Notes From Pilsen Alliance Executive Director Alejandra Ibañez' Presentation to GPH 211

Project goal is poster to be given out to Pilsen Alliance supporters to display in their windows, to help get people involved in the Zoning Inventory. (re-zone existing Pilsen housing stock to preserve current density of housing and discourage gentrification).

Message:

• get involved in campaign
• do inventory of your own block
• participate in your own community/destiny
• finish Inventory by Feb.
• (be persuasive)

Themes/Slogans used by Pilsen Alliance:

• gentrification
• involvement
• self-determination
• local leadership
• community power
• maintain affordability
• "Pilsen Is Not For Sale"
• "Development Without Displacement"

Things to consider about reaching the Target Audience:

• money is their first concern (taxes, rent)
• simplicity of message
• easy to translate
• people have varied educational background
• use graphics/images from Pilsen - murals, etc

Action for Target Audience to take as a result of campaign:

• get involved
• come to P.A. office (1831 S. Racine)
• volunteer
• meet in block clubs
• be trained
• sell their own property responsibly

Obstacles to Target Audience Participation:

• language (although posters will be translated)
• complexity of tax and zoning issues
• people work and are too busy to get involved
• fear of politics/fear of retribution by alderman or city

Facts about Pilsen:

• 80% are renters
• 94.77% voted for Pilsen Alliance referendum that created a Citizen Zoning Review Board
• 95% of Pilsen residents are Mexican
• 5-10% are non-Mexican professionals
• it is a multigenerational population
• median income is $24-26,000 /yr.
• there is a large artist population
• in recent years, property taxes have increased 300%
• the 2000 census showed an exodus of working families from Pilsen