Residents press Kankakee leaders to boost violence-prevention and housing supports

Multiple residents used the public-hearing portion of the meeting to press the City Council for more investment in violence-prevention programs and housing stabilization. A detailed line-item commenter (speaker 4) read budget figures and asked why the city under-spent on neighborhood stabilization events and property maintenance incentives while recording more than $104,000 in demolition costs.

"This means the city spent 42,253 on violence prevention this year," the commenter said while reading the FY26 line items and asking the council what could be done to increase program reach. Sagandra, who self-identified and said she had lost a child three years earlier, urged the council to raise violence-prevention funding and said housing stability would help reduce violence: "I lost a child here 3 years ago... I'm asking as well that you guys look into it and increase." The speaker asked to meet with staff to develop solutions and said youth jobs and programs are needed to keep young people occupied and safe.

Council members and staff acknowledged the community concerns during member comments. Alderman (speaker 8) emphasized the need to fund youth programming after a large youth gathering led to a fight at a different park, urging the council to find money for young people. Audra Monroe Marshall (speaker 17) said a local nonprofit, Kankakee Forgives, had staff unpaid because a grant had not been paid on time, noting the organization is providing violence-prevention services while awaiting reimbursement.

The public comments did not result in immediate budget amendments during the meeting; rather, residents requested follow-up meetings and meetings at the ward level. City staff and some aldermen indicated further committee-level conversations and potential program adjustments would be considered during implementation and monitoring of the approved budget.