Unencumbered by other candidates for alderman of the 48th Ward, Harry Osterman is looking to a second term presiding over a neighborhood that is thriving.
The former Illinois representative for the 14th district occupies the same North Broadway street offices as some of the most celebrated and accomplished political advocates for the LGBTQ movement—Sen. Heather Steans, Rep. Kelly Cassidy and Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. When he was in Springfield, Osterman himself worked to change the Human Rights Act to include sexual orientation and co-sponsored the act authorizing same-sex civil unions.
He invited Windy City Times to those offices to discuss his next four years.
Windy City Times: Back in 2011, you talked with Windy City Times about your three priorities for the 48th—public safety, education and economic development. Talk about your progress in each over the past four years.
Harry Osterman: In our community of Edgewater, Uptown and Andersonville, we have seen a great deal of improvement. We’ve made great strides to reduce violent, property and all crime. We have work to do because there are still gang members and there are still shootings that occur. We’ve added foot patrolman on some of our key streets and we’ve engaged the community on public safety in a very positive way.
Each of our schools is a level-one CPS rated high school. [Nicholas] Senn High School has increased enrolment, a fine arts program and a partnership with Loyola University. Our local grade schools are doing phenomenally well. This keeps young families in our neighborhood. On the economic development side, we’ve had over 50 new businesses open over the last four years and more on the way.
The true character of our neighborhood is the small business and we’ve had a very hands-on approach to recruit them and to enlist the neighbors in our community to come out and support local businesses. We’ve focused a great deal on the arts. We’ve brought About Face Theatre to our neighborhood. Next year, Chicago Filmmakers is going to be moving to the Ridge Avenue firehouse. In years to come the LGBT film festival will be a great draw for people in and outside of our community. We’ve also worked rebuilt four CTA stations. We’re poised to do a massive renovation of the Bryn Mawr station and most of the streets in our community have been repaved. The LGBT residents of our community have played a key part in the successes we have seen—as neighbors, as block club leaders and as small business owners.
WCT: There have been a few candidates who have talked about putting police on the beat. How effective has it been in the 48th?
Harry Osterman: The foot patrolmen in our community do a very good job of identifying small problems and dealing with them before they escalate. They know who are involved with gangs and who may become involved and try to counsel them as positive role-models. Bigger picture, we need to find money within the city budget to add more police on the street.
WCT: Transgender individuals—particularly trans women of color—have been unfairly stigmatized by the [Chicago Police Department] and allege abusive treatment. How do you address sensitivity and accountability?
Harry Osterman: Gender identity is now among a list of things that the police department cannot profile for. I think that the police department realizes that, in the past, it’s been a problem and they’re doing their part to train internally to make sure those situations don’t happen again. If there are situations in our community where things like that happen, we take it very seriously and work the police department to make sure it doesn’t happen again. I want to make sure that people feel comfortable going to the police. [The Trans Life Center] has worked with neighbors and every year they do an event to try to build community. Before the center was opened, there was a question of “would there be any issues?” But I think it’s been working out very well and we want to make sure that continues.
WCT: We’ve come a little further than civil unions. So what are some of the greatest challenges facing LGBT people in your community and in general post marriage equality?
Harry Osterman: It’s such an amazing thing in Illinois. I can’t say enough about the hard work that Greg Harris, Heather Steans and Kelly Cassidy did to make that happen. Moving forward, one of the things that I’m going to focus on is housing. Senior housing is critical. I’ve begun conversations to potentially develop a building that would be similar to the Center on Halsted’s apartments. I don’t want people forced out of our community. I want them to be able to age here.
WCT: Housing and employment are big issues for LGBTQ youth. Many trans kids say employers aren’t giving them a chance.
Harry Osterman: Youth employment is a critical issue. I’m going to focus on bringing more programming for youth here. We’ve been able to bring in a mentoring program for 7th and 8th graders. A lot of the programs for LGBT youth are in other parts of the city. I’m open to trying to have more of those programs here in our community.
WCT: There have been times when you have disagreed with the mayor. How have you handled those differences?
Harry Osterman: It’s been a balancing act. I’ve tried to craft a positive working relationship with the mayor but I know who I work for and that’s the people who live in the 48th Ward and the greater city of Chicago. There have been times such as with the parking meter deal and red light cameras that I have voted against. I vote my conscience and I do what I think is right.
WCT: Much has been made of the administration’s decision not only to close schools but mental health facilities. In terms of the latter in particular, why did you give it your support?
Harry Osterman: I voted to allow the transfer of those services to the non-profit community. I did that with a long track record of working with groups like Thresholds and the Heartland Alliance. I supported it not in a way to close down services but in the hope that those services would be better provided by those groups. It’s something that I continue to monitor.
We have a lot of people living independently with mental illness in our community. We’ve had some terrible situations with people who have either not received care or medication and harm was done. The school closings could have been done over a period of years but I think that at the end of the day trying to make sure that our school system is the best that it can be is important. I’m not a big fan of Charter schools and as long as I’m alderman I don’t envision any coming to our community.
WCT: There are many non-profits on the ground working to increase awareness and prevention of HIV. What about an increase in their funding?
Harry Osterman: I support that and I have a long history of doing so. It’s important work. As a state representative, I was the vice chairman of the Human Service Appropriation Committee and a lot of the initiatives were geared towards the Latino and African-American communities where they saw the greatest spread of HIV. We’ve supported Test Positive Aware Network (TPAN), Vital Bridges is right here and we can’t do enough to further support those organizations. A couple of years back I did the AIDS Ride and my hope is to get physically fit enough to do that again. I’m getting there.
For more information, visit harryosterman.org.
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