Canvassing with Isaac Freilich Jones for 48th ward alderman 

 On Clark Street in Andersonville, Isaac Freilich Jones took steps in his first pair of baby shoes. Now, he is walking nearby, knocking on doors, aiming to be elected as 48th ward alderman.

“Every block in this area has memories,” said Jones. “I love this neighborhood. I love the community, and I want it to be everything it can be.”

Jones was born in Rogers Park while his mother was a graduate student. For most of his childhood, Jones lived in a two-bedroom apartment in Edgewater with his sister and parents.

“We were all crammed in there. My mom would get home from work at 5:30 and then a bunch of 9 year olds are screaming for dinner,” said Jones.

When Jones was 11, his parents divorced, and he moved to Pennsylvania with his mother and sister. Then, at 17, he was diagnosed with cancer.

 “It motivates me every day to try to make change because I was lucky,” said Jones, who has been in remission since 2005. “Too often that’s not really the choice because healthcare costs are so high.”

Jones later returned to Illinois to attend the University of Chicago, where he graduated in 2009 with degrees in mathematics, economics and sociology. Witnessing the financial crisis as a college student made Jones want to dedicate his life to public service.

“Right out of college, I was really motivated … to make sure we have communities that were stronger than what we had before that collapse,” said Jones.

After a Fulbright Fellowship in Mongolia, Jones worked at O-H Community Partners, a consulting firm that focuses on creating jobs, wealth and economic opportunities in underserved communities.

Jones later enrolled in Harvard Law School. Now, he is the Illinois assistant attorney general, managing public policy litigation on firearm protection and COVID-19.

“We’ve got big problems. You can do cool things in court to address them, but there is an immense amount you can accomplish as an alderperson,” said Jones.

When Alderman Harry Osterman announced his retirement last year, Jones knew he wanted to replace him. He is facing nine other candidates in the race.

“I think I have a vision for what the neighborhood can be,” said Jones. “Talking to people and that vision began to resonate, so we decided to jump in.”

Jones said his top priorities are bolstering affordable housing options, bettering local transportation and involving the community in political decisions through participatory budget hearings and town halls.

 “I’d like to look back and say, ‘yeah, we’ve changed how the neighborhood thinks about government,’” said Jones. “They’re now closer to decisions. They’re more engaged.”

Jones said he also wants to improve public safety by introducing community policing initiatives. For one thing, he believes patrol officers should be permanently stationed in the ward, so that police and residents can come to know and trust one another.

Jones said one key way he is getting his message out is through canvassing.

On Jan. 20, Jones hit the streets, his hands quickly turning blue in the winter weather.

Some constituents answered their doors, and a few told Jones their concerns about proposed plans to make Clark Street, one of the main commercial areas in the ward, pedestrian only.

“There is enough space for pedestrians,” said Cynthia Callis, who has been living in Edgewater for 19 years, who opposes the move. “For the most part, cars are local and pay attention to pedestrians.”

Callis is also upset about the influx of chain brands on Clark Street, such as Taco Bell Cantina. She said one of the main reasons she has lived in Edgewater for nearly two decades is its vibrant, small business community.

Daniel Malone owns and operates Roost, a local interior design store on Clark Street, which he opened 14 years ago. Malone said he can no longer afford rent prices and keep Roost open.

“I was the first retail space up here in the North end,” said Malone. “Now, with the rents, we are getting Jeni’s Ice Cream, Trader Joe's, Taco Bell.”

He is not alone. Nearly half of the Illinois small business owners contacted in one survey said they were unable to pay their rent in 2022.

Malone is seeking out alternative ways to continue his business, including working with private contractors and bolstering his social media presence.

While walking down Elm Street toward Clark Street at the end of Jones’ canvassing loop, he said, “I really care about this place. I want to make sure that fewer and fewer of us are left behind in a neighborhood that I think is the best in Chicago.”

Reported while in a college journalism class about Chicago politics