Chicago Digital Equity Plan

Nearly 172,000 Chicago households (over 15%) don’t have internet at home, and nearly 92,000 (roughly 8%) don’t have any device, including a computer, laptop, tablet, or smart mobile device. These disparities became more evident than ever during the COVID-19 pandemic, when schools, workplaces, and many parts of life shifted from in-person to remote, creating an unprecedented reliance on technology and connectivity. In May 2022, Mayor Lightfoot launched the Chicago Digital Equity Council (DEC), a crosssector, community-driven effort to understand and overcome the nuanced barriers to digital equity by engaging those most burdened by digital inequities. Supported by a team of community partners and government agencies, the DEC facilitated community conversations in Chicago’s least connected neighborhoods, ultimately developing the community-driven, cross-sector recommendations outlined in this plan.