The type of neighborhood in Chicago predicts health disparities more than class or income, according to a new report.

Small minority and female-owned businesses will soon receive more loans in Cook County. Officials in the Chicago area want to make it easier for small businesses to compete with large corporations. The Chicago Sun-Times reports:

At a time when businesses are having a hard time getting loans, Cook County officials are trying to make it easier for small minority- and women-owned companies to get the capital needed to compete for government projects.

County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said Wednesday she wants to help those businesses get loans so they can bid on jobs like fixing up the old Cook County Hospital on the Near West Side or on county highway or housing projects. She said she sat down with officials with some of the nation’s largest lending institutions, who have pledged to work with small businesses.

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