Latest news with #DFSS
Chicago Tribune
7 days ago
- General
- Chicago Tribune
Mayor Brandon Johnson announces $40 million to upgrade Chicago's homeless shelters
Tania Navarrete welcomes a group of city employees to her new apartment on the South Side. She guides them through the living room and bedroom and then into her kitchen. Art lines the walls and the fridge is fully stocked with food. The employees, on a 'special assignment' for the day, are with the city's Homeless Outreach and Prevention team. They helped Navarrete find and move into the new apartment about a month ago. The 33-year-old had lived for about three years inside a tent at the contentious Gompers Park homeless encampment after being evicted from her apartment. 'It's so comfortable here compared to the park,' Navarrete told the Tribune. 'So much problems over there. I better stay here.' The group of four employees made a quick stop at Navarrete's apartment last week to check in and bring her supplies, including food, bedding and a new toy for her black cat, Tinkerbell, a stray that Navarrete picked up at Gompers. The team spends their days building trust with many of the more than 7,000 people across the city experiencing homelessness. The goal is to help them rebuild and improve their lives. Navarrete is a success story, a bright spot in a system plagued with inequities and community pushback. But success stories take time and require resources, Luis Santiago, a community intervention specialist said. And there's two resources he said he's lacking most in his job — affordable units, particularly on the Northwest Side, and quality shelter space. The city combined its migrant and homeless shelters, called the 'One System Initiative,' to mixed success. 'Shelter space is so tight right now because of One System,' Santiago said. 'We just need more shelter, and that takes funding.' In a step toward that goal, Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Department of Family & Support Services announced Wednesday a $40 million investment to 'modernize' homeless shelters throughout the city, calling it the 'largest local shelter capital investment in Chicago's history.' Seven shelters received provisional grants, according to DFSS. Citywide the department hopes to improve around 750 permanent shelter beds, increase Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility and create 350 beds in private rooms citywide, a news release said, citing research that shows noncongregate shelters improve health and housing outcomes. 'Overall, this is an investment for healthier, safer and more private and more accessible facilities,' Johnson said at a news conference at Saint Leonard's House, a grant recipient that provides interim housing for formerly incarcerated men on the Near West Side. 'This investment spans across the city to seven shelters on the North, South and West sides of our city so that residents experiencing homelessness can find quality shelters wherever they are,' Johnson added. Half of the money for the program will come from federal funding, specifically the HOME Investment Partnerships American Rescue Plan Program, DFSS said. The other $20 million will come from locally issued bond funds. Meanwhile, the city faces a more than $1 billion anticipated deficit for 2026, a major pending union contract and other budget challenges. 'We are facing a budget dilemma, but we can fix it,' Johnson told a group of shelter officials at a roundtable Wednesday. 'We just have to have the political will … What I don't want is this zero sum where we have to cut services and find these so-called efficiencies that end up leading to closures.' Shelter operators said the money is long overdue and will be put to good use. Ivory Snow, chief administrative officer for Saint Leonard's Ministries, said the nonprofit plans to use the grant to install air-conditioning, convert shared spaces into about 40 private bedrooms and add ADA accessible bathrooms. 'Allowing for peace and privacy and dignity, just being able to go to your own room and if I need to chill and have a moment and kind of process today, our residents will be able to do that,' Snow said. At a Franciscan Outreach shelter, executive director Robret Simpson said they recently had to evacuate when temperatures climbed above 90 degrees. They want to use the grant money to install air-conditioning, she said. They also plan to move the women's dorm so female residents don't have to walk through the men's dorm, as well as build a dining room. 'Our guests stand up to eat in 10 minute increments with partitions, because that's what we have to do,' Simpson said. 'It's creating a space where we are matching not just what we're trying to do in services with the space that they're existing in, but also creating a better hope for a population that we all know has been historically disconnected from that feeling.' 'So for us, it's life-changing,' she added. A Garfield Park transitional home run by Inner Voice plans to install a lift to bring people to the first floor and install an accessible bathroom, said Jackie Edens, the group's president and the city's former director of homeless services. 'ADA accessibility is also beyond just mobility, but it's about vision and hearing too,' she said. 'So that was all taken into account. A lot of these architectural plans, the renderings were being thought of, so (we are) trying to be holistic in our approach to serving people with any kind of disability.' People with disabilities — which make up about 19% of the adult homeless population — have long expressed concerns about the lack of accessible shelter space. A number of lawsuits have been filed against the city accusing the shelter system of failing to provide accommodations mandated by federal law. Iliana Rivera Haven, a housing community organizer with the disability rights group Access Living, which is part of several lawsuits, said in a statement that the city has denied people with disabilities access to its shelters for decades and that 'any investment in ADA compliance to correct that problem is a win for the people of Chicago.' 'That said, even though we have been fighting for accessibility for years, this announcement was surprising news to us and to our allies working to end homelessness — we've received no details on the city's plans or how this investment will address long-standing barriers,' Rivera Haven said. 'Advocates with lived experience would welcome the opportunity to collaborate with the city to ensure this funding delivers real change for disabled Chicagoans experiencing homelessness.' Doug Schenkelberg, executive director for the Chicago Coalition to End Homelessness, said the organization supports Johnson's efforts to 'create safer, more dignified spaces for unhoused Chicagoans, particularly at a time when the federal government is poised to abandon housing investments and embrace racist policy choices.' 'It is crucial for the city, state and federal governments to pair investments in shelter with more permanent solutions — housing with supportive services — so all Chicagoans have a safe place to call home,' Schenkelberg said.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Yahoo
Tents still in place at Gompers Park weeks after moving event began
CHICAGO (WGN) — Six weeks after the start of what the City of Chicago dubbed an 'Accelerated Moving Event' – tents at a Northwest Side park remain in place and others have even been set up. WGN Investigates visited Gompers Park on Wednesday and found more than two dozen tents still in place, even as the city began the work to clear the park. City agencies descended on Gompers on March 5th, offering services and housing – an approach the city's Chief Homelessness Officer Sendy Soto talked about during a one-on-one interview with WGN Investigates last year. WGN Investigates: Investigating public corruption, crime & fraud 'We are not in the business to arrest people who are unhoused, that is just not going to solve, one, the issue that people want to see solved,' Soto said during the interview. WGN Investigates has been following what happens at the park since September when cameras captured a glimpse into the lives of those who call the Northwest Side grounds home. While some have moved on to housing, many more remain at the park. Recently, through a Freedom of Information request, WGN Investigates obtained a 'coordinated outreach plan' from the city's Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS). Chicago pushes back plans to clear out homeless encampment in Gompers Park 'Shelter has been offered consistently but residents have declined due to shelter beds not being in the Northwest Community area,' the outreach plan said. The plan also detailed a timeline that points to June as the beginning of a lagoon restoration project and with it the coordinated clean-up and removal of tents. Currently, yellow signs are letting park residents know about what's to come, but even that hasn't been enough to persuade them to clear out. Chicago faces shortage of affordable housing 'They're not forced to leave in the sense that if were offering housing, that is really the option that we would want them to pursue. If that's not where they would like to go, then they can choose to go somewhere else, but that site eventually is going to be cleaned up and brought back to its original state,' Soto said when asked whether residents would be forced to leave. For now, at least half a dozen organizations are visiting the park each week trying to convince residents to move before the park is officially cleared out in June. In a stamanet shared with WGN Investigates on Wednesday, DFSS said that locations with a lot of public attention tend to have people moving in once an Accelerated Moving Event begins in order to try and secure housing. Fire renews calls for city to remove homeless encampments at Gompers Park 'Unfortunately for those who have relocated to the Gompers Park encampment following the park's March 5 Accelerated Moving Event, this will not speed up access to housing for these individuals, DFSS said in the statement. The moving event is now on its 43rd day, similar events have gone on for as many as 90 days before the area is completely cleared. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Forecast: Continued cold, chance of passing flurries
Conditions will continue to be cold in the nighttime and overnight hours and there may be some passing flurries. Look for Thursday to again start with bone-chilling wind chills, possibly as low as -10 to -15 degrees. The day will give us generous sunshine that will help each that chill slightly by the afternoon, with highs peaking in the lower- or middle-20s. A fairly steady northwest wind at 10 to 18 mph, with some gusts near 25 mph, will keep wind chills in the single digits during the afternoon. Lake effect snow looks like it'll impact northwest Indiana overnight tonight and into Thursday morning. A Winter Weather Advisory for LaPorte County, Ind., kicked in at 3 p.m. Wednesday and is set to expire at 6 p.m. Thursday. Areas on the eastern side of Lake Michigan could see between 2 and 7 inches of accumulating snow. Weather Maps Weather & Climate News Interactive Radar Weather Bug Cameras 7-Day Outlook Weather Center Newsletter The current area of bitterly cold air will finally break down in coming days. A large area of frigid arctic air currently in place will slowly migrate back into eastern Canada by this weekend. The jet stream will become more westerly, delivering milder, Pacific-origin air. The City of Chicago coordinates a network of more than 190 public facilities available for warming. This includes participating Chicago Public Library locations, Chicago Park District, Chicago Police Department and City Colleges of Chicago facilities during business or designated hours. Department of Family & Support Services: The Chicago Department of Family & Support Services activates warming areas at the city's six community service centers when temps are 32 degrees or below. The warming areas are open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with reduced locations on holidays. Under extreme cold conditions, as defined by the National Weather Service and communicated by OEMC, warming center hours of operation at 10 S. Kedzie may be extended. Seniors are welcome at any of DFSS's 21 senior centers. DFSS partners with OEMC to use robocalls to inform seniors of key information regarding how to stay safe during extreme weather. Visit for senior center locations and hours. Those seeking a warm place to go after hours can also call 3-1-1 to be connected with available services. Individuals requiring emergency overnight shelter should also call 3-1-1. DFSS Homeless Outreach and Prevention (HOP) teams and street outreach partners work proactively with unhoused individuals to connect with warming options, shelter and well-being checks. Residents are also encouraged to check on relatives, neighbors and friends during a winter weather emergency. All Community Service Centers (9 a.m.-5 p.m.) Englewood Community Service Center – 1140 West 79th Street. Garfield Community Service Center – 10 South Kedzie Avenue. Dr. Martin Luther King Community Service Center – 4314 South Cottage Grove. North Area Community Service Center – 845 West Wilson Avenue. South Chicago Community Service Center – 8650 South Commercial Avenue. Trina Davila Community Service Center – 4312 West North Avenue. Senior Centers (8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.) – visit for locations. Chicago Public Library locations, visit for hours and locations. Information about Cook County warming centers outside the City of Chicago area is available on the county government website at Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Monday forecast: Cold Weather Advisory for Chicagoland, wind chills well below zero
Chicagoland is in the deep freezer to start the week, with a Cold Weather Advisory in effect until Tuesday morning. It's a dangerously cold start to Monday, with air temperatures hovering in the single digits to below zero and wind chill values ranging from minus-20 to minus-25. That's much colder than it was at the same time Sunday morning. Just after 5 a.m. Monday, the highest air temp reading in Chicagoland was just 5, while the low was minus-5. While it's clear out early Monday, it will quickly get mostly cloudy for the rest of the day, with light snow showers or flurries possible in southern areas. Air temps will fall below zero overnight, then Tuesday will dawn frigid again, with dangerously cold wind chills. Finally, by Tuesday afternoon, wind chills could get back to above zero, while air temps creep back up into the teens and then into the low to mid-20s for the latter part of the week. Here's a timeline of projected wind chills from Monday morning through Tuesday afternoon: Weather Maps Weather & Climate News Interactive Radar Weather Bug Cameras 7-Day Outlook Weather Center Newsletter There's a chance for snow showers on Wednesday, with temps in the mid-teens by the afternoon. Temps will finally warm into the 20s by Thursday and Friday, with partly sunny skies. The early weekend forecast shows temps in the mid-30s by Sunday, which will feel downright balmy compared to the start of this week. Monday is Presidents' Day, so Chicago Public Schools and other area schools are closed for the day, anyway. But as dangerously cold weather settles into Chicagoland to start the week, you can click HERE for the latest update on school closings and delays around the area. The City of Chicago coordinates a network of more than 190 public facilities available for warming. This includes participating Chicago Public Library locations, Chicago Park District, Chicago Police Department and City Colleges of Chicago facilities during business or designated hours. Department of Family & Support Services: The Chicago Department of Family & Support Services activates warming areas at the city's six community service centers when temps are 32 degrees or below. The warming areas are open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with reduced locations on holidays. Under extreme cold conditions, as defined by the National Weather Service and communicated by OEMC, warming center hours of operation at 10 S. Kedzie may be extended. Seniors are welcome at any of DFSS's 21 senior centers. DFSS partners with OEMC to use robocalls to inform seniors of key information regarding how to stay safe during extreme weather. Visit for senior center locations and hours. Those seeking a warm place to go after hours can also call 3-1-1 to be connected with available services. Individuals requiring emergency overnight shelter should also call 3-1-1. DFSS Homeless Outreach and Prevention (HOP) teams and street outreach partners work proactively with unhoused individuals to connect with warming options, shelter and well-being checks. Residents are also encouraged to check on relatives, neighbors and friends during a winter weather emergency. Warming Center Locations available Monday, Jan. 6 – Friday, Jan. 10: All Community Service Centers (9 a.m.-5 p.m.) Englewood Community Service Center – 1140 West 79th Street. Garfield Community Service Center – 10 South Kedzie Avenue. Dr. Martin Luther King Community Service Center – 4314 South Cottage Grove. North Area Community Service Center – 845 West Wilson Avenue. South Chicago Community Service Center – 8650 South Commercial Avenue. Trina Davila Community Service Center – 4312 West North Avenue. Senior Centers (8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.) – visit for locations. Chicago Public Library locations, visit for hours and locations. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
