Chicago Politics and Urbanism Daily
Chicago’s Reform Tests: Transit Cash, Housing Fights, Renter Rules
Monday, June 1, 2026 · 9 min
Chicago transit agencies are getting $132 million as the RTA becomes NITA, while Pritzker’s BUILD plan and Johnson’s renter overhaul test whether City Hall and Springfield can reform housing without stalling supply.
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Show notes
Chicago transit agencies are getting $132 million as the RTA becomes NITA, while Pritzker’s BUILD plan and Johnson’s renter overhaul test whether City Hall and Springfield can reform housing without stalling supply.
In this episode
- New transit funding will go toward security, service improvements - Chronicle Media — Chronicle Media
New transit funding will go toward security, service improvements - Chronicle Media Union Pacific West Metra Line train in downtown Wheaton. (Photo by Igor Studenkov/For Chronicle Media) The Regional Transportation Authority Board of Trustees unanimously approved a plan for distributing about $132.2 million in new revenue to the CTA, Metra and Pace later this year. This is a portion of around…
- Step Back — If Chicago’s CARE Teams are now available citywide, what actually happens when someone calls 911 for a mental-health crisis — who gets dispatched, what can they do, and what numbers would tell us this is working instead of just sounding humane?
Background sources
- Chicago's CARE Program for mental health call responses to expand throughout city - CBS Chicago — Cbsnews
- Mayor Johnson expands alternate response effort for mental health emergencies - WBEZ Chicago — Wbez
- Chicagoans will soon have more options when calling 911 - WBEZ Chicago — Wbez
- Health – MHSE and CARE — Chicago
- Mayor's office defends Chicago's mental health crisis response program after whistleblower raises concerns - CBS Chicago — Cbsnews
- How to call for mental heath services in Chicago - Axios Chicago — Monica Eng
- Debate grows over Pritzker's proposed BUILD housing plan - AOL.com — AOL
Debate grows over Pritzker’s proposed BUILD housing plan - AOL Fri, May 29, 2026 at 11:39 PM UTC 0 Debate grows over Pritzker’s proposed BUILD housing plan The Brief Gov. JB Pritzker’s proposed BUILD housing plan would shift some zoning authority from local governments to the state to speed up housing construction and address Illinois’ housing shortage. Critics, including some Chicago…
- Mayor Brandon Johnson pushing sweeping changes to renter laws - United States — Chicago Tribune
Mayor Brandon Johnson pushing sweeping changes to renter laws - United States # Mayor Brandon Johnson pushing sweeping changes to renter laws Mayor Brandon Johnson is proposing a sweeping overhaul to city rules governing renting, and landlords are already organizing against the effort aimed at giving tenants significant new powers and protections. Johnson’s “Protecting Renters Ordinance”…
- City To Collect $440k In Fines From ‘Rogue’ Bus Companies That Brought Migrants To Chicago — Block Club Chicago
City To Collect $440k In Fines From ‘Rogue’ Bus Companies That Brought Migrants To Chicago Real Chicago stories start in your neighborhood Get a daily digest of stories from all neighborhoods across Chicago. On Sundays, you'll get our reporters’ best of the week, highlighting the people and places that make our neighborhoods home. Sign up A bus filled with asylum seekers pulls into the…