As city elections get nearer, OPC is profiling some of our members who are working to change Chicago. Today, meet David:
David Zoltan is a housing activist living in Rogers Park, in the 49th Ward. He became involved in ONE People’s Campaign through his housing work, and was active last fall in the effort to Lift the Ban on rent control. “As an amputee, I don’t canvass. I do a lot of policy research and organizing behind the scenes,” he said.
Rent control is an important issue to David. “53% of Chicago renters are rent-burdened, meaning that they pay 30% or more of their income for rent expenses. This is higher than the national average.”
“As a person with disabilities whose only income is Social Security Disability, I am so poor that I am considered extremely rent-burdened with more than 50% of my income going to rent.” He is also concerned about making sure all Illinoisans have healthcare coverage, and holding Governor Pritzker to his campaign promise to move Illinois to a fair tax system.
In addition to progress on those issues, David looks forward to a 2019 with a new mayor and a new City Council, “that isn’t a rubber stamp for the mayor or beholden to developers.”
“We can’t be focused only on elections. Every two or four years isn’t enough. We need to make our voices heard every day.”