Amid cold weather and limitations at shelters, homeless people and outreach groups turn to CTA trains
By Raphael Hipos Medill Reports Geraldine Conrad, 75, has been noticing an increase in homeless people sleeping on CTA trains during her daily commute. Conrad, who lives in Edgewater, rides the Red Line down to the West Loop every day to swim and exercise. She says she regularly sees people asleep early in the morning […]
‘Homeless Not Helpless!’ Chicago Union of the Homeless protest demands housing authority open unites to homeless
By Rodricka Taylor Medill Reports The Chicago Union of the Homeless protested on Feb. 23 in front of the Chicago Housing Authority headquarters on Van Buren Street. Union members are supporters demanding to be recognized as a legitimate representative of the homeless population and called for the housing authority to open up all empty units […]
Who helps homeless “L” passengers?
By Harry Huggins Nicholas Saldana met Sarah Levine-Miles on the “L.” He might not have met her at all if it wasn’t so cold that morning last year. And without the chance meeting, Saldana might still be homeless. Saldana survived the cold by sleeping on the CTA Blue Line, riding it all the way from […]
Housing Advocates Pressure the CHA to “Keep Its Promise”
By Alexis Myers and Shen Wu Tan Advocates for affordable housing recently campaigned for the passage of a housing ordinance that aims to reduce homelessness and protect the city’s remaining subsidized housing stock at a City Hall public hearing Feb. 17. The ordinance called “Keeping the Promise” would increase the distribution of housing vouchers, increase […]
Volunteers Count Chicago’s Homeless
By Harry Huggins Hundreds of volunteers canvased Chicago late Jan. 26 to count every person sleeping in the city’s parks and underpasses. I drove around Chicago’s Near West Side with Dorothy Yancy, Phoebe DePree and Carolyn Hankins-Page for five hours that night as part of the annual point in time count. The survey takes place […]
Homeless Chicago couple chooses streets over shelters
By Adrienne Hurst Geronimo Lightfoot has a home. It’s between two concrete pillars underneath the Illinois Center on Michigan Avenue; a cozy nest of blankets, paper bags and empty cans of Natural Light. The 54-year-old endures Chicago’s biting winters in the wind-sheltered underpass of Lower Michigan Avenue. Though this one’s coming to an end, he’s kept […]
