Safety & affordability at the heart of Chicago as city releases its annual year-in -review

The city of Chicago recently published its annual “year-in-review,” highlighting 2025 as one of its safest years since the 1960s. According to a press release from the Mayor’s office, violent crime fell 21.3% through Tuesday, Dec. 30, compared to 2024, while multi-victim shootings dropped 35.6% and vehicular hijackings plunged 50%. Police also seized over 11,000 illegal guns throughout the year, with the seizures and decrease in crime both being seen most prominently in high-shooting areas from 2024.

Making Chicago safer: Violent crime declines to historic lows

According to the press release, overdose deaths fell by 37% since 2023, which was the top among comparable urban areas, thanks largely to the Chicago Department of Public Health's strategies. Robberies were also halved from pandemic peaks with gains stemming from police engagement, violence intervention partners, and root-cause fixes in underserved areas.

The city recorded 416 homicides, the fewest since 2014 and below the 1965 low of 395. Shootings dipped under 2,000 for the first time this century. "The men and women of the Chicago Police Department this year continued to drive down violent crime and worked to restore a sense of safety to Chicagoans throughout the city," said Superintendent Larry Snelling, according to the Chicago government release.

Building affordable housing and thriving communities

In 2025, Chicago made affordable housing one of its key focus areas for the year, with the Mayor’s office investing nearly $137 million in affordable housing construction. The city reportedly held thirteen groundbreakings in 2025, creating 699 new units, with 561 of those being fully affordable. In addition, the newly passed Green Social Housing Ordinance doubled eligible land for future housing and tapped a $135 million revolving facility to help fund the initiative.

Another main strategy for the year was to support small business growth and youth engagement in underserved communities across the city. In 2025, the City of Chicago reported that it hired 15,088 individuals between 14-24 for summer jobs and funded another 19,086 more via partners, easily surpassing the city's goal of 29,000 outlined in its “One Summer Chicago” program. 

Read more on Chicago Star:

• Why 2026 is a must-see year for Chicago theatre
• Chicago weighs in on first ‘Rockin’ New Year’s Eve’
• From the silver screen to record books: The auction that made history

Chicago also awarded $26 million in small grants for roughly 200 minor projects and another $46 million for 20 major builds. New spots like After School Matters, Orleans Teen Center, and Xchange Chicago promise thousands of jobs and $160 million in impact, the press release states.

Additionally, the city pledged $40 million to upgrade homeless shelters, its biggest such investment. It switched 400+ buildings to 100% renewable energy, cutting 290,000 metric tons of emissions yearly. Tree plantings hit 68,000 since 2022, and bikeways reached 100 miles, aiding a 30% drop in traffic deaths since 2021. Economic vitality soared with seven construction cranes in use, a key sign of a healthy urban economy, with another 18 upcoming. 

According to the press release, 2025 also saw a massive year for tourism in the city, with the summertime recording a record 3.56 million hotel bookings, which topped previous high-water marks set in 2019. O'Hare saw 24.3 million passengers in summer, its busiest ever, coming on the heels of a recently announced $1.3 billion in coming investment for upgrades at the airport.