General Updates from Senator Mike Simmons
Dear Neighbor,
I am excited to get back down to Springfield next week for the first week of the fall legislative session!
I recently had a wonderful opportunity to tour an accessible dwelling unit (ADU) in Andersonville with Governor JB Pritzker, tour the Howard Brown Clark Street Location as they prepare to renovate and expand their services and care, and provide opening remarks at the Center for Healthcare Innovation’s 14th Annual Health Equity & Innovation Symposium at the Obama Presidential Center.
My office and I have also been involved in advocating for the safest pedestrian and cyclist conditions along Irving Park Road, as well as contacting Pace to work together and develop a direct bus route for 7th District North Siders to O’Hare Airport.
Lastly, my district office at 1040 W. Bryn Mawr will be closed for in-person services from Wednesday, November 18 through Friday, November 20 for renovations and improvements. As always, if you, a family member or neighbor need assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us at 773-769-1717 or at
With Gratitude,
Mike Simmons
State Senator | 7th District
Senator Simmons Special Updates
Senator Simmons Discusses Creative Housing Solutions with Governor Pritzker in Tour of Andersonville ADU
Caption: Senator Simmons shakes hands with Governor Pritzker, along with Representative Cassidy, as they tour an accessible dwelling unit in Andersonville.
Caption: Senator Simmons along Governor Pritzker, Representative Cassidy, residents and architect of an Andersonville ADU.
I jumped at the opportunity to tour a beautiful accessible dwelling unit (ADU) with Governor Pritzker and Representative Cassidy to see first-hand what can be done to create more housing in a cost-effective and environmentally responsible way.
ADUs are secondary housing units constructed on the same lot as a primary home, and I fully support expanding housing construction options to include ADUs and middle housing in Illinois. We must be open to creative ways to increase inventory in addition to preserving affordability and making sure our long-term residents can afford to stay in their communities.
Senator Simmons Meets with Howard Brown Leadership to Discuss Expansion of Rogers Park Clinic
Caption: Senator Simmons, Representative Cassidy, and the leadership team of Howard Brown meet at their 6500 N. Clark Street location.
It was encouraging to visit Howard Brown Health’s Clark Street location last week and learn about their upcoming renovation! The renovation will enhance primary care, behavioral health, substance use disorder treatment, diagnostic testing, case management and social service support together in one coordinated setting. Once complete, Howard Brown anticipates the site will serve more than 10,000 patients each year — an increase of about 2,400 — and provide an estimated 28,000 to 32,000 patient encounters annually.
Howard Brown offers a range of patient services including medical care, behavioral care, dental care, young adult care, sexual care, and aging adult care. Howard Brown is recognized as a federally qualified health center and serves more than 43,000 adults and youth each year, regardless of their health insurance coverage status or ability to pay.
By expanding access to primary care and behavioral health services, this project will help more people get the comprehensive care they need, closer to home. I’m proud to support investments that strengthen Howard Brown Health, address barriers to care and ensure that our neighbors have the opportunity to live a healthier life.
CHI's 14th Annual Health Equity & Innovation Symposium
Caption: Senator Simmons responds to a panelist question at the Center for Healthcare Innovation Symposium at the Obama Presidential Center.
I provided the opening address at the Center for Healthcare Innovation’s 14th Annual Health Equity & Innovation Symposium at the Obama Presidential Center, where I provided my perspective on larger healthcare questions facing our local, statewide, and national communities.
It was an honor to lift up and advocate for the lived experiences of my constituents, including the struggle to access healthcare due to federal cuts and H.R. 1, disproportionately high mortality rates in communities of color, access to Pep/PrEP, and maternal health. Many thanks to the Center for Healthcare Innovation for inviting me, and to the outstanding healthcare expert panelists, Julius Pryor III, Andrea L. Neely, and Dr. Jeffrey Sherman.
Senator Simmons, Alderman Martin, and Alderwoman Clay Implement Safety Measures on Irving Park Road
Caption: Irving Park Road at Southport
The work to make our roadways safer for everyone is ongoing. Recently, I met with Alderman Martin and Alderwoman Clay to express my support and discuss plans to make Irving Park Road safer. Tragically, in August, Sarah Milcarek was fatally struck at the intersection of Irving and Janssen, a tight and congested portion of Irving. I fully support every effort to improve Irving Park Road, including the upcoming lane reduction along Irving from Greenview to Clark.
My team and I are strongly advocating for a number of road safety improvements along a dangerous stretch of Irving Park Road between Ashland and the lakefront. While progress is being made, we are in ongoing discussions with Alderman Martin and Alderwoman Clay about this stretch of Irving Park Road that could include protected bike lanes, wider sidewalks, curb bumpouts, and other data-driven road safety infrastructure improvements to make the experience safer and more pleasant for all road users.
Senator Simmons Advocates for Faster and More Direct Bus Services from the Far Northside to O’Hare Airport
Caption: Pace’s PULSE Dempster Line bus route is a solid option for getting to O’Hare Airport via public transit.
It can take anywhere from 90 minutes to over two hours for far Northsiders, including Edgewater, Andersonville, and Rogers Park residents, to commute via bus or “L” train between these neighborhoods and O’Hare Airport. With recent state investments into our regional transit system, now is the perfect time to expand service and make it easier for folks to take public transit to and from the biggest airport in Chicago, a mere 10 miles west of our district. We are in discussions with the transit agencies about several service improvements, including extending existing far Northside bus routes and speeding up some of those same routes by potentially converting schedules to bus rapid transit, like the existing PULSE Dempster bus line in Evanston.
As we advocate for expanded transit services to O’Hare, I invite you to share your feedback and experiences of getting to and from O’Hare Airport. Please reach out by phone 773-769-1717 or email
Senator Simmons Receives 2026 Legislative Champion Award from Supportive Housing Providers Association
I am honored to receive the Supportive Housing Providers Association 2026 Legislative Champion Award, and grateful to SHPA for being a strong partner in my commitment to advancing policies that address the root causes of homelessness, invests in our homelessness response system, and ensures access to safe and stable housing for all Illinoisans.
I am particularly proud that we passed the Rental Affordability and Fee Transparency Act this spring, which bans 11 different types of rental junk fees, caps application fees to $50, and provides fee transparency. This wasn’t easy - this bill took late night negotiations, hundreds of phone calls, compiling constituent stories and coordinating committee testimonials. We got it done and I am so excited to see this law soon go into effect on Jan. 1, 2027. Thank you again to SHPA for this award, and I look forward to the work ahead!
District Updates and Community Events
Team Simmons Shops in Solidarity
Caption: Heather joins Alderwoman Clay, City Clerk Anna Valencia and her team to support Uptown small businesses, including Poor Boy Rich Taste curated vintage.
Can you feel it? It’s time to shop local! My team had a wonderful afternoon supporting local Uptown businesses with City Clerk Anna Valencia and Alderwoman Clay. They visited Poor Boy Rich Taste at 1216 W. Wilson, a fabulous shop that offers curated second-hand vintage. The holidays are right around the corner, make sure to support local retail, food, and service businesses this year and always!
Help Keep Broadway Youth Center Youth Warm This Winter
This winter, Broadway Youth Center (BYC), a program of Howard Brown Health, is working to provide 150 winter kits to LGBTQ+ youth and other young people in Chicago. Each $67 kit includes essentials like a backpack, hat, gloves, socks, blanket and water bottle. The goal is to raise $10,000 to help ensure young people have what they need to stay warm and feel supported during the colder months.
Every contribution makes a difference! Donate today: https://bit.ly/4hICNAC
Thank you for taking the time to read my newsletter! If you ever want to reach out to our office, please call us at 773-769-1717, and we will respond promptly. We can also be reached at
