Safety is defined differently by each community, we must ensure we have intentional conversations on what safety looks like for each community in the 10th Ward. Óscar believes in investing in preventative and restorative justice practices including investments in social services and economic opportunity rather than reactionary responses that disproportionately impact the lives of Black and Brown communities. Óscar is committed to better understanding and building holistic safety and system of care in collaboration with community members through neighborhood decision making practices. 

As 10th Ward Alderman Óscar will: 

• Host community town halls focused on safety, preventative measures, and de-escalation to further increase community awareness and allow for community decision-making on safety issues.
• Defend and expand Chicago’s Welcoming City Ordinance, to welcome immigrants and refugees with dignity, respect, and adequate transition support. While also continuing to ensure equal access to city resources regardless of immigration status, and ensuring CPD cannot cooperate with ICE at any moment to keep families together.  
• Advocate for alternative non-violent responses; through the funding of community based anti-violence work emphasizing a preventative and restorative justice lens. This will address the shortage of police the 4th distrcit has, to ensure Police Officers do not have to response to non-violent emergenices.
• Steer financial resources from Shotspotter and advocate for reinvestment in public services that are preventative vs. reactionary including the Peacebook Ordinance and social services such as the reopening of public mental health clinics and providing resources to residents of Chicago regardless of income, insurance, and immigration status which can build upon the work of #TreatmentNotTrauma.
• Advocate for the removal of unreliable and discriminatory practices including erasing the gang database that disproportanetely incarcarates and targets Black and Brown community members at higher rates. 
• Ensure the maintenance of public places and street lights, fix potholes and ensure tree branches are trimmed to increase visibility 

Óscar understands the need to invest in our youth as they are our future. A student’s geographical residence, income, or racial status should not determine whether they have the opportunity to succeed academically. As a product of the Chicago Public Schools, Óscar understands the struggles public education faces and will do everything in his power to ensure schools are fully funded and adequately resourced to provide students with the quality education they deserve.

As 10th Ward Alderman Óscar will:

• Fight for equitable dollars for our school districts and take on the antiquated funding models that keep underfunding and shutting down our schools, forcing families to leave our neighborhood.
• Advocate for a repair and maintenance process for Chicago Public School buildings to ensure the safety, health, and quality of education to all students in Chicago and to ensure neighborhood schools are not neglected. 
• Advocate for Green New Schools for George Washington Elementary and High School which includes the construction of new buildings, utilizing renewable energy sources, proper ventilation, and athletic fields for recreational purposes. 
• Ensure bilingual, special education, and immigrant students and families have adequate academic and social services support. 
• Ensure students are provided with culturally and linguistically accessible curriculum; ensure that immigrant, low-income, and linguistically diverse populations’ needs are equitably represented throughout CPS. 
• Support school-based services including full-time social workers and nurses, violence prevention programs, and trauma-informed professional development for school staff to be healthy, safe, and well.
• Advocate for adult learning programs, citizenship classes, English as a second language, GED, and early childhood education opportunities 

Chicago is home to labor movements and here in the 10th Ward we are proud of our historical contributions. Óscar believes we must continue to invest in the people of our community through workforce training opportunities and a long term plan to transition to more sustainable workforce practices. We must ensure we are providing the residents of 10th Ward with living- wage employment opportunities that will not compromise their health and wellbeing. Every worker is important, and every worker must be protected.

As 10th Ward Alderman Óscar will: 

• Expand vocational training, workshops, and adult educational opportunities to residents of the 10th Ward. 
• Advocate for investments in sustainable workforce development training and job placement in green sectors such as clean energy to offset the environmental harms in the community as a part of a Just Transition. 
• Partner with community organizations to provide  workshops on worker right’s information, including the right to unionize and resources to ensure every worker’s safety and livelihood is protected while on the job. 
• Work to increase Chicago’s minimum wage, including tipped workers.
• Advocate to expand employment opportunities for underserved communities in the ward, including people with disabilities and youth by developing workshops to fit the needs of our changing workforce, connecting resources to assistive technology, and funding reliable transportation.
• Support the development long-term transition programs for residents being released from prisons including connecting people to job training, placement, and social services.

As the cost of living rises, we must proactively address the needs of our residents and establish safety nets to ensure safe and affordable housing for all. Óscar believes we deserve policies that will enable safe homes and a healthy environment for community members. Housing is a human right and we must commit to protecting the needs of residents ahead of any and all capital gains.

As 10th Ward Alderman Óscar will: 

• Support local homeownership by connecting with organizations to provide workshops to help navigate city, state, and federal programs and resources for first time homeowners. 
• Support rent control for all Chicagans to help stop the displacement of our neighbors.
• Provide support to households facing foreclosure and evictions by advocating for rental assistance, utility support, and other financial resources to households experiencing financial hardships.
• Support and encourage eligible owners to utilize city services and programs to address home infrastructure repairs including: roof and porch repairs, lead service line replacement, water meter installation, etc, to improve the wellness of our community. 
• Support, inform, and empower tenants on their rights as renters to address any violations in their residencies to protect them from financial or health related harms. 

The 10th Ward communities deserve thriving local businesses and entrepreneurship opportunities that encourage economic prosperity. Óscar believes that investing in our community and it’s residents is necessary to create a healthy self-sustaining economy, where wealth is created and circulated in our neighborhoods. Óscar’s vision for economic prosperity will be centered on the people and will always put people over profit.

As 10th Ward Alderman Óscar will: 

• Connect with existing commercial businesses to support and expand economic opportunities. 
• Coordinate and encourage co-op models in vacant storefronts to strengthen entrepreneurship opportunities and building towards a circular economy.
• Advocate for investment in an urban-walkable corridor among community commercial districts to increase foot traffic into local businesses. 
• Advocate for equitable street vending policies, to build access to food, goods, and economic livelihood; as it is a crucial tool that improves community wellness and safety. 
• Collaborate with community based organizations to provide financial literacy, small business models/plans to ensure a sustainable community economy.
• Address food apartheids and advocate for grocery stores in every community to combat food insecurity in households and bring new jobs for community residents in the 10th Ward

The Southeast Side has historically been home to industrial developments and is overwhelmed with decades of legacy pollution that impacts the air that residents breathe, the soil in our backyards, and water that floods our streets. For far too long the 10th Ward has been the City’s dumping ground and that needs to change. Óscar believes we must advocate for protections that put our resident’s health and livelihoods above economic profit and will fight to ensure the wellness of the community by advancing policies that address environmental injustices.

As Alderman Óscar will:

• Advocate for a cumulative impact ordinance to protect communities from environmental burdens caused by industrial developments. A cumulative assessment review will take into account existing pollution levels and socioeconomic factors to indicate the impact of new development and will mitigate the harms of air and water pollution on residents in the community. 
• Advocate for a just transition in the community; uplifting the demand to divest from fossil fuels and extractive economic practices and shifting to sustainable workforce practices to address the legacy pollution in the southeast side. 
• Support the electrification of public service vehicles including CTA buses as well as advocating for investment to ensure safe and reliable transportation, to reduce dependency on carbon emitting vehicles. 
• Support the advancement of policy that ensures residents have access to lead-free and affordable water in their homes.
• Re-establish the City’s Department of Environment to ensure preventative health measures, accountability and allow for innovative solutions to accelerate the implementation of sustainable and environmentally just policies and programs. 
• Invest in green infrastructure and stormwater management infrastructure to mitigate the impact of heat island effects and urban flooding that can contribute to increasing energy costs and heat-related deaths and illnesses.
• Advocate to expand support services, resources, and connections to social workers for elderly and families experiencing hardships to ensure the basic necessities and livelihood of community members are maintained.

There is joy in the Southeast side and we must work as a community to amplify and spread that joy. Óscar believes that investment in intergenerational programming and expanding art, culture, and wellness opportunities will empower our community to have more ownership of neighborhood spaces. The 10th Ward is deserving of beautiful spaces, fun-filled family events and opportunities for growth.

As 10th Ward Alderman Óscar will: 

• Encourage and advise on potential community events, festivals, and ensure culturally relevant programming.
• Uplift local artists by connecting them to funding and resources to develop community based projects, beautify the neighborhoods, and further build art-based entrepreneurship.
• Foster food justice collaboration between businesses and community organizations to host culturally relevant cooking, nutrition, and active lifestyle workshops to improve the health and well-being of all residents.
• Advocate for investment in a community center to provide educational and recreational programming for youth and adults.  
• Seek to expand convening spaces for community members; including youth and people with disabilities.