Healthy Chicago Equity Zones
Program Overview
The Healthy Chicago Zones initiative is a citywide health equity strategy led by the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) and supported by partners like West Side United. The goal is to reduce racial health disparities by organizing Chicago into six geographic “equity zones,” each coordinated by a local lead agency. West Side United serves as a Community Lead within the West Side Equity Zone, leveraging its local expertise and deep community relationships to implement hyper-local public health strategies.
This initiative is designed to center community voice and leadership in identifying health priorities and delivering culturally responsive solutions. Rather than applying a one-size-fits-all model, each zone tailors interventions to the specific needs and challenges of its residents—identified through Community Needs Assessments.
Key Partners and Impacts
As a community lead within the West Side, West Side United works alongside:
Community-based organizations (CBOs) that serve as grassroot implementation partners.
Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH), which funds and provides public health guidance for the initiative.
Residents and neighborhood coalitions, who provide lived experience and help co-design solutions.
Notable impacts and activities include:
Community health assessments and listening sessions to determine key public health priorities (e.g., community safety, chronic illness prevention, mental health support).
Targeted outreach and health education campaigns—delivered by trusted messengers—to promote vaccination, disease prevention, and resource access.
Resource distribution efforts, such as food boxes, PPE, and access to mental health supports.
This collaborative, community-rooted model has increased trust in public health systems and ensured that investments are guided by local context, not just top-down mandates.
Long-Term Vision
The long-term vision for the Healthy Chicago Zones initiative—on the West Side and citywide—is to transform the relationship between public health institutions and communities. This means:
Institutionalizing community-led health planning and investment, even beyond the lifecycle of this specific program.
Building permanent infrastructure for health equity leadership at the neighborhood level, including data sharing, funding pipelines, and resident decision-making roles.
Shifting public health from a reactive system to a proactive, relationship-based model that values prevention, trust, and local ownership.
Ultimately, the Healthy Chicago Zones aim to create a future where every neighborhood in Chicago—especially those historically marginalized—has the tools, trust, and autonomy to shape their own health outcomes. For the West Side, that means building on a foundation of collaboration, equity, and sustained investment.
