Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has proposed a significant increase in funding for community violence intervention programs as part of his broader strategy to reduce gun violence in the city. His 2026 budget plan calls for an additional $7 million for violence intervention workers, raising the total allocation to nearly $41 million. This increase aims to expand the presence of outreach workers on city streets by approximately 390 individuals.

Alongside the funding boost, Johnson plans to establish a new, permanent Department of Community Wellness and Safety focused on gun violence prevention. This office will replace the interim Office of Gun Violence Prevention, which has so far not released the monthly public reports mandated by Johnson’s executive order last June. Deputy Mayor for Community Safety Emmanuel Andre described the new department as a way to centralize and coordinate violence reduction efforts, offering “a comprehensive approach to addressing issues of safety and community wellness.” The administration expects the first public reports from the new department in early 2027 and plans to release a five-year gun violence reduction strategy by April of the same year.

Johnson’s proposal arrives amid mixed trends in Chicago’s violent crime statistics. Homicides and other violent crimes reached their lowest levels in over a decade by the end of 2025 and have remained relatively stable this year. However, some neighborhoods, particularly in the mid-South Side, have experienced rising shootings and a nearly 50% increase in homicides compared to last year. Johnson cited areas such as Englewood, Roseland, Austin, North Lawndale, Garfield Park, and the Deering (9th) Police District as focal points for the increased intervention efforts.

The mayor has not yet specified how the increased spending will be financed but is expected to propose a corporate head tax and higher taxes on leased digital and physical property as potential revenue sources. Overall, the violence intervention funding increase represents a small portion of Johnson’s $17.6 billion budget proposal. Efforts to reallocate police department resources include freezing some police hiring and eliminating vacant positions, which Johnson’s office estimates could save $27.6 million.

In addition to violence intervention funding, the mayor's plan includes a $24 million increase for youth summer employment programs, expanded mental health crisis response teams operating seven days a week, and a new public mental health center — all considered essential elements of his violence reduction framework.

Community violence intervention advocates expressed cautious optimism about the mayor’s proposed funding and creation of the new department. Teny Gross, founder and CEO of the Institute for Nonviolence Chicago, said the investment signals recognition of street outreach’s effectiveness and hopes it will bring sustainability to programs that have historically faced fluctuating funding, particularly after reductions in federal support in recent years.

However, some experts warned about the potential challenges ahead. Dr. Selwyn Rogers, chief of the University of Chicago Trauma Center, cautioned that broadening the department’s focus risks diluting resources away from individuals at the highest risk of involvement in violent crime. He also noted that, despite the increase, violence intervention funding still accounts for a fraction of the Chicago Police Department’s roughly $2 billion budget. Both Rogers and Gross emphasized the need for long-term financial commitment to ensure violence intervention becomes a consistent and stable aspect of Chicago's public safety efforts.