Illinois - Chicago

To Members of the Chicago City Council and Mayor Brandon Johnson,

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We, a collective of clergy representing diverse faith traditions, feel compelled to address a pressing issue that deeply impacts our communities: the crisis of gas affordability and its disproportionate burden on Black and brown households.

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In our roles as spiritual leaders across Chicago's neighborhoods, we understand that the challenge of gas affordability extends beyond mere economics. It is fundamentally a matter of social justice that demands our unwavering attention and action as people of faith.

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Illinois currently leads the nation in gas shutoffs, with Black and brown households facing disconnection at twice the rate of their white counterparts. Shockingly, nearly one in five consumers in Chicago are struggling to keep up with their gas bills. In specific predominantly Black and Brown zip codes, this figure skyrockets to nearly 50 percent.

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But the crisis does not end with affordability alone. We know that burning gas in our homes for heating and cooking poses grave health risks. Dangerous air pollutants generated by fossil fuel combustion exacerbate asthma in children and expose residents to cancer-causing agents like benzene. These health risks are disproportionately borne by vulnerable populations, making residential gas combustion the most racially inequitable form of pollution exposure, with people of color experiencing 41% more exposure than their white counterparts.

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Simply put, the cost of gas—to our health, safety, environment, and our communities' economic security—is too high.

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This problem was not created, nor will it be solved overnight. Effectively and equitably transitioning away from this unjust and harmful system will require deliberate action from leaders who are willing to challenge the vested interests that profit from the status quo.

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The Clean and Affordable Buildings Ordinance (CABO) is a meaningful first step toward a more sustainable and equitable future for the city of Chicago. To move forward equitably, however, we must begin this process now. Every new gas-dependent building increases the city's reliance on outmoded gas infrastructure, compounding the costs of future upgrades. This will force the city to spend resources updating new buildings, rather than helping the neighborhoods make necessary retrofits to make all of our homes and workplaces safe.

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Additionally, beginning the transition away from natural gas in earnest is a way to reinvest in many communities that have long been marginalized. The electrification of buildings will create quality employment opportunities for our current workforce and open doors to thousands of new jobs. These opportunities can and should be leveraged to uplift the communities throughout Chicago that bear the brunt of long-term disinvestment—violence, poverty, and mass incarceration. By investing in a clean future for Chicago's buildings, we can simultaneously invest in the economic well-being of Chicago's people.

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We urge our leaders to act with steadfast courage and compassion and pass the Clean & Affordable Buildings Ordinance to help us build communities across Chicago where all our neighbors can breathe freely and thrive.