On Dec. 1, a man named Joey died outside of Chicago’s Garfield Community Service Center. Known to the service provider community by its 10 S. Kedzie address, the center is advertised online, on social media and at emergency weather press events as an overnight refuge for vulnerable Chicagoans seeking connections to shelter.
On that rainy night, a visitor would have found Joey collapsed on the front steps, where he lay neglected for more than five hours. Joey, whose family remembers him as a loving uncle and brother and a wiz at Jeopardy, tragically died from an accidental overdose while exposed to the harsh elements. Had the center been open, as publicized, someone could have offered him refuge and used a naloxone dispenser to save him.
May his memory be a blessing. May it also be a wake up call.
According to this year’s “point-in-time” count of homeless individuals in Chicago, a significantly higher number of people are facing this dangerous early summer heat wave on the street, while the prospect of a typical bitter winter looms. Many have severe health, mobility and mental health challenges. Many lack a basic familiarity with how our systems work. Joey’s tragic death, and confusion around 10 S. Kedzie’s operating hours and functions, are signs that Chicago’s emergency weather response operation is not ready for this winter.
During January’s cold snap, a 24/7 warming space was opened at the Harold Washington Library so last-minute that news of it missed the city’s preparatory press conference. Last week, we saw the last-minute closure of most cooling centers in the city on a sweltering Juneteenth.
Meanwhile, according to city data, the percentage of people who obtain shelter by calling 311 is about 13% (6,555 placements out of 55,036 requests from January — mid-October 2023). The city is facing litigation for alleged Americans with Disabilities Act violations at shelters. WBEZ reported last summer that it is “nearly impossible” to tell how well the 311 system is working because of data entry errors and flawed data entry. The warming centers’ usability has been critiqued more than once, leaving large swaths of the city unconnected. 10 S. Kedzie has been advertised as a time-limited warming center in the bitterest overnight weather when shelters are full, a policy that raises the risk of re-exposure to cold and serious, life-altering injuries. A recent Loyola Street Medicine survey estimates that close to one-third of unsheltered Chicagoans report that they have had frostbite.
Partners waiting to help
During this early summer heat wave, we have looked to Mayor Brandon Johnson and Chief Homelessness Officer Sendy Soto to develop and clearly communicate a “Code Blue” initiative to prevent further loss of life and invite more Chicagoans inside during months of extreme cold, heat, and as of last summer, smoke. A City Council subject matter hearing is also called for. The city will have no shortage of partners in this work, including service providers, advocates and the people using these systems, who deserve better.
We can begin with recent recommendations from the Chicago Continuum of Care’s Front Door Line of Action: The interdisciplinary group of service providers has set out a road map to build a more accessible, adaptable shelter and services system. We can also align work with the state’s plan to prevent and end homelessness; the state has facilitated two research reports from University of Illinois Chicago. The first, on racial disparity in homelessness, calls for “a community engagement and communications campaign” on accessing shelters. The second (forthcoming) on the high rates of mortality and morbidity among homeless individuals, will make clear that these deaths are preventable.
The city has resources to reinvest in its emergency weather response. Leaders at the Department of Family and Support Services and nonprofits deserve credit for bringing in funds, such as the $60 million over three years from HUD’s unsheltered initiative, an increase of $90 million for homelessness in the latest state budget, and an additional $250 million to the shelter system and Flexible Housing Pool program as part of the city budget for fiscal year 2024.
As the city moves forward with new resources and a vision for the “One System Initiative” to serve both homeless Chicagoans and recently arrived migrants, we can’t overlook the most important work when it comes to helping people stay alive during extreme weather: Let us act now.
State Rep. Lindsey LaPointe represents the 19th District. Timothy Jostrand is president of Chicago Street Medicine.
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