June 26 - July 9, 2024

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Arts & Entertainment

Event highlights of the week!

Cover Story: NASCAR CHicago

NASCAR again takes to Chicago streets July 6 and 7, bringing street closures but also a variety of benefits, from entertainment to global exposure and revenue.

Cover Story: A Network of support

StreetWise Social Work intern and reporter Sarah Luczko interviews Chicagoans living in Humboldt Park to see what social services they receive at their encampment. She meets up with social service providers doing the work to keep people alive who are experiencing unsheltered homelessness in the face of an affordable housing crisis and a Supreme Court decision on people sleeping outside when they have nowhere else to go.

15

The Playground

THIS PAGE: NASCAR took over Grant Park streets July 1, 2023 and will run the same course this year (Bryan Crain photo). DISCLAIMER: The views, opinions, positions or strategies expressed by the authors and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or positions of StreetWise.

Dave Hamilton, Creative Director/Publisher dhamilton@streetwise.org

Suzanne Hanney, Editor-In-Chief suzannestreetwise@yahoo.com

Amanda Jones, Director of programs ajones@streetwise.org

Julie Youngquist, Executive director jyoungquist@streetwise.org

Ph: 773-334-6600

Office: 2009 S. State St., Chicago, IL, 60616

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT RECOMMENDATIONS

Compiled by Dave Hamilton

Shop 'til You Drop!

SAUCED Summer Night Market

Summertime is festival time in Chicago, which is why SAUCED is bringing together 50+ local vendors alongside hot eats and cool drinks at the Summer Night Market. The market returns to the second floor of the WNDR Museum, 1130 W. Monroe St., on Friday and Saturday, June 28 and 29 from 5 to 10 p.m., all set to tunes by DJ Johnny Walker. Vendors will sling everything from upcycled clothing to handmade ceramics, small-batch spice blends and gourmet dog treats. New vendors include Courtney Zimmerman, Pineberry Paper, The Soap Bar, and How’s it Growing. They will popup alongside returning favorites Bon Mot Studio, Harebrained, Elytra Textiles, and Alue Design. Vendors are subject to change. See full lineup at saucedmarket.com. Bring your appetite, because this market will boast an allstar food lineup, including Birria TaTaTacos, Funeral Potatoes, Onigiri Kororin, and Mochinut Lincoln Park. Pair these treats with a cocktail from Johnnie Walker or milk tea from Amber Agave. The Summer Night Market is FREE to all ages. Entry to museum exhibits is not included with market admission.

Shakespeare In Your Backyard!

Midsommer Flight: ‘Romeo and Juliet” Shakespeare’s eternal tragic story of young love between warring Italian families is performed FREE, outdoors, in six Chicago parks. Audiences are encouraged to come early and bring a picnic. Seating is first come, first served, and audience members can bring their own blankets or chairs. FREE reservations are encouraged, but not required, at midsommerflight.com/romeo-juliet-summer-2024. Those with reservations will be contacted in the event of weather cancellations or other last-minute updates. June 28-30 at Chicago Women’s Park and Garden, 1801 S. Indiana Ave.; July 5-7 at Gross Park, 2708 W. Lawrence Ave.; July 12-14 at Lincoln Park, 2100 N. Stockton Ave.; July 19-21 at Kelvyn Park, 4438 W. Wrightwood Ave.; July 26-28 at Nichols Park, 1355 E. 53rd St., and August 2 - 4 at Touhy Park, 7348 N. Paulina St. Fridays & Saturdays at 6 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m.

All in Golden Thread!

D. Lammie-Hanson: ‘Gilded Agility’

Contemporary metalpoint artist D. Lammie-Hanson will debut “Gilded Agility" at the International Museum of Surgical Science, 1524 N. Lake Shore Drive. “Gilded Agility” is a series of drawings rendered in 14K goldpoint on organic indigo-colored surfaces showcasing detailed legs, arms, backs and thighs of dancers. Lammie-Hanson’s style is an age-old technique from the 15th16th century known for its precision and permanence. Her work has been recognized across the country and her goldpoint “Exhilaration” was part of the 7th Personal Structures exhibit of the 60th Venice Biennale. This exhibition of goldpoint drawings from Lammie-Hanson’s Indigo Seven Series is a unique convergence of art and anatomy. The FREE opening reception is 6-8 p.m. June 28 at 6 - 8 p.m. The exhibit runs until September 22.

Less Gas, More Ass!

World Naked Bike Ride Chicago 25th Anniversary

World Naked Bike Ride (WNBR) marks its 25th year as an international clothing-optional, people-powered event that highlights the vulnerability of cyclists everywhere, decries society’s dependence on pollution-based transport, and promotes positive body image. The event is bare-as-you-dare; anything from body paint to underwear to fanciful costumes is encouraged. Due to legal restrictions full frontal nudity is at your own risk but many participants do go all out. Large-scale body painting is typically available pre-ride and personal expression is encouraged. Past events have drawn 2000+ riders and covered over 10 miles of high-visibility city areas. There's safety in numbers! Check-in begins at 6 p.m. Saturday, June 29 at The Cubby Bear, 1059 W. Addison St., and the ride leaves at 8 p.m. Bring your own bike, helmet, lights, water, snacks, shoes and Clothes. FREE.

Film Festival Darlings!

Sundance Institute x Chicago

The City of Chicago, the Chicago Film Office and Choose Chicago are partnering with the renowned Sundance Institute to bring a celebratory film-filled weekend to venues across the city including the Logan Center for the Arts, Davis Theater, and the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St. Screenings at Logan Center for the Arts, 915 E. 60th St. and Davis Theater, 4614 N. Lincoln Ave. include “Luther: Never Too Much” (pictured), “Sugarcane,” “A Different Man” and “Your Monster,” all of which were part of the Sundance Film Festival lineup. To see learn the full schedule and exciting master classes taught by Sundance Institute staff, please visit www.choosechicago.com/sundance-institute-x-chicago

A Living Legend!

Hisaishi Conducts Hisaishi

Celebrated contemporary Japanese composer Joe Hisaishi has produced music for 10 Hayao Miyazaki films, including “Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind” (1984), and has also composed the music for Takeshi Kitano films. His credits include “Sonatine “(1993), the Oscar-winning “Spirited Away” (2001) and “Departures” (2008). Hisaishi conducts the CSO in his much-anticipated latest symphony alongside musical highlights from his most captivating compositions. June 27 - 29 at 7:30 p.m., June 30 at 3 p.m. at Chicago Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave. Tickets start at $175 at cso.org

Live OUTloud!

Pride Parade

""Pride is Power" is the theme of the 53rd annual Gay Pride parade at 11 Sunday, June 30, as 125 contingents march south from Sheridan on Broadway, then Halsted, east along Belmont to Broadway, then south to Diversey. Comedian Fortune Feimster is the Grand Marshal. With one million people expected, you'll find less crowded viewing at the start of the parade, and on Broadway south of Belmont, but people 30 to 40 deep in Boystown. With all those attendees, don’t drive; take CTA! FREE! pridechicago.org

Pride In Film!

Taiwan Pride Film Festival

Zatori Films hosts a curated selection of films by LGBTQ filmmakers from Taiwan, showcasing their unique perspectives and storytelling prowess. The event is a collaboration between Taiwan’s burgeoning LGBTQ film scene and Zatori Films’ mission to champion underrepresented voices in the industry. Saturday, June 29, 10 a.m. - 7 p.m., $10, at CineCity Studios Chicago, 2429 W. 14th St., Suite 407. The full schedule and tickets are available at www.taiwanpridefilmfestival.com

'Carmen' Re-Imagined

Visceral Dance Chicago “Caremen.maquia”

Visceral Dance Chicago debuts acclaimed choreographer Gustavo Ramírez Sansano’s “Carmen.maquia” June 28 at 8 p.m., June 29 at 2 & 8 p.m., and June 30 at 2 p.m. at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, 220 E. Chicago Ave. “Carmen. maquia” is a contemporary take on Bizet’s classic opera inspired in part by the paintings of Pablo Picasso. The choreography fuses contemporary dance with nods to the Spanish paso doble and flamenco, featuring Bizet’s music from the opera and other works. Tickets start at $25 at visceraldance.com

Pride For All!

Jarvis Square Family Pride Fest

Jarvis Square Pride Fest rounds out Chicago’s LGBT Pride weekend at 1500 W. Jarvis Ave. Now in its seventh year, Jarvis Square Family Pride features a main stage, kids’ area, dance floor, vendors and a unique neighborhood block-party atmosphere that welcomes a diverse audience to celebrate the biggest holiday in the LGBT+ community. Located several CTA Red Line stops north of the Pride Parade, Jarvis Square Pride Fest is becoming a favorite stop during Pride Weekend for an exuberant yet spacious and friendly party. This event is organized by R Public House and local businesses at Jarvis Square. June 30, noon - 9 p.m. FREE.

NASCAR 2023 showcased Chicago like no other sports event, as race car drivers sped past Buckingham Fountain, Grant Park and Soldier Field, says NBC Sports NASCAR and INDYCAR Pit Reporter Marty Snider. It was the most streamed race in NBC Sports history.

for the post-race show, when the lights came up on Michigan Avenue, “you couldn’t have pictured a better backdrop,” Snider said at a recent City Club of Chicago forum on the race’s economic impact.

NASCAR paid the City of Chicago $500,000 upfront and then another $120,000 as its share of ticket sales, food, beverage and souvenir concessions. However, the city spent more than $3.25 million for police overtime and for pavement, sidewalk and landscape work on Columbus Drive ahead of NASCAR’s first-ever street race in its 75-year history.

For this year’s race on July 6 and 7, the upfront fee will be $550,000 and Mayor Brandon Johnson has a handshake agreement for $2 million more, to reimburse police, fire and emergency staffing. Set-up and teardown time has also been reduced from 25 to 19 days, on racecourse streets adjacent to Grant Park: Columbus Drive, Jackson Boulevard, Michigan Avenue, Roosevelt Road, Balbo and DuSable Lake Shore Drives. Wabash and Michigan Avenues from Monroe to 11th Street will have local access only from July 5-8.

NASCAR 2023 had an economic impact on Chicago of $108.9 million, including $8.3 million in tax revenue; 30,000 hotel rooms, and support for 750 jobs, NBC5 Chicago Sports Anchor Leila Rahimi said at the City Club forum, citing a study by Temple University for the Chicago Sports Commission. (Projections were slightly higher, but torrential rain kept attendance at 79,000 instead of 100,000.) Still, the “media value” was $23.6 million – “the equivalent of three Super Bowl ads.”

“Without NASCAR, we wouldn’t get NBC to show our beautiful city all over the world,” added Kara Bachman, executive director of the Chicago Sports Commission, an arm of Choose Chicago that recruits high-profile sports events (2020 NBA All Star, 2015 & 2016 NFL Draft) to help create visitor demand.

Surveys showed that attendees – from all 50 states and 15 nations – thought “Chicago looked amazing;” 7 out of 10 said they would vacation here again, said Julie Giese, president of the Chicago Street Course.

NASCAR has extended its reach to all 50 wards, year-round, Giese said. Bubba Wallace, the second Black person to win a NASCAR cup, took his pit crew to a school for a video that has gained a million views. There was “build a fast race car” STEM curriculum for 600 8th graders at the Field Museum and a virtual career fair with the automotive program at Dunbar High School.

NASCAR this year will feature the 75-lap, 165-mile Grant Park 165 Cup Series on Saturday, and the 50-lap, 110-mile Xfinity Series The Loop 110 on Sunday. Entertainment will include Keith Urban, The Chainsmokers, The Black Keys and Lauren Alaina. Be on the lookout, GiveAShi*t will be there selling T-shirts benifiting StreetWise. nascarchicago.com

-Suzanne Hanney, from prepared materials

StreetWise Vendors on NASCAR

It’s great, fast-paced and everybody will enjoy it. It is good for the city, brings people together.

-Anthony Brown

It’s gonna be chaos. I don’t think it’s worth it. We have enough chaos in the city, crime, overcrowding. We got these casinos coming here. We don’t need more chaos in the city. -Sylvia Spivey

If it generates money for the city, it’s a good thing. The city needs to generate money because of what it’s spending in its budget on the migrants.

-A. Allen

It will bring money to the city, instead of always having to go to the government.

-Joseph Jones

STREET CLOSURES

WEEKEND SCHEDULE

Wells Dr. Michigan Ave./ Columbus Dr.

Jackson Dr. Michigan Ave./ Columbus Dr.

June 10, 2024

June 27, 2024

July 18, 2024

July 11, 2024

Balbo Dr. Columbus Dr. / S DuSable Lake Shore Dr.

June 28, 2024

July 18, 2024

DuSableLakeShoreDr.

Balbo Dr. Michigan Ave./ Columbus Dr.

June 28, 2024

July 12, 2024

Jackson Dr. Columbus Dr. / S DuSable Lake Shore Dr.

Columbus Dr. Monroe St./ Jackson Blvd.

July 1, 2024

July 1, 2024

July 11, 2024

July 8, 2024

Columbus Dr. Roosevelt Rd. / Jackson Blvd.

July 1, 2024

July 15, 2024

VILLAGE AT BUTLER FIELD & ENTRY GATES OPEN

9:00 - 11:00 A.M. CT

PRACTICE + QUALIFYING SESSIONS NASCAR Xfinity Series

11:00 A.M. - 12:45 P.M. CT HOUSE MUSIC 40 SHOWCASE ON THE MAIN STAGE 11:30 A.M. - 1:30 P.M. CT

Plaza Dr. Entire Drive

Michigan Ave. Roosevelt Rd./

LOCAL ACCESS ONLY

STREET CLOSURES

July 2, 2024

July 10, 2024

BETWEEN

Michigan Ave./ Columbus Dr.

Michigan Ave./ Columbus Dr.

Columbus Dr. / S DuSable Lake Shore Dr.

Michigan Ave./ Columbus Dr.

Columbus Dr. / S DuSable Lake Shore Dr.

Monroe St./ Jackson Blvd.

Roosevelt Rd. / Jackson Blvd.

Entire Drive

June 10, 2024

June 27, 2024

June 28, 2024

June 28, 2024

July 1, 2024

July 1, 2024

July 1, 2024

July 2, 2024

July 18, 2024

July 11, 2024

July 18, 2024

July 12, 2024

July 11, 2024

July 8, 2024

July 15, 2024

July 10, 2024

2:30 P.M. CT THE LOOP 110 (50 LAPS)

Xfinity Series Race 5:00 - 6:30 P.M. CT THE BLACK KEYS ON THE MAIN STAGE

7:00 P.M. CT NASCAR CHICAGO STREET RACE DRIVER REVEAL ON THE MAIN STAGE

8:00 P.M. CT (APPROX.) THE CHAINSMOKERS ON THE MAIN STAGE SUNDAY, JULY 7

SATURDAY,

9:00 A.M. CT GATES OPEN 11:30 A.M. - 12:30 P.M. CT LAUREN ALAINA ON THE MAIN STAGE 1:00 - 2:30 P.M. CT CT KEITH URBAN ON THE MAIN STAGE 3:30 P.M. CT GRANT PARK 165 NASCAR Cup Series

Roosevelt Rd./ Jackson Blvd.

DuSable Lake Shore Dr. / Michigan Ave.

July 4, 2024

AVAILABLE RACE DAY ROUTES:

July 4, 2024

July 8, 2024

routes are scheduled to be available; however, additional streets may be closed by the Chicago, if deemed necessary.

Columbus Dr./ S DuSable Lake Shore Dr.

Dr. McFetridge Dr./ Randolph St.

July 5, 2024

July 5, 2024

July 9, 2024

July 8, 2024

DuSable Lake Shore Dr. Northbound will remain open from South Shore Dr. to I-55 merger. To the Museum Campus: Exit at 31st St. and utilize Fort Dearborn Dr. to proceed north and 18th St.

Michigan Ave./ Columbus Dr.

July 5, 2024

July 8, 2024

July 8, 2024

DuSable Lake Shore Dr. Southbound will remain open from Hollywood Blvd. to Randolph St.

Dr. McFetridge Dr. / Randolph St.

DuSable Lake Shore Dr. will remain open in both directions.

July 5, 2024

July 9, 2024

Roosevelt Rd. /13th St.

Ryan Expressway (I-90/94) will remain open in both directions.

July 5, 2024

Kennedy Expressway (I-90/94) will remain open in both directions.

Eisenhower Expressway (I-290) will remain open in both directions.

Stevenson Expressway (I-55) will remain open in both directions.

July 9, 2024

WATCH LIVE! SUNDAY, JULY 7 | 3:30 P.M. CT THE GRANT PARK 165 SATURDAY, JULY 6 | 2:30 P.M. CT THE LOOP 110

7:00 P.M. CT VICTORY LANE CELEBRATION *Schedule subject to change

facing homelessness in Chicago: A Network of Support

by Sarah Luczko

I met Israel on a sunny Sunday afternoon in March in Humboldt Park. Israel is friendly and warm, a Latino man in his 50s with a rugged but well-kept beard. He’s the sort of guy who takes the time to talk to a neighbor, even a stranger like me: a social work student and reporter who’s standing there writing down what he says in a notebook like it’s the 1930s.

Israel has been living at the Humboldt Park encampment for about a year, in a rectangular ice fishing tent provided by The Orange Tent Project. He keeps his tent area very tidy, with a dedicated porch area and a few chairs just outside.

“I grew up here, about a block away from the park. All my life, I’ve been here,” Israel says, gesturing to the historic greystones that line Humboldt Park.

I ask him what he thinks of his new orange tent. “It’s a tent. It’s bigger, but it’s still a tent.” The tent measures about 11 feet x 6 feet x 7 feet. The Orange Tent Project has been donating these more weather-resistant ice fishing tents to people living in homeless encampments since 2020.

“They’re hard to heat because they’re big. I used to have a small pup tent like you get for camping, and my body heat kept the whole tent warm in the winter,” Israel explains.

Squirrels destroyed Israel’s last tent. He stayed in a hotel when it dipped into single digits during the last deep freeze and squirrels made a nest there.

“They were freezing to death, I don’t blame them.”

Israel says that people from The Orange Tent Project replace the tents every couple of months, but that a better tent isn’t what he needs.

“I don’t want a better tent, I want housing. It’s not a house. It’s just a shell.” After about a year of living outside in Humboldt Park, Israel says he’s turned away from people, he doesn’t want to interact. He’s not himself. “Being homeless will do that to you.”

What support is needed to live in the park?

I ask Israel what support he gets out in the park. Israel explains that he has a caseworker, who recently helped him apply for disability. For the past month or two, he’s been receiving a check from Social Security. “It’s not enough to have an apartment. Everything around here, even a studio is about $1200.” Illinois Social Security Disability pays about $1495 a month on average.

Israel tells me that part of why he’s living in the park has to do with disability. He says he’s been diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. He suffers from arthritis in his legs, and he can’t

get around much, which leaves him unable to work. He says that he was teetering on the brink of homelessness for about 9-10 years before going to the park.

He’s thankful for people who do come by to help. The Salvation Army “soup guy” comes around every day at 3 p.m. New Life Church has a food pantry on North Avenue nearby. “They’re wonderful,” he says. They pick up people from the encampment for showers at the church two to three times a week. New Life brings extra clothing, extra blankets and whatever else people in the park need. “If you ask, they will bring it to you.”

After I had been talking to Israel for about an hour, his friend Angel stopped by on his bicycle. Angel says that he lived at the Humboldt Park encampment for 3 1/2 years, but he has housing now. Angel credits the Salvation Army with keeping him alive.

“The Salvation Army comes every day with hot food. You get a choice of juice or water.” Angel says that he lived in the park 365 days a year, except for the snowstorm in 2019. “In the snowstorm, you have to go to a shelter. Some guys don’t wanna go. I’ve had several friends die out here [from exposure].”

Angel says that “food and water are the main thing” for survival. He kept his tent warm with propane gas and a heater this winter. Clearly anyone who isn’t skilled at taking care of themself doesn’t survive out in the park for long. People living in tents are often threatened and beaten up by people coming into the encampment looking for an easy target. Still, many people prefer staying there, finding community.

Limited choices in homelessness

There are choices in being homeless, though limited. Many people choose to stay in the park or sleep on a CTA train rather than enter the shelter system. People who are homeless have the option of calling 3-1-1 to access the Coordinated Entry System (CES) in the city of Chicago. In lieu of calling, they can stop by the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) Garfield Community Service Center at 10 S. Kedzie.

When someone decides to go to a shelter, they have usually exhausted all other options. The CES at 10 S. Kedzie acts as a hub, connecting people in need of a shelter bed to the network provided by a network of privately-run, often religiously affiliated shelters. These shelters may have strict rules, and people coming in off the street are often in a variety of mental states. Theft is commonplace, given the transient nature of shelter living. Wallets and phones may not last long in a shelter unless you are very careful. Bedbugs, personal violence, and other threats are everywhere in the shelter environment. For many people, it’s preferable to live outside.

While people living in parks may not have a roof over their head, they may receive good social services, as I found out.

Andrea Chatman, who is a caseworker with the Salvation Army’s Mobile Outreach Team, let me shadow her for half a day. Andrea was laid off from a bank in 2019. During the 2020 pandemic, she said she “prayed that the next job, [she] wouldn’t consider a job.”

Andrea got what she was praying for. She “doesn’t consider this work,” and she says that the pay cut she received in pivoting to work as a caseworker was worth it. Andrea rides in the huge, glossy white Mobile Outreach van with two other workers in charge of feeding people at various city encampments that the DFSS and All Chicago have identified as in need of social support. The Mobile Outreach van makes about 13 stops a day, 25 minutes at each location, and feeds 100 people a day.

Another Salvation Army unit, the Mobile Feeding Unit, makes 2528 stops a day, providing 300-350 meals a day. This outreach unit doesn’t have a fancy van, but it distributes these meals from a red Dodge minivan. The Salvation Army is known for its soup. Thick, hearty stew-like soup is accompanied by bread or crackers and a choice of juice or water.

I asked Andrew Ward, who is the coordinator of outreach services, how long the Salvation Army has been making soup. He laughed and said that “when the Salvation Army started out in 1865, they were providing the soup. So, about that long.”

Salvation Army partners with City department

The Salvation Army coordinates its route with DFSS and, since it provides most of the meals for people in encampments, remains in daily contact with the city department. The Salvation Army also provides outside food support for 10 S. Kedzie on a regular schedule. The Salvation Army team works 7 days a week; only intense inclement weather or community violence will throw them off their support schedule.

The Salvation Army works under DFSS, which supports a continuum of coordinated services. This city department supports people from birth to senior years; homeless programming is just one arm of its work.

On a macro level, DFSS works alongside the federally- (and privately-) funded non-profit All Chicago. DFSS and All Chicago set up 19 zones in Chicago in need of social support. These zones cover much of Chicago, including the city’s West Side and South Side. (See sidebar page 11.)

Hank Sartin, director of communications, and Nikki Grigalunas, All Chicago director of homeless system coordination, explained how providers operate. Staff turnover in agencies working to end homelessness is huge, creating large service gaps. And the largest elephant in the room is housing. Only it’s no elephant. All Chicago is continually working to create better systems to address housing here. Chicago has a lack of affordable housing and this lack of housing, like other economic problems, comes down heaviest on people who have the least amount of funds.

Andrea of the Salvation Army echoed these themes when I shadowed her. She is currently doing the work of two caseworkers after a co-worker resigned. They are now looking for a replacement.

When I asked her if housing was a problem in Chicago, she looked me dead in the eyes. “There isn’t enough, or we wouldn’t be going through this.”

And by “going through this,” she isn’t just referring to the Salvation Army’s casework and feeding efforts. A whole web of outreach service providers works at separate organizations to keep people who are living in the parks and on the streets alive. (And that’s not even including the countless everyday people in Humboldt Park who bring food to their unhoused neighbors living in tents.)

When I asked the people living in Humboldt Park who helps them, multiple people mentioned the same organizations: New Life Church, The Night Ministry, The Salvation Army, Thresholds. Hank and Nikki at All Chicago say that the goal is to provide people living on the streets and in parks with a stream of regular aid from 3-4 organizations.

The Night Ministry adds medical outreach

I also had the pleasure of riding along with The Night Ministry and its smaller Street Medicine Team. The Night Ministry, like the Salvation Army, operates two separate outreach teams. The large mobile Health Outreach Bus, which features a fully equipped nurse’s office, offers nursing care where these services are difficult for people to access. Like the Salvation Army, they provide food, warm winter wear, and case management services. However, whereas the Salvation Army provides support for people abstaining from drugs and alcohol, The Night Ministry operates from a harm reduction model. It “meets people where they are” and supplies clean needles and pipes to people who are already doing drugs. That said, they also offer warm handoffs to drug treatment centers to people who are seeking to stop using.

The Night Ministry includes youth shelter programs and medical outreach. It also offers CTA outreach to people riding the Red Line and the Blue Line. When you click on the section header marked “How We Help” on their website there is a simple statement that “Our Outreach and Health Ministry Program brings services to individuals and families where they live” under a rainbow color bar, with a simple message, “yes, we serve LGBTQIA+ folks, don’t worry.” In the private social service sector, this rainbow bar is a welcome sight.

The Street Medicine team that I tagged along with is a friendly assortment of providers from various disciplines. There is Asher Leahy, a young but wise caseworker hired from the most recent pool of interns; their volunteer van driver, Dave Lentz, is a retired paramedic with 40 years of experience. Marcus Morgan, an incredibly friendly outreach worker with lived experience of homelessness, graduated out of The Night Ministry’s youth center a year ago; Stephan Koruba, the unofficial leader, is a nurse who has been working for The Night Ministry for 5 years. Stephan wears an old grey hoodie and has a heart tattoo that says “Mom” in a winding banner. He’s the kind of nurse, with a disarming smile, whom I’d be happy to see if I wound up in the worst situation of my life. He provides medication to people living at the park, and with help from Dave, the volunteer paramedic, Stephan checks out wounds, sores, and keeps up with foot health.

The Night Ministry comes twice a week, but sepsis can creep in fast in the park, where there is no public restroom open at night (or on Sundays) and no place to shower. Stephan is also able to pick up prescriptions for people living at the park: blood pressure medication, asthma inhalers, and insulin for diabetes. The team drives people to Cook County Hospital and Rush Medical Center when needed, or to drug treatment centers like Haymarket. They also bring a Spanish speaker on each shift. Scheduled visits are typically 20-30 minutes, longer in emergencies.

All About All Chicago

All Chicago is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that partners with local, state, and federal agencies to end homelessness.

It was created in a 2015 merger between the Chicago Alliance to End Homelessness and the Emergency Fund. The latter was founded in 1973 by businessman and philanthropist Norman H. Stone, who had heard about a family in need, but could not find a financial assistance program in Chicago that operated quickly and efficiently.

Today, the Emergency Fund exists to prevent homelessness due to a sudden financial setback. People can call 3-1-1 and ask for “shortterm assistance” for rent, utilities, or transportation.

Meanwhile, the mission of the Chicago Alliance to End Homelessness is to respond to homelessness. It dates to 1997, when 86 homeless service providers formed Chicago’s Partnership to End Homelessness. It secures funding and provides strong partnerships between public and private support agencies.

In 2001, Chicago developed a 10Year Plan to End Homelessness. In the process, a second organization, Chicago’s Continuum of Care, emerged as a collaboration to help social service providers align with strategic priorities and to manage federal funding. (Mayor Rahm Emanuel introduced Plan 2.0 to End Homelessness in 2012.)

In 2006, Chicago’s Partnership to End Homelessness merged with Chicago’s Continuum of Care Board to become the Chicago Alliance to End Homelessness.

Its successor, All Chicago Making Homelessness History, is a real mouthful, so most service providers simply refer to it as All Chicago. All Chicago coordinates the annual application for federal funding for its 140 community-run programs. This year, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded them $95.85 million, up $9.3 million from last year.

-Sarah Luczko

The goal: housing placement

Caseworkers like Asher from the Night Ministry and Andrea from Salvation Army can enter their clients into the Chicago Housing Authority's list for permanent housing, which is open to all. The CHA housing list places people into one master list to receive both housing choice vouchers (HCV) from private landlords and publicly owned buildings.

The CHA waiting list ranges from a few months for homeless veterans to 25 years. The CHA serves 135,000 people in all 77 Chicago communities, 102,000 of them through HCVs with 14,000 private market landlords, according to its 2023 Impact Report.

“Homelessness in Chicago is an issue of equity,” primarily among people who make less than 30% of the Area Median Income, ($23,550 for a single person), according to the City’s 2024 Homelessness Report, released June 7. The report notes a deficit of 119,000 affordable units – the largest such gap in a decade. (See sidebar page 13.)

Off the record, caseworkers in Chicago refer to the CHA list as being "something like a lottery," with so many data points to consider in the city's housing approval process.

Many applicants would rather wait for housing closer to their former residence – places where they know the lay of the land, where they have friends or family, and where they know how to find necessary food, water, medical help, and other survival amenities. Angel, Israel's friend, said it took him 3½ years to find housing closer to home. Israel has been waiting a year for housing in his former neighborhood. In this way, tent encampments in city parks, under viaducts, and other public areas keep people experiencing homelessness closer to their former (and hopefully future) homes.

For some, the gamble of living outside pays off, but the health risks are huge. As encampments grow in places like Humboldt Park, nearby housed neighbors grow weary of looking at the tents multiplying in public places. A new system for temporary housing must emerge.

While the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 established housing as a human right, the United States is a long way off from providing adequate housing to people who need it most. That said, Chicago has come a long way from the 1970s, when organizations like The Emergency Fund, The Night Ministry, and many Chicago private shelters were created.

Dear reader, you might be wondering what you can do to support people experiencing homelessness. I hope you are!

All Chicago, The Night Ministry, Salvation Army, and the Orange Tent Project and the 100+ agencies serving Chicago depend on private funds. StreetWise also counts on private individuals. Many of these organizations also depend on volunteer labor. All Chicago urges you to keep in touch with your alderperson as a direct line to DFSS. Most of all, stay vigilant. As individuals, we must know our city ecosystem, and offer support to friends, family, and neighbors, as needed. Mutual aid keeps people alive.

IMAGES: PAGE 8 & 9: Tent encampment in Humboldt Park; Streets and Sanitation posts notice of cleanings. PAGE 10

& 11: The Salvation Army Mobile Outreach Team: Warren Peeler, Andrea Chatman, Johnny Velez; Night Ministry Street Medicine Team: Marcus Morgan, Asher Leahy, Dave Lentz, Stephan Koruba. THIS PAGE: Garfield Community Service Center directory at 10 S. Kedzie; Free Narcan dispensing machine unlocks with a smartphone at 10 S. Kedzie. All photos by Sarah Luczko. OPPOSITE PAGE: Graphs provided by the City of Chicago.

The Homeless point in time (PIT) count

Chicago’s homeless population tripled in the last year: 18,836 persons as of Thursday, January 25, 2024 compared to 6,139 persons the previous year, city officials said June 7 in releasing data from the annual Point in Time (PIT) count. The number included 1,634 people who were unsheltered.

City officials said the main reason for the increase was “new arrivals,” or more than 40,000 migrants from the southern border since August 2022.

There were 13,679 new arrivals in dedicated shelters and 212 unsheltered. This population is 94% Hispanic/Latino/a/x; 69% of its households include children.

Homelessness among “non-new arrivals,” or existing homeless people in Chicago, was also up 18 percent. There were 3,523 non-new arrivals in shelters and 1,422 unsheltered. Non-new arrival homeless are 72 percent African-American, disproportionate to their numbers in the city’s population, which is less than 30 percent Black. The remainder of nonnew arrivals are 14% Hispanic/Latino/a/x and 13% white. Only 26% of non-new arrival households have children.

City officials attributed increased homelessness in the existing population to expanded winter bed access, expiration of benefits begun during the pandemic, and new capacity due to state and local funding. There were also improvements in counting methodology and a “pre-PIT” scan in December.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) mandates the PIT census to determine federal funding against homelessness and to assist local planning. Collaborators include the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS), All Chicago and the Nathalie P. Voorhees Center at the University of Illinois/Chicago. Over 250 volunteer city workers and homeless shelter providers walked pre-determined grids for a few hours starting at about 9 p.m. January 25.

-Suzanne Hanney

Crossword

How StreetWise Works

ment. Anyone who wants to work has the opportunity to move themselves out of

StreetWise provides “a hand up, not a handout.”