Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin, U.S. Congressmen Bobby Rush and Sean Casten, and Cook County Commissioner Dennis Deer Discuss the Impact U.S. Postal Service Delays Have on At-Risk Communities

Today, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, the Cook County Bureau of Economic Development and the Housing Authority of Cook County (HACC) announced the application deadline extension for the Cook County COVID-19 Recovery Rental Assistance program. 

Severe storms are headed to Cook County this afternoon. Residents are urged to prepare for high winds, flooding and power outages. Cook County’s Department of Emergency Management and Regional Security offers the following tips to help residents stay safe.

High Winds

The alarming rise in suicides among African American residents in Cook County was addressed today by Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, Cook County Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Ponni Arunkumar and Cook County Health Director of Behavioral Health Dr. Diane Washington.

President Preckwinkle says the African American community has borne an alarming brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic, opioid overdose deaths, surging homicide rates and now - suicides.

Today, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, the Cook County Bureau of Economic Development and the Housing Authority of Cook County (HACC) announced the launch of a $20 million rental assistance program to help suburban Cook County residents experiencing financial insecurity due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Funded by the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the program pays one to three months of overdue or future rent for income-eligible households. Payments will be made directly to landlords on behalf of tenants up to a total of $4,500.

Today President Preckwinkle announced the publication of public performance dashboards for each department in Offices Under the President. Each dashboard tracks 3 to 5 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that measure a department’s goals and accomplishments. Departments will update the dashboards on a quarterly basis and include open datasets from the Open Data Portal.

Today, Cook County Board President Preckwinkle joined ASIS Entertainment Network and several community-based organizations and street outreach workers to announce $5 million in new funding to reduce violence, during a press conference at the Austin Peoples Action Center.

Today, Cook County announces a partnership with the University of Chicago Office of Civic Engagement to offer seven weeks of curated educational content for the public during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are excited to offer this unique educational opportunity to residents of Cook County and hope to empower learning during a difficult time when people are at home and looking for something new to do,” said Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, an alum of the University of Chicago.

With temperatures expected to rise to dangerous levels throughout the weekend, Cook County is opening the following County buildings to residents who need assistance in beating the heat. The following buildings will open at 8 a.m. tomorrow morning and remain open continuously until 10 p.m. Sunday evening. 

Bridgeview Courthouse
10220 S. 76th Ave.
Bridgeview, IL 60455

Skokie Courthouse
5600 Old Orchard Road
Skokie, IL 60077

Cook County Animal and Rabies Control urges pet owners to take special precautions to protect the health and welfare of their pets during anticipated extreme heat this weekend. The department offers tips for pet owners to keep in mind:

Do not leave your pet in a hot car: Even with the windows rolled down, studies have shown that the temperature inside the car can increase 15 degrees above the outside temperature. The law requires that any time the ambient temperature is above 78 degrees, you cannot leave your dog in a car.