This week, Pastor Alka and I went to a workshop hosted by ONE Northside about the Bring Chicago Home resolution,which is about creating more Single Room Occupancies and Permanent Supportive Housing, both which are needed to combat rampant homelesssness in Chicago. The resolution would funnel $80 million every year to permanent supportive housing and SRO preservation. The money would be raised by increasing the Real Estate Transfer tax on properties worth over $1 million. This is a one-time tax paid at the point of sale, and our proposed increase would not affect 96% of property sales. 

I don't think I've done a French word yet (if I have and I'm misremembering... pretend I haven't?) Anyway. The word is élan (it's actually also the title of a song I like by a Finnish band called Nightwish) and it means...momentum, basically. Enthusiasm. The feeling that you get when you're passionate about something, that then drives you onward to continuing or finishing whatever that 'something' may be. 

I attended a ‘De-escalation Training’ this week through ONE Northside, offered by Hollaback, a global movement working towards ending harassment in any form it presents itself (one more way we can live out our baptismal vow to resist injustice), and training folk around the globe to feel empowered to intervene in a way that does not put themselves at risk.