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Chicago City Wire

Friday, March 29, 2024

Analysis: Chicago PPP Mania-- 1 in 3 West Garfield Park adults received a Fed PPP payout of $20K

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Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot speaking during a press conference in July. Democrat Gov. J.B. Pritzker is behind Lightfoot, to her right | facebook.com/LVChamberCHI/

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot speaking during a press conference in July. Democrat Gov. J.B. Pritzker is behind Lightfoot, to her right | facebook.com/LVChamberCHI/

In 2021, West Garfield Park was the gun crime capital of Chicago, suffering a per capita shooting rate 20 times the city average.

But it wasn't all bad news.

West Garfield Park residents also managed to secure 6,282 individual Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans totaling more than $120 million last year, also tops per capita in the city.

The West Garfield Park loans averaged $19,119 a piece, according to data published by the U.S. Small Business Administration, analyzed by Chicago City Wire.

Which might be puzzling, as the neighborhood has only 21,000 working-age adults, 4,700 of whom (22 percent) told the U.S. Census they were unemployed. Another 10,500 West Garfield Park residents claimed to be out of the workforce, not to even looking for a job. That leaves about 6,000 who are gainfully employed, if not employing.

The Paycheck Protection Program was touted as a way to help businesses with employees avoid laying them off, as state leaders like Gov. J.B. Pritzker forced them to close their doors.

But most PPP loans, Chicago City Wire has learned, didn't go to employee-heavy businesses but rather to self-described "sole proprietors" or "independent contractors" who promised only, apparently, to keep paying themselves. 

All told, 165,348 Chicagoans received PPP loans under $25,000, totaling $2.78 billion.

Of the 30 Chicago Metro communities receiving the most under $25,000 PPP loans per capita, 11 are high-crime, high unemployment city neighborhoods on the south and west sides like West Garfield Park.

Nearly 60 percent of Chicago's total went to individuals in neighborhoods on the South Side, including Englewood ($84 million), West Englewood ($92 million) and Auburn-Gresham ($187 million). Another 24 percent went to West Side neighborhoods.

Chicago's South Suburbs also received a disproportionate number of PPP loans, with 14 communities in the top 30.

In Dolton, one of every three working-age adults -- 3,871 people-- received a loan averaging $18,332 for a total of $71 million. Neighboring Riverdale received 4,266 loans totaling $79 million.

University Park in northern Will County received 1,044 PPP loans totaling $18 million. The community has only 4,061 working age adults.

Austin $142 million, Kane County $147 million

Chicago's PPP loan prowess looks even more dominating-- or unusual-- put in context.

Chicago's "long suffering" Austin neighborhood on its far western border, where 60 percent of men ages 20-24 are neither employed or in school, received 7,470 Paycheck Protection loans totaling $142.71 million.

That's three times what Kendall County (pop. 134,867) received, twice that of McHenry County (pop. 311,122) and about the same as Kane County (pop. 515,588).

The three counties are among Illinois' fastest-growing. Austin has lost 20 percent of its population in the past 20 years.

Austin, Englewood and West Englewood combined received as much PPP money as DuPage County (pop. 924,885), the state's second-largest. 

In those city communities, one in three working age adults received a $20,000 PPP loan.

That's versus, on average, one of every 22 in DuPage County one of every 27 in Lake County, one of every 33 in Will, 51 in Kane and 52 in McHenry. 

Chicago City Wire reported last week on the 10,126 loans made to Auburn-Gresham residents.,

The PPP loan fee schedule for lenders paid them a $2,500 flat rate for each one under $25,000. The loans are intended to be forgiven, paid for by taxpayers.

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One PPP loan for every 3.4 residents?

In some Chicago area communities, one of every three residents received a forgivable PPP loan worth some $20,000.

Where did the PPP loans go?

Chicagoland by Region

CommunityPPP LoansWorking Age AdultsPPP Loans/PersonTotal $$$
City of Chicago165,3482,746,38816.6$2,774,575,498
Suburban Cook119,4692,426,75820.3$1,868,498,855
DuPage County28,029924,88533.0$386,331,139
Will County20,863697,25233.4$322,072,317
Lake County15,257711,23946.6$208,120,315
Kendall County2,797134,86748.2$41,765,119
Kane County10,186515,58850.6$147,777,697
McHenry County5,997311,12251.9$74,880,949
TOTAL367,9468,468,09923.0$5,824,021,889

City of Chicago/Suburban Cook County by Area

CommunityPPP LoansWorking Age AdultsPPP Loans/PersonTotal $$$
Chicago Loop/Central5,79593,21816.1$84,940,342
Chicago North Side32,5981,026,91731.5$429,902,419
Chicago South Side89,7341,078,67412.0$1,589,228,401
Chicago West Side37,221481,75412.9$670,504,336

North Cook32,8151,066,38032.5$415,771,449
South Cook63,864874,08713.7$1,089,257,302
West Cook22,790561,68224.6$363,470,104

Chicagoland's Top 30-- which communities received the most PPP loans per person?

RankZipCommunityCountyRegionPPP LoansTotal $$$Woking Age AdultsPPP Loans/PersonAvg. Loan Size
160624West Garfield ParkCook Chicago6,282$120,106,20721,3833.4$19,119
260419DoltonCook South Cook3,871$70,964,57313,5963.5$18,332
360621EnglewoodCook Chicago4,509$84,437,49416,3093.6$18,726
460636West EnglewoodCook Chicago4,939$92,816,54618,3243.7$18,793
560644AustinCook Chicago7,470$142,718,86428,0113.7$19,106
660484University ParkWill 

1,044$18,878,0184,0613.9$18,082
760478Country Club HillsCook South Cook2,542$45,826,14210,1104.0$18,028
860827RiverdaleCook South Cook4,266$78,667,55217,2794.1$18,441
960619ChathamCook Chicago9,169$167,555,35237,4374.1$18,274
1060620Auburn GreshamCook Chicago10,126$187,700,97741,9444.1$18,537
1160429Hazel CrestCook South Cook2,225$40,425,7599,3904.2$18,169
1260628Roseland/West PullmanCook Chicago9,323$172,060,33639,6554.3$18,455
1360409Calumet CityCook South Cook5,147$93,873,49222,1004.3$18,238
1460428MarkhamCook South Cook1,709$31,198,0777,3614.3$18,255
1560473South HollandCook South Cook3,126$55,880,49413,5344.3$17,876
1660472RobbinsCook South Cook676$12,409,5043,0304.5$18,357
1760155BroadviewCook West Cook1,037$19,087,9744,6834.5$18,407
1860104BellwoodCook West Cook2,527$47,458,35911,4674.5$18,781
1960471Richton ParkCook South Cook1,839$32,977,0038,4644.6$17,932
2060649South ShoreCook Chicago6,131$111,361,77928,7214.7$18,164
2160653Oakland/Grand BoulevardCook Chicago4,319$77,354,93020,4804.7$17,910
2260612East Garfield ParkCook Chicago4,124$75,034,78919,6664.8$18,195
2360153MaywoodCook West Cook2,960$55,229,06214,2444.8$18,658
2460637Hyde ParkCook Chicago5,811$105,907,88928,4394.9$18,225
2560194Schaumburg/WestCook North Cook583$7,018,4932,8604.9$12,039
2660466Park ForestCook South Cook2,524$45,308,98012,7225.0$17,951
2760425GlenwoodCook South Cook1,054$18,992,3685,4695.2$18,019
2860443MattesonCook South Cook2,548$45,389,42513,2365.2$17,814
2960426HarveyCook South Cook3,117$57,611,11916,9965.5$18,483
3060643Beverly/Washington HeightsCook Chicago5,167$91,864,27329,6295.7$17,779

Source: U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA); Analysis tracks all PPP loans $25,000 and under in Chicagoland communities 4,000 pop. or more.

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