Chicago Mayor Denies Trying to Hide Homeless Even If It Means Putting Some On the Streets Before DNC

Displacement of homeless residents ahead of DNC sparks controversy, criticism of Chicago Mayor's actions

Tent encampment in Chicago which was cleared out with residents taking places of other homeless in hotel shelterPhoto byScreen Capture/Youtube Video [Creator]

CHICAGO — On Wednesday, one of Chicago’s most established tent cities at 1100 S. Desplaines St. was dismantled as the city gears up for the upcoming Democratic National Convention (DNC). Notices had been posted for weeks, signaling July 17 as the deadline for residents to vacate.

As the city readies itself for the DNC, residents of the South Loop tent city were relocated, with many offered accommodation at a hotel-turned-shelter in the Gold Coast. However, this move displaced existing occupants of the shelter, forcing some back onto the streets, according to activists and residents.

Early Wednesday morning, a handful of people lingered under trees while city workers and construction vehicles assembled nearby. A woman dozed on a worn-out sofa, heads peeked from the last remaining tents, and two men used a shopping cart to transport their belongings across Roosevelt Road.

The city’s Department of Streets and Sanitation deployed yellow front-end loaders and dump trucks, while the Department of Transportation positioned white bobcat loaders. Chicago police officers and outreach workers from the Department of Family and Support Services, alongside various social service agencies, approached the remaining residents to assist in their relocation.

By late morning, the encampment, located between the Dan Ryan Expressway and South Desplaines Street, was cleared of tents and personal items. Crews installed additional fencing to secure the area, which had served as a haven for the unhoused for over forty years. Friends looking for former residents found the area deserted.

According to city officials, 26 residents from the Desplaines encampment were moved to a temporary shelter with 60 beds at the former Tremont Hotel on Chestnut Street. A city contractor had been clearing out previous occupants from the shelter. Nine others relocated to a shelter in Pilsen, while two found spots in other shelters. The remaining beds at Tremont are allocated to individuals from ten other smaller encampments.

Some former Tremont residents claimed they were evicted without alternative housing options, with several now living on the street. Others added that police forced out without being allowed to take their belongings or even medications with them. At least one family is sleeping on the sidewalk across from the shelter.

“The city needs to use these rooms for people they’re trying to hide away from the DNC,” said one former resident. “Being in this shelter, it was supposed to be a program from homelessness to permanent housing.” Instead some are finding that it turned out to be a path from homelessness in a shelter to being on the streets.

The city, however, maintains that most former occupants were relocated to other accommodations. Several former residents disagree, while some say that the accomodations offered were dormlike situations with beds stacked in a single warehouse like room. In order to find shelter, some couples said they had to live in different places.

A man identified as William, who moved to the Tremont shelter from the encampment earlier this month, returned to help others move their belongings. He praised the shelter for providing a permanent address and three meals a day, saying it offers a chance to get back on track.

Chezeray Moore, from the advocacy group Street Samaritans, persuaded a couple from the encampment to move to city shelters, even if it meant temporary separation. Moore highlighted the difficulty for people accustomed to the street’s “abnormal normality” to adapt to a new environment.

As city crews loaded debris into trucks, including rotting plywood, old furniture, and used needles, the Safer Foundation’s Clean City Crew arrived in fluorescent vests, equipped with shovels, rakes, and chainsaws to clear the area.

Gregg Fishman, owner of a nearby fabric store, watched the cleanup. Over the past decade, he witnessed the tent city’s growth and the associated challenges, including crime and vandalism. Despite the issues, Fishman had built relationships with some residents and expressed hope they would find better living conditions.

By afternoon, the area was secured with chain-link fencing. The operation drew criticism from a mayoral ally, accusing the city of “hiding Chicago’s homeless.”

City officials stated that the encampment and others near the DNC site were cleared as a precaution in case the Secret Service deemed them a security threat. A former resident revealed that many hotel occupants received eviction notices in June, backdated to June 1, instructing them to vacate by the end of the month.

One former resident recounted how staffers at the converted hotel offered new accommodations in congregate shelters, which have dorm like communal sleeping areas instead of private rooms. She and others preferred the privacy of their rooms and now sleep outside the shelter. The woman requested anonymity due to safety concerns.

Police reportedly forced hold-outs to leave immediately without most of their belongings, the former resident said. She criticized the city for prioritizing the DNC over the well-being of its homeless population.

Mayor Brandon Johnson addressed the situation, denying that the encampment’s closure was related to the DNC. He emphasized his administration’s commitment to addressing homelessness, noting that Chicago now has a Chief Homelessness Officer for the first time.

In his remarks, Johnson underscored that the relocation efforts were not a response to the DNC. He compared his administration’s approach to those of previous mayors, asserting a stronger commitment to ensuring dignity for the unhoused. "We have been far more adamant about making sure that the unhoused have real dignity".

“First of all, it was not to response of the DNC," said the Mayor. "My goal is to transform our city so that we have a real response to homelessness in this city,” the mayor said. Johnson emphasized his establishing the position of Chief Homelessness Officer for the first time in Chicago history. “So this was not a response to the DNC, because guess what? It’s not like because the DNC is here that there are not homeless people in the country,” Johnson said. "We offered people a place to stay, and most of them took it."

However, those evicted from the hotel shelter, say the places he offered those people to stay, were places already taken by other homeless individuals in just as much need.

The mayor referenced his personal connection to the issue, sharing that his brother, who struggled with untreated trauma, died while addicted and homeless. Johnson vowed to treat people with the compassion and support he wished had been available for his brother.

Despite the mayor’s statements, critics argue that displacing residents from a prominent encampment without adequate alternatives does little to address the root causes of homelessness. They point out that merely moving individuals from one location to another, and evicting others to do so, fails to provide a long-term solution.

Some former residents of the Tremont Hotel also challenged the city’s narrative, insisting that their displacement was directly linked to preparations for the DNC. They argued that the city’s actions contradict its claims of prioritizing the homeless population, instead demonstrating their prioritizing the cities appearence to the visiting convention attendees.

As Chicago prepares to host the Democratic National Convention from August 19-22, the controversy surrounding the relocation of the South Loop tent city residents highlights the complex and often contentious issue of homelessness in urban areas. While city officials assert that the relocations were necessary for safety and logistical reasons, the affected individuals and advocacy groups continue to call for more comprehensive and humane solutions.

As the DNC approaches, the spotlight on Chicago’s homeless crisis is unlikely to dim, prompting further scrutiny of the city’s policies and actions. In the meantime, the displaced residents of the South Loop encampment along with the evicted hotel shelter residents face an uncertain future, navigating the complexities of a system that often seems ill-equipped to address their needs. For many, the promise of stable housing remains elusive, overshadowed by the immediate demands of survival on the streets.