Under the viaduct near Ogilvie Transportation and Union Station, people are packing up their tents under the watch of city employees. On the morning of Dec. 18, 2023, the city crew completed a scheduled clean-up of the viaducts that make up the homeless encampment.
The cleaning only includes power washing the area where the homeless live. However, the reason behind this sudden cleaning comes from the fear of citizens in the area, neighbors, and even aldermen complaining of not feeling safe walking along the crowded viaducts. Now the complaints are increasing, as the area beneath the Viaducts is popular for crime, drugs, and possession of dangerous weapons.
Alderman Bill Conway has already made his views on the area clear. Labeling it an area that’s “unsafe for the people living here.” Just earlier this month a man found shot near the encampments, later dying after his transportation to Stroger Hospital. Later, Conway confirms that the shootout is a result of a drug deal gone bad.
The hope of this cleaning event is not to fix the problem in one night but to encourage more power washing and offers for affordable housing in the future. Starting at 9:30 a.m. the cleaning has begun as all of the people settled there have already moved. Conway establishes that this area:
Has not been safe for some of the folks living here. We are offering today everyone rapid rehousing, immediate. Seven people have taken us up on it in the past week, 15 have not, but as temperatures drop, we are going to continue to offer that and hope that hope that more people take us up on it.
Housing Offerings For a Long-Term Fix
Some citizens seen in the area already have a home to go back to, or at least are in the process of obtaining one.
Johhny Figueroa is seen packing up his things along with everyone else. Figueroa is already in the process of moving into an apartment this coming Thursday. Although, this was done with the help of the organization Inner Voice. Originally he planned to stay and dispute the cleaning of the area. Figueroa knowing how much crime there is in the area said:
Everybody who’s out here aren’t bad people — Some of us have made bad decisions, but we’re not bad people.
As part of the physical street cleaning, Mayor Johnson and Alderman Conway are working together to ensure those vacating from the area have proper options. Furthermore, Brandon Johnson’s office and the City’s Department of Family and Social Services are offering people shelter. With their help, seven people have accepted help for temporary relocation and five more for future permanent housing.
However, following this trend, fifteen people declined the offer of assisted relocation.
In the past, the Mayor and Alderman have disagreed on the correct way to effectively clean the viaduct and the crime attached to it. Originally, Johnson planned to completely remove the encampment from the area, but Conway disagreed. Conway’s goal is to make the viaducts safe for more than just one night of cleaning. While the cleaning is temporary, the possibility is higher for many of those same people to return there.
Johnson’s spokesperson, states that while it’s disruptive they want to try their best to make it safer. This includes those living in apartments and tents.
The mayor’s office routinely will clean viaducts across the city … but we want to treat people humanely who are living there. We won’t just throw away their tents.
Written by Brielle R. Buford
Sources:
ABC7Chicago: Crews seen removing tents, cleaning up West Loop viaduct, site of homeless encampment
CBS News Chicago: Chicago clearing out West Loop homeless camp to clean viaduct
Chicago Sun-Times: Controversial West Loop homeless encampment cleared for street cleaning
CBS News Chicago: Controversial West Loop homeless encampment cleared for street cleaning
Featured and Top Image Courtesy of Alan Light‘s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Tony Alter‘s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
