MCHS– Chicago officials reportedly removed the city’s largest homeless encampment after moving some inhabitants to residences and shelter beds.
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the encampments in Humboldt Park, which numbered “roughly 90” according to city data, were demolished when local residents expressed safety and health concerns and requested action from city officials.
“Other neighbors have focused on providing food and necessities to the tent occupants,” the Times reported.
Ald. Jessie Fuentes of the 26th Ward has made this initiative a top priority. He also informed the Times that “the city had moved 39 residents into apartments and was working on apartments for 24 others.”
“The encampment was more than three times bigger than the next largest Chicago tent city, according to a city count obtained by the Sun-Times through a request under Illinois’ open-records law,” the outlet reported.
“The city is offering shelter beds to about two dozen others. At least one couple is lined up for a hotel room,” the publication stated.
City officials reportedly began ratcheting up encampment cleanup last month and erected “Notice of Enforcement” signs around Humboldt Park, warning “that overnight presence and unpermitted tents would not be allowed after Friday at 9 a.m.”
A family of tent city residents had left their tent in the expectation of receiving shelter assistance from a city employee, only to return to see it removed by Park District personnel.
The family who wanted anonymity was apparently Venezuelan and from the “central Venezuelan city of Valencia.” They informed WBEZ that they had been living in the park for three months.
“Reached hours later by WBEZ, the father said he did not know where they would sleep Friday night. By mid-afternoon, the family was in touch with city officials working on their shelter placement,” the Times reported.
The initiative to relocate tent occupants into shelters and apartments is a first for city officials, as they have not done so during previous tent evictions.
Sendy Soto, the city’s first top homelessness officer appointed in April, stated during a Friday news conference that “every single person has had all of their needs met.”
“This really demonstrates this collective effort between the city of Chicago and the alderman’s office,” Soto said.
The most recent noteworthy encampment clearance attempt occurred surrounding the last Democratic National Convention. The Chicago City Council disputed that the clearing of homeless encampments containing migrants was related to the DNC.
The expanding encampments followed Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s pledge at the Republican National Convention to continue busing migrants from the southern border to sanctuary towns.
