The following are suggestions to help the citizens of Austin and other Chicago communities that experience flooding:
• Pritzker, Johnson and Preckwinkle should coordinate and allocate emergency funding to assist residents in the Austin community to complete mold remediation.
• Pritzker should assign someone from his staff to oversee Austin flood remediation.
• The MWRD and the city of Chicago should embark on a public works project to change pipes that are not big enough to carry storm water to the Deep Tunnel reservoirs.
• Johnson should create more green spaces such as gardens and green alleys that could absorb storm water.
Ald. Emma Mitts, 37th, and community organizations are applauded for their advocacy on behalf of West Side residents struggling to recover from the historic storms. The storms will keep coming, and the question is whether we will be prepared to weather them.
I write this commentary to make those comfortable with forgetting Austin flood victims uncomfortable.
Willie Wilson is a business owner, philanthropist and former mayoral candidate.
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