A Chicago encampment highlighted in the OIG report. [Department of Family and Support Services]

A program coordinated by the city’s Department of Family and Support Services successfully provides rapid rehousing for unhoused Chicagoans living in encampments who want to pursue permanent housing, an audit from Chicago’s Office of Inspector General found.  

The audit also found city workers are giving residents in encampments proper notice before disposing of abandoned items and that the city did not permanently displace any residents living in encampments during the time under review. 

Chicago's skyline is pictured in this file photo.

As the city experiences its latest heat wave, officials with the city’s health department are waiting for the results of a heat study conducted last month that could provide crucial information about how to prevent and mitigate heat-related deaths and illnesses in the city.

In April, Chicago was among 18 communities selected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to participate in this year’s urban heat island mapping campaign, a project NOAA has undertaken since 2017 and which is funded through the NOAA Climate Program Office, according to a NOAA spokesperson.  

Mayor Brandon Johnson (left) and Larry Snelling, chief of the Chicago Police Department's Bureau of Counterterrorism, speak during a news conference Monday. [Erin Hegarty/The Daily Line] 

While his appointment is still contingent on City Council approval, Mayor Brandon Johnson during a Monday news conference officially introduced Larry Snelling, chief of the Chicago Police Department's Bureau of Counterterrorism, as his pick to lead the police department. 

The selection process that brought forth Snelling as the best person for the job was historic in that it marked the first time a community commission ran the search for superintendent candidates and narrowed down the list of finalists. The search process also saw a record number of people apply for the job. 

Related: More than 50 people apply for CPD superintendent job, 32 have affiliation with the department 
 

Chicago Inspector General Deborah Witzburg speaks about the findings of an inquiry into the Chicago Police Department’s misconduct complaint process in a livestream Aug. 3, 2023. [Livestream]

The Chicago Police Department (CPD) has failed to allow officers to properly report allegations of misconduct without potentially facing retaliation, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) found in a report published Thursday.

Members of the Urban Forestry Advisory Board met Thursday at City Hall. [Erin Hegarty/The Daily Line]

Tree trimming crews in Chicago have been able to trim more than triple the number of Chicago trees this year compared to 2022 under the city’s new grid-based system. 

Malcolm Whiteside, head of the forestry bureau under the city’s Department of Streets and Sanitation, announced the status of the tree trimming program during a meeting of the city’s Urban Forestry Advisory Board Thursday. 

Ald. Maria Hadden (49) speaks during a committee meeting last week. [City of Chicago livestream]

The deadline for the City Council to approve a referendum question for the 2024 General Primary Election asking Chicagoans if they support the so-called Bring Chicago Home proposal is Jan. 2, and the lead sponsor of the proposal is confident the measure will pass by the end of the year. 

Alderpersons largely voiced support last week for the Bring Chicago Home proposal that would increase the real estate transfer tax for the sale of properties over $1 million and put the revenue toward affordable housing and homeless services. 

Related: Alderpersons voice support during housing committee hearing on Bring Chicago Home proposal