The Mayors Caucus Diversity Issues Task Force is pleased to announce the Immigrant Integration Toolkit in partnership with the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning and the Latino Policy Forum.
Metropolitan Chicago is home to a number of immigrant communities that contribute to the region’s economic prosperity and high quality of life. But municipalities across the region sometimes find themselves ill-equipped to address the needs of their changing demographics.
The Immigrant Integration Toolkit can assist municipalities in addressing changing demographics at the local level. It presents a variety of ways other municipalities have successfully dealt with integration through improved health outcomes, economic mobility, enhanced civic participation, and a culture of inclusiveness.
The toolkit explains some of the most common challenges associated with integration and provides a variety of strategies, local examples, and resources that municipalities can use. The toolkit examines demographics, civic engagement, public safety, health services, workforce and economic development, language access, and housing. Immigrant population data and additional resources for local officials can be found in the toolkit’s appendices.
The Immigrant Integration Toolkit taps into CMAP GO TO 2040’s themes of livable communities, human capital, efficient governance, and regional mobility by exploring the region’s changing demographics through the specific lens of immigrant communities. This toolkit is just one example of how local autonomy and regional cooperation can come together to enhance quality of life, bolster economic strengths, and create inclusivity within the region.
To learn more, read about the Caucus’ Diversity Initiatives or contact Allison Clements.
