FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Diana Martinez | Diana.Martinez@cityofchicago.org | (312) 597-1830
Clerk Valencia announces CityKey will remain available for all Chicagoans
City Clerk vows to protect residents from Trump Administration overreach
CHICAGO – Today, Chicago City Clerk Anna Valencia announced that the City Key will remain available to all Chicago residents. Since 2017, CityKey has provided more than 140,000 Chicagoans with a 4-in-1 ID, library, transit and prescription discount card, along with benefits that include discounts at local businesses. It also helps Chicago residents connect with government services, apply for housing, reenter their communities, get discounts at local businesses and more.
“I have always put people at the center of my policies, whether it’s fines and fees reforms, support for women and girls or CityKey, they were built by community and for community,” Clerk Valencia said. “Regardless of who is in a position of power that will never change. I will keep showing up and implementing policies that protect, uplift and create access for all Chicagoans.”
“I am proud to support the CityKey program, which can benefit thousands of residents by providing easy access to a wide range of city services, government buildings, public libraries, and local discounts. This free ID helps ensure more residents are connected, included, and supported across Chicago,” Alderman Felix Cardona Jr. (31st Ward).
“The City Key program plays a crucial role in supporting marginalized people in our city, serving as a recognized government ID. Our residents in the 22nd ward have greatly benefited from the accessibility of this program,” Alderman Mike Rodriguez (22nd Ward).
After consulting with community organizations and elected officials representing Chicago, City Clerk Anna Valencia has decided to pause receiving applications for the CityKey municipal ID through the program’s online platform as local leaders assess programs in response to the federal government’s recent overreach.
“This was a tough decision as this program serves a number of vulnerable populations that rely on the accessibility of CityKey, and ultimately, that’s also the reason I’m pausing our online platform,” Valencia said. “Making decisions that protect people is vital during a time where the federal government is terrorizing its own people, and I’m going to keep speaking out and standing up for all Chicagoans.”
“CityKey gives people a sense of identity and belonging,” Resource Coordinator for Safer Foundation Sheldon Smith said. “I’m thankful for Clerk Valencia’s leadership and her efforts to improve the lives of Chicagoans.”
The program’s appointment system will continue giving residents an opportunity to get a CityKey by making an appointment and attending an in-person event where the application and documents used to validate and print the ID are returned to the applicant, meaning no online record is retained.
“CityKey plays an important role in connecting communities, government and local businesses all through the same program, and we're proud to partner with the Clerk's Office on the initiative,” said Imelda Salazar, Community Organizer at the Southwest Organizing Project.
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CityKey is a free and optional government-issued 4-in-1 ID serving as a Ventra card, library and Chicago Rx Prescription Discount Card available to all Chicagoans and can be obtained through the City Clerk's mobile printing events. Visit our site to learn more at getcitykey.com.