Sustainable Communities
Cook County recognizes the responsibility that comes with being the second-largest county in the nation. The numerous waterways, forests and prairies require ongoing restoration and stewardship. Transportation and industries such as construction and manufacturing have tremendous benefits but also significant costs, many of which disproportionately impact historically marginalized communities.
By understanding past environmental injustices and identifying how current policies and practices impact communities today, OUP seeks to make meaningful changes and create opportunities which improve residents’ quality of life without sacrificing economic growth.
The Sustainable Communities Policy Pillar is led by the Department of Environment and Sustainability(DES), Bureau of Asset Management (BAM), Department of Emergency Management and Regional Security (DEMRS), Department of Planning and Development (DPD) and Department of Transportation and Highways (DoTH) and is supported by the Cook County Land Bank Authority (CCLBA) and Forest Preserve District of Cook County (FPDCC).
Goal: Support healthy, resilient communities that thrive economically, socially, and environmentally.
Objective 1:
Advance environmental justice by means such as investing equitably across the County to address historic disinvestment and inequitable pollutant overburden.
Spotlight:
Healthy Homes for Healthy Families
Description:
The Healthy Homes for Healthy Families program provides free whole-home upgrades and energy efficiency measures to single-family and multi-family suburban Cook County residents. This program helps alleviate the financial burden and stress of expensive home repairs, while improving the health and safety of homes, in addition to reducing energy and water bills. The program is open to both renters and homeowners with total household income equal to or less than 120% Area Median Income (AMI).
2025 Progress:
• Assessed 322 homes
• Completed 186 home upgrades
• Invested $16 million in ARPA funding
• Lowered energy bills for families participating in the program by $196 annually, on average
• Received a 2025 NACo Achievement Award
Objective 2:
Promote environmental sustainability in land use, transportation policy and economic development.
Spotlight:
Gap Analysis Study on Urban Agriculture in Suburban Cook County
Description:
South suburban Cook County municipalities contain many areas that have been identified as food deserts, or urban areas in which it is difficult to buy affordable or good-quality fresh food. Cook County conducted a gap analysis study to get a more in-depth understanding of how to best support current and future initiatives.
2025 Progress:
• Conducted 187 interviews with commercial growers, community gardens and incubator sites to understand challenges and best practices for growing food in Cook County
• Identified 151 growing spaces throughout County to map spatial relationships between food desserts and access to fresh food
Objective 3:
Reduce contribution to climate change and invest in mitigation.
Spotlight:
Businesses Reducing Impact on the Environment (BRITE)
Description:
The BRITE program helps businesses reduce their environmental impact while creating a healthier environment for their employees, customers and community by offering on-site assessments to reduce pollution. Once an assessment has been completed, eligible businesses have the opportunity to apply for grant funding.
2025 Progress:
• Completed 74 assessments, resulting in recommendations to reduce toxic chemical usage or toxic air emissions, increase energy efficiency or renewable energy usage and reduce water usage or waste generation
• Awarded 28 grants to fund pollution prevention projects identified in assessments
• Completed 34 pollution-reduction projects, including providing professional wet cleaning machines, electric vehicles and chargers and energy-efficient HVAC equipment
• Invested $1.8 million in ARPA funding
• Funded pollution prevention and energy efficiency upgrades for various small businesses such as repair shops, food and beverage manufacturers, metal finishers and fabricators and grocery stores
• Received a 2025 NACo Achievement Award
• Named a 2025 Most Valuable Pollution Prevention (MVP2) from the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable
Objective 4:
Create enduring capacity in government and communities to build a sustainable and resilient future.
Spotlight:
Center for Hard to Recycle Materials (CHaRM) and CHaRM on Wheels Mobile Collection
Description:
CHaRM is a permanent recycling drop-off facility available to Cook County residents that helps divert millions of pounds of waste and other hard-to-recycle items from regional landfills and water systems. DES is supporting municipalities by providing a grant for curbside recycling in Posen, Phoenix and Dixmoor, through CHaRM and CHaRM on Wheels mobile collection and a Household Hazardous Waste facility located in the south suburbs.
2025 Progress:
• Served over 3,300 residents
• Recycled nearly 2.5 million pounds of materials
• Addressed environmental impacts and health concerns in a region with historically high pollution and open dumping issues
Table of Contents
- Executive Summary
- Letter from the President
- Healthy Communities
- Vital Communities
- Safe and Thriving Communities
- Connected Communities
- Sustainable Communities
- Open Communities
- Equity Fund Addendum
- Equity Fund Financial Reporting