Housing “Pilot Program” or “Token Program”?
Activists Say Mayor’s New Program for the Homeless is About Optics, Not Seriously Addressing the Issues
After using police to illegally harass homeless people last summer and fall, the City ignored their plight during the cold winter months. Now that the summer concert / festival season approaches, activists say, the City has announced a token program that barely scratches the surface of the problem, while again threatening illegal harassment to drive the homeless to areas where their plight can be more easily ignored.
Crucial details like where the homeless will be housed are missing from the mayor’s proposal, and the 75 proposed slots are a drop in the bucket compared to the tens of thousands of homeless (22k+ in the Chicago Public Schools alone) currently in need of housing. The mayor’s program pales by comparison to the millions lavished on TIF projects primarily benefiting wealthier residents.
A press conference was held this week where homeless rights activists and homeless residents representing North Side Action for Justice, No TIF for the Rich, Uptown Tent City Organizers, and the Gay Liberation Network, addressed the Mayor’s plan to house the homeless currently living underneath Lake Shore Drive viaducts.
