North Side Alliance
The North Side Alliance is a West Ridge organizing project of the Albany Park Neighborhood Council (APNC) that was formed by West Ridge residents and institutions to address local issues in the 50th Ward. NSA’s organizing approach involves training and developing local leadership, identifying common issues, creating collective and strategic ways to address those issues, and systematically strengthening institutions. Accomplishments include:
- Organized a public meeting in May 2008 with city officials including 24th District Police Commander Steve Caluris, Department of Buildings Deputy Commissioner James Harney, and Department of Streets and Sanitation Deputy Commissioner Charles Wren to improve safety, vacant buildings and streets and sanitation in the ward. Over 250 residents attended, winning many victories:
- Won action from the city to secure several vacant, hazardous buildings
- Won increased street cleaning in residential streets around Devon Ave, which received among the lowest rates of cleaning in the city
- Won additional trash cans along Western Ave
- Hosted a public meeting in June 2007 with officials from the city and 50th Ward departments of Streets and Sanitation to request improved services to the neighborhood. Over 175 community members attended the meeting and the officials committed to cleaning the residential streets more frequently and to continue to work with the NSA.
- Hosted a candidates’ forum in January of 2007 for the Aldermanic elections where over 250 community members came to ask questions of three candidates
- Met with Congresswomen Schakowsky to address delays in citizenship applications in the Muslim community
- Attended the historic immigration marches in 2006 and 2007
- Registered over 800 voters in the 50th Ward before the November 2006 elections.
- Met with Alderman Stone in November of 2006 to begin raising neighborhood issues