Trust Talks
Trust Talks is the podcast by The Chicago Community Trust. Each episode of Trust Talks highlights a different strand of the Trust’s work to address challenges that stand in the way of a thriving region, including meeting people’s critical needs such as secure housing and healthy food; mobilizing support in response to crises such as the Great Depression and COVID pandemic; and working on ways to build wealth and well-being for Chicagoans, including those who have historically lacked equal access to opportunity.
Trust Talks
Latest Episodes
Episode #25: Transforming College Transfer Pathways in Illinois
In Illinois, nearly 80 percent of community college students say they plan to transfer and earn a bachelor’s degree, yet only about 35 percent actually transfer, and just 20 percent complete a four-year degree. Students from underinvested neigh...
Episode #24: Sustaining Chicago's Cultural Ecosystem
Chicago is one of the most influential cultural cities in the United States, known for its distinctive blend of architecture, visual arts, music, theater, and deeply rooted neighborhood culture. Widely recognized as the birthplace of modern arc...
Episode #23: Understanding the Impact of Public Benefits
When most people picture hunger in America, they think of food pantries. Yet for every meal a pantry provides, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – SNAP – quietly supplies nine more. Formerly known as food stamps, SNAP is the nation’...
Episode #22: Reimagining Development Through Shared Ownership
As Chicago neighborhoods continue to expand with newly built businesses and homes, new opportunities emerge for residents to shape their communities. Yet, traditional development often leaves residents with little to no say on – or stake in - w...
Episode #21: Navigating Solutions to Homelessness
Over the past decade, homelessness in the Chicago area has been on the rise, and the latest numbers are especially troubling. According to the City of Chicago’s 2025 Point-in-Time Count, the number of longtime Chicago residents without stable h...