News & Projects
Our work Is expansive, and so are the stories that shape the Chicago region’s civic ecosystem.
This space is designed to inform, inspire, and celebrate the collective efforts to create a more vibrant, equitable, and prosperous Chicago region for all.
From partner spotlights and project updates to deep dives on key initiatives, we share the moments, milestones, and ideas that reflect our collaborative approach.
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Police and CVI: Making the Professional Understanding Last
The third phase of a multi-year effort to strengthen how the Chicago Police Department and community street outreach workers coordinate to prevent violence, assessing what is working across the city, and refining the shared “Professional Understanding” that guides their respective roles, so the work can last through leadership turnover and continued growth.
Mayor’s Office of Re-Entry Strategy
Each year, nearly 16,000 individuals return to Chicago-area communities from incarceration — facing enormous barriers and a system ill-equipped to support them. Civic Consulting Alliance partnered with the City's re-established Office of Reentry to build the strategic foundation it needed to drive real change. From clarifying the Office's mission and mapping existing services, to facilitating cross-agency collaboration and developing budget proposals, CCA helped the office give returning residents a stronger path forward.
Positioning the City to Speed Up Affordable Housing and Commercial Corridor Development
Civic Consulting Alliance is playing a key role in the Cut the Tape initiative to help the City accelerate its approval processes for real estate development projects. We leveraged our expertise to help the Mayor’s Office research best practices from peer cities, gather and synthesize input from stakeholders, and work with 14 City departments to refine the list of high-impact solutions. This collaboration resulted in the Cut the Tape report of 100+ solutions to significantly speed up the development approval process and position Chicago to better support investments by small businesses, entrepreneurs, developers, and corporations. Civic Consulting Alliance is continuing to support the City in the implementation of this ambitious set of recommendations.
CPD & CVI Professional Understanding
Starting in 2020, the City of Chicago, Cook County, and the State of Illinois significantly increased investment in community violence intervention (CVI) services in Chicago – including street outreach – as part of a holistic and community-driven approach to violence reduction. As street outreach teams respond to more incidents, there is a need for clarity on roles and protocols between the Chicago Police Department (CPD) and CVI providers.
Envisioning Health Hubs for Chicago
The Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) is organized to provide guidance, services, and strategies that make Chicago a healthier and safer city. However, the pandemic and demand for adding City-run mental health clinics have pushed the agency to increase the types of direct services provided to the public
City Workforce Strategy Alignment
Meaningful employment and career opportunities are foundational to the Johnson Administration’s ambition to invest in and create pathways to wealth for marginalized populations and underserved communities. While the private sector is responsible for most of the employment base, the City of Chicago government plays a multi-faceted role in the workforce space through the resources deployed by its Departments and Sister Agencies, policy activities, and the power of its influence.
2023 Mayoral Transition
Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson only had six weeks to set his new administration up to effectively govern 2.7 million Chicagoans. With the help of more than 19 partners and approximately 50 members of our staff and our partners’ staff, we provided $2.8 million in pro bono services to support Mayor-elect Johnson as he prepared to take the helm of the City at a time of great challenges and change.
Cut the Tape to Speed Up the City’s Real Estate Approval Process
The City of Chicago’s current real estate development approval process, while well-intentioned, can involve a dozen departments and results in a burdensome and costly undertaking. The complex system also favors those with more time and money to navigate the lengthy planning and entitlements process, including the legal work necessary to obtain approvals.
Chicago’s Mental Health Expansion Working Group
In September 2023, the Chicago City Council passed an ordinance creating the Treatment Not Trauma Working Group of internal stakeholders. The ordinance required a report with recommendations for expanding non-police alternate crisis response programs and clinical services while increasing community awareness of both.
“Civic Consulting Alliance was instrumental in getting the Cut the Tape initiative off the ground quickly. Their in-depth research on peer cities and insightful stakeholder engagement helped us identify ways to streamline the City’s real estate development process. This not only saved us valuable time but also ensured we targeted the highest-impact solutions that will lead to more affordable housing and vibrant commercial corridors throughout Chicago.”
Kenya Merritt, Deputy Mayor of Business and Neighborhood Development, City of Chicago