CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) - Most of the tents in a homeless encampment in Humboldt Park have been cleared away after a massive response by the City of Chicago Friday morning.
A grapple truck removed what was left of a tent as people cleared out mattresses, bags of clothing, a TV and other belongings in the frigid cold.
Ali Simmons was here with other members of the Chicago Coalition to End Homelessness as well as City workers and police.
“[It was] kind of chaotic [be]cause a lot of people they wasn’t here to claim their stuff,” Simmons said. “You have other people who know them and they are trying to collect people’s stuff before it get thrown away.”
Among the construction equipment, clinicians, case workers and other City staffers in the park was Angel, who came back to check on friends he used to live with here when he was homeless.
“[I’m] just trying to give them a hand because when you’re out here, you’ve been out here for the winter, you know how cold it gets,” said Angel.
26th ward Alderwoman Jessie Fuentes told us they secured space for the six households who were still living in the park.
“We are offering non-congregate options to folks in the park, dignified shelter, a private room, a place where they can have their privacy, and we will make sure that folks get into coordinated entries so that they can have a case manager, make sure we get them on the path why to housing,” Fuentes noted.
Those private or semi-private rooms are in a new shelter in Rogers Park.
Fuentes said her office is also providing cell phones, bus passes and bike locks so people can stay connected to their community here.
Listen to WBBM Newsradio now on Audacy!
Sign up and follow WBBM Newsradio
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | TikTok