Residents Served

The Chicago Recovery Plan is the City’s plan to amplify once-in-a-generation federal funding to create an equity-based investment strategy to catalyze a sustainable economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Within the City of Chicago, the virus has caused over 770,000 infections, and over 8,100 deaths have been attributed to COVID-19. The disease has not affected all communities equally; it has disproportionately hospitalized and killed Black Chicagoans. As of May 2023, Black residents accounted for 42% of all Chicago COVID-19 deaths, while they represent 29% of Chicago’s total population

In line with national trends, life expectancy in Chicago dropped almost two years from 2019 to 2020. This represents the sharpest single-year decrease in life expectancy on record, and the steepest declines were experienced by Black and Latinx Chicagoans. COVID-19 deaths were a significant driver of this trend. However, the virus was only the second leading cause of death in 2020 – behind heart disease, which also increased along with other chronic diseases like diabetes. The city also saw higher than expected increases in deaths from accidents (overdoses, car crashes) and homicides. Life expectancy declines were seen in all races and nearly all community areas.

The charts below display the disproportionate impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as demographic data on residents served by Chicago Recovery Plan programs.