Our Chicago: Town hall examines expiring Illinois eviction moratorium's impact on Latinos
Hosted by ABC7's Rob Elgas
CHICAGO (WLS) -- ABC 7, Chicago's No. 1 station for news, will present a virtual town hall to look at the impact on Latinos when the moratorium on residential evictions expires in Illinois. ABC 7 Eyewitness News Anchor/Reporter, Rob Elgas, will moderate this hourlong event, Our Chicago: Voices of the Community, available on abc7chicago.com Thursday, September 16 at 2:00 PM.
The Delta variant is adding another layer of vulnerability to families already reeling from the effects of the pandemic on their health and economic stability. A vivid illustration of this is the fragile housing situation among Latinos.
According to a statement by Latino Policy Forum, "In the midst of job and wage loss and the highest death rates in those of working age, the eviction moratorium...looms large in the minds of many Latinos. The eventual and certain end of the moratorium means that many Latinos will be facing an unprecedented risk of homelessness."
ABC 7's Rob Elgas will lead a discussion with community leaders about how a rise in evictions will cascade into other problems such as overcrowded households, a likely increase in COVID infections, with many parents and children forced to live in shelters or on the street. They'll also discuss the flip side of the issue: how landlords in the Latino community are facing their own financial challenges and the conflict that arises in having to evict neighbors and people they know. Also on the agenda for this town hall is a look at what is being done to help these at-risk individuals and families.
Panelists include Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Iris Y. Martinez, as well as members of her office and other community partners addressing the needs of all citizens facing eviction.
Other Guest panelists confirmed to date:
-Janet M. Hunter, Clerk of the Circuit Court
-Karla Chrobak, CARPLS
-Jonathon Raffensperger, Lawyers Committee for Better Housing
-Martin Cozzola, Chicago Volunteer Legal Services
-Edwin Ortiz Reyes, Latino Policy Forum
-Guillermina León, LUCHA
The virtual town hall will also be exclusively streamed live on ABC 7's Facebook Live, YouTube, ABC 7's app, and ABC 7's connected TV apps on Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV and Roku.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/abc7chicago
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abc7Chicago/
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About ABC7/WLS-TV Chicago
ABC7/WLS-TV Chicago is the No. 1 local news source and most-watched television station in Chicago. With top-rated daily newscasts spanning decades and the largest social media presence in the market with more than 2.3 million Facebook followers, ABC7 Eyewitness News provides breaking news, investigative reporting, weather, politics, traffic and sports in the multiplatform space to Chicago, the suburbs and northwest Indiana. Named Best News Operation by the Associated Press for four consecutive years, the station produces 41 hours of local news weekly and Chicago's only local weekday entertainment talk show, "Windy City LIVE," as well as its highest-rated New Year's Eve special. ABC7's award-winning programs such as "Heart and Soul," "The Ñ Beat" and "Asian Influences" showcase the city's diversity, while being the only Chicago station producing and broadcasting parades representing Chicago's rich cultural history. In addition to producing town halls focused on current social issues, the station has a long and proud tradition of broadcasting political candidate debates keeping Chicago's electorate informed. ABC7's outreach efforts include annual partnerships with the Red Cross for life-saving blood drives and, most recently, spearheading an effort to raise more than $1.5 million for area food pantries.
