For Immediate Release

Amid reports that coronavirus outbreaks have hit Chicago’s homeless shelters, advocates Monday urged city officials to take emergency action to contain a rapidly deteriorating situation.

Published reports indicate that confirmed COVID-19 cases among occupants and staff at the embattled shelters have risen precipitously, with some shelters reporting that up to 45% of their clients have tested positive.

Compared to the city’s population, Chicago shelters serve a disproportionate share of people of color, comprising 82% of shelter residents in 2018.

These alarming infection rates have prompted advocates to recommend that the city immediately identify and prepare additional space where shelter clients who are either COVID-positive or at higher risk of contracting the disease can be safely housed in isolation.

Advocates also recommend awarding hazard pay for the dwindling number of shelter staff who are working, despite personal risk, to keep shelters in operation.

“We commend the many initial steps the city has taken to try to care for people experiencing homelessness,” said Doug Schenkelberg, Executive Director of the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless (CCH). “But we have now seen that congregate settings — from nursing homes and jails to homeless shelters — cater to the spread of this highly contagious virus. Much more must be done to disrupt transmissions in these environments, including for homeless people who live on the street.”

CCH urges the city to adopt the following measures:

• Institute comprehensive testing in all homeless shelters and encampments to identify the most imminent threats of community spread.
• Relocate all shelter and encampment residents who are not infected, but still at higher risk of contracting the disease, into city-administered isolation rooms at local hotels or temporary bridge housing units – severing a potential link in the chain of community spread.
• Create adequate sites for all shelter or encampment residents who test positive for COVID-19 or are symptomatic to access quarantine housing.
• Suspend using criminal background checks to deny admission to quarantine or isolation sites.
• Suspend using medical or behavioral screening criteria to deny access to quarantine or isolation sites. Instead provide adequate support to accept people experiencing homelessness with a range of needs.
• Allocate hazard pay for frontline shelter staff.
• Move people exiting quarantine or isolation housing into permanent housing instead of returning people to homelessness.In addition to the escalating number of infected clients, shelters have reported significant staff shortages in recent weeks. If this continues unchecked, some shelters may be forced to temporarily close down, worsening into a crisis situation.

  Last week Chicago Public Health Commissioner Allison Arwady acknowledged that people experiencing homeless are among city residents most endangered by the coronavirus.

  “Stopping an outbreak of COVID-19 among Chicago’s homeless population has absolutely been one of the most challenging aspects of this response,” Dr. Arwady said, adding “we have major concern of spread” in the city’s shelters.

  Chicago Sun-Times, Mark Brown (April 19): COVID-19 outbreaks in homeless shelters threaten to outpace city response, doctor warns

The federal stimulus CARES Act gave taxpayers an incentive to help those in need during the pandemic crisis: an above-the-line $300 charitable income tax deduction.

In 2020, non-itemizers can claim up to $300 in an above-the-line income tax deduction for monetary donations made this year. For those who take the standard deduction on 2020 returns filed in 2021, if you gave up to $300 to charities, you can claim a $300 tax break in addition to the standard deduction ($12,400 for individuals and $24,800 for married couples filing jointly).

Homeless shelters count on the support of donors to help fund their mission. Most are in great need of additional assistance as they expand and staff new shelter options for vulnerable clients.

Chicago Coalition for the Homeless hopes this tax incentive delivers the message that we’re all in this together. As a non-profit itself, CCH appreciates the support shown to us and to shelter providers during this time of need.

– Michael Nameche, Director of Development

The application deadline has been extended for those applying to receive a $2,500 renewable college scholarship from the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless. The new application deadline is Monday, April 27.

Scholarships are awarded to students who succeeded in school despite coping personally with homelessness.

Graduating seniors from Chicago and suburban schools are eligible to apply, as well as DREAMers, CCH youth leaders, and former CCH legal aid clients who are younger than age 24 as of April 15. Scholarship winners receive a total of $10,000 to complete their bachelor’s degree. Five new winners will be selected this spring.

Applicants must meet two deadlines: Submit an online or paper application with brief personal essays by Monday, April 27 at 5 p.m.

Also, by Friday, May 1 at 5 p.m., applicants must have submitted all required supplemental materials, including transcript, two letters of recommendation, and homeless verification form.

Continue reading 2020 College Scholarship application deadline extended to April 27

Today, Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced her plan to ensure that all Chicago residents are cared for during the coronavirus pandemic. The plan includes two key measures: First, up to 2,000 hotel rooms will be made available for people who are exposed to or mildly ill with COVID-19 and unable to self-quarantine or isolate themselves at home. Second, the city has partnered with the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago to expand its shelter capacity and add another 400 beds to an already burdened shelter system, with another 500 anticipated later this week.

The announcement represents a significant step forward in the city’s fight to tackle this unprecedented crisis and its potentially dire repercussions on people experiencing homelessness. We thank Mayor Lightfoot’s administration, the YMCA, and all other civic leaders who have worked in concert and offered their support and resources to begin to address this profound need.

At the same time, additional steps to protect the city’s large homeless population from contracting the virus – an instrumental part of the strategy to limit its spread throughout our community – will be needed very quickly if Chicago is to effectively contain and conquer this threat.

In conversations with Mayor Lightfoot’s administration, the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless (CCH) has advocated for expanding isolation housing, amplifying on today’s initiative to expand shelter capacity and increase staffing.

Communal living spaces, such as homeless shelters and encampments, inherently impede the social distancing practices that have been declared a public health imperative at this time. And if the people living in these conditions cannot find safer refuge elsewhere, they pose a COVID-19 risk not only to themselves but to the general community at large. Accordingly, ensuring safe housing for those who are homeless and in a high risk category but not currently ill will require a larger number of units than what is currently proposed.

CCH estimates that over 2,800 units of isolation housing would be needed just for people experiencing homelessness. This response is what is needed to provide shelter for people living on the streets and those who are living in a shelter but remain particularly vulnerable because of their age or underlying health conditions.

“It is critical that we develop a comprehensive, preventative strategy for those that are living on the streets and those most vulnerable in our shelter system,” said Leeanna Majors, a grassroots leader with the coalition. “If we do not, it will be increasingly difficult to flatten the curve. We must also keep in mind that the problem of homelessness existed before this crisis and will continue once it is over, and we need to advance short-term solutions to the crisis at hand without forgetting the need for long-term permanent housing.”

The mayor’s plan includes a significant number of hotel rooms to alleviate the likely influx of people in our hospital system. We urge the city to expand this strategy to house more people experiencing homelessness who lack the resources to safely shelter-in-place and distance, as dictated by Gov. JB Pritzker.

In addition, the city leaders today mentioned offering shelter to those on the street who are highly vulnerable to the virus.  Experience has shown that people living on the street do not want to be in shelters and would be even less likely to accept shelter placement now when social distancing is recommended. The isolation housing strategy needs to include people living on the street to prevent an outbreak at encampments where people are highly vulnerable.

Additional staffing resources are also needed due to a variety of reasons. These include the increasing number of shelter staff not reporting to work, the need to staff for work previously done by volunteers no longer able to help, and the need to keep shelters open 24 hours so that people have somewhere to go during the day. Funding is needed for hazard pay, to hire additional staff, and for personal protective gear.

“We want to work with our partners in government to identify enough housing to meet the scope of the problem and advocate for the necessary funding,” said CCH Executive Director Doug Schenkelberg. “This plan is an important step forward. Let’s build on it.”

Chicago Coalition for the Homeless sent these recommendations to city, Cook County, and state officials on March 15.

We recognize the scope of this pandemic and the response needed is unprecedented. The homeless advocacy and service community stands ready to work with the city, county, and state government to ensure Illinois’ homeless population receives the care and attention necessary to ensure both their and the broader community’s safety.

These recommendations are based on input from homeless service providers — both shelters and street outreach — as well as community leaders that have experienced homelessness. They also reflect action being taken in other parts of the country to address the particular needs of people experiencing homelessness.

We urge the city of Chicago to immediately identify government resources (city, county, state, federal) to create isolation/prevention housing with supportive services in hotels or federal/military facilities for the following groups:

• Individuals who are staying on the street during the social distancing period, prioritizing those of vulnerable populations (age 60+ or with underlying health conditions),
• Individuals staying in shelter, especially large congregate dormitory type settings, or doubling-up and exhibiting symptoms,
• Individuals of vulnerable populations (age 60+ or with underlying health conditions) staying in shelters, even if they are asymptomatic.
• Individuals who contracted COVID-19 and are discharged from the hospital, but still need to rehabilitate and/or isolate

In addition, spaces should be held in longer-term shelter programs for those who wish to return to their programs after hospitalization or isolation.

Additional recommendations are provided below.

• Access to supplies
  • City-coordinated bulk buying of cleaning supplies from manufacturers to distribute to homeless service providers and people experiencing homelessness
  • Provide shelter, outreach, and health care staff with personal protective equipment

• Educational materials
  • Create physical and e-materials that explain the branches of our local governments, their responsibilities, and the best ways to access, communicate with each entity.  This may include ways to get city alerts and updated county materials
  • Create age and developmentally appropriate health materials for diverse populations.
  • Develop and make widely available a concise list of locations for testing and medical care, and update as needed

• Staffing concerns
  • Create flexibility in grants so that staff funded through one grant can cover absent staff funded through another grant
  • Move staff between agencies when one facility is low on participants (e.g. child care centers where parents are keeping children at home)
  • Waive DCFS licensing requirements to enable moving staff between programs
  • Create and share a contingency plan in case there are not enough staff able to come in to work to operate a shelter

• Guidance on outstanding questions
• • If a participant has symptoms but refuses medical care
  • If a shelter resident is identified having COVID-19 and may have infected other staff and residents
  • If drop-in centers should continue all current activities or reduce contacts

• Impact on future funding
  • Waive city and state grant performance measures for the duration of the pandemic
  • Automatically grant extensions for people who are reaching the end of their stay in time-limited programs

• Screening measures
  • Create outdoor screening locations before infected people mingle with others in the shelter. Utilize medical student volunteers to staff these locations
  • Help advocate for expanded ability for testing amongst people experiencing homelessness. Current CDPH guidelines are too strict

• Encampment recommendations
  • Provide educational materials about COVID-19, preventative measures and where to go if you contract the virus
  • Widespread distribution of hand sanitizer, food and water
  • Handwashing stations at all locations where people are living outside (not limited to large encampments)
  • Portable toilets at all locations where people are living outside
  • Suspension of usual street cleaning procedures; limit cleaning to removing garbage; do not require people to move themselves or their belongings; protection of people’s belongings
  • Develop a plan for keeping mobile outreach vehicles clean and sterile while continuing to be able to deliver services
  • Distribute supplies to help those in encampments implement social distancing and self isolation

• Help advocate for/identify resources
  • Identify and allocate emergency, flexible general operating funding that can be used towards any crisis needs, including, but not limited to:
    • paying for additional staffing,
    • covering expanded paid sick leave,
    • hiring specialized cleaning services,
    • buying cleaning and medical supplies
    • providing food and water
    • providing curtains/dividers at congregate shelters
    • storage containers
    • gender specific hygiene materials
    • additional shelter spaces to increase social distancing especially to reduce the population in large, congregate settings
  • State and County should allocate resources for suburban communities that rely on volunteer churches for shelter.  Provide alternative shelter options such as hotels
  • Identify any available ESG funding to put toward this effort which has been deemed eligible by HUD already
  • Identify support for free, charitable health clinics that are not Federally Qualified Health Centers and will not qualify for federal resources
  • Increase funding for the state Homelessness Prevention Program

• Support students experiencing homelessness during school closures
• • Provide students and families experiencing homelessness with transportation assistance to get to alternative locations where food is being distributed, or to a school location that is open for students who do not have a safe place to be.
  • Provide students who are homeless additional technology and data support if e-learning is being delivered during the period schools are closed. Completing schoolwork online is obviously difficult for students without access to technology or data plans. Doing schoolwork generally is very challenging in shelters or overcrowded doubled-up situations, where there may not be a suitable place to study.
  • Communicate with students and families to make them aware of food resources, transportation assistance and other support; include these messages in all communication strategies related to school closures, including emails, media, social media and website information
  • Colleges should make clear that students experiencing homelessness or who have no safe place to go may remain in on-campus housing.  In addition they should help to identify grants to help them  buy food

• Preventive measures in other systems
  • Release those from Cook County Jail who are only there because they cannot afford cash bail
  • Place a moratorium on initiating evictions
  • Call on the CHA the Chicago Low-Income Housing Trust Fund to temporarily halt hearings and paperwork requirements that could lead to tenants losing their housing.
  • Request mortgage companies on the verge of foreclosing on homes of residents to suspend actions that could lead to families already dealing with deficits to lose their homes
  • Promote and support general health screenings beyond COVID-19, to support general immune system health like flu, asthma, early detection of other immune system challenges
  • Work to guarantee that individuals also receive coordinated care for other pre-existing conditions or needs (e.g., medically assisted drug treatment, HARRT medications, HCV meds, etc.) they had prior to the COVID-19 crisis.

• Create safe and continuing access to public benefits
• • Suspend redeterminations and terminations for programs such as SNAP, TANF, and Medicaid;
  • Expedite approval and suspend terminations for ABD (aged/blind/disabled) Medicaid cases;
  • Request statewide SNAP ABAWD waiver;
  • In order to reduce the need to visit local FCRCs in person, increase access to applications and other case management services over the phone or online, including access to ABE accounts where ID proofing is impossible due to age or lack of credit history of users;
  • Hold DHS appeals and benefits interviews telephonically wherever possible.
  • Expedite unemployment claims determinations

Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, like most organizations and people throughout the world, is taking the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic seriously. Because we want to ensure the health of staff and everyone we come in contact with, as well as do our part to help curb the spread of the coronavirus, we are taking the following steps:

• CCH’s offices are closed while the state of Illinois is under shelter-in-place orders. CCH staff is continuing to work and can be reached by email and phone.
• During this time, CCH is suspending all in-person outreach, including the Youth Futures mobile legal clinic. Our staff continues to meet with clients and grassroots leaders by phone and to hold regular leadership meetings by conference call and Zoom.
• Prior to reopening our office and restarting outreach, we will evaluate whether this period needs to be extended based on provided guidance.
• CCH can be reached by phone on its general office line, (312) 641-4140. For people with legal needs, the Law Project can be reached at 1 (800) 940-1119.
• Resources and notifications for homeless youth can be found on StreetLight Chicago, a free mobile app and website co-managed by CCH.

Advocacy

Chicago Coalition for the Homeless is concerned about the impact of the pandemic on those experiencing homelessness. We are advocating for concrete steps to be taken to ensure they are able to both protect themselves from possible infection and get appropriate treatment if an infection occurs. Chicago and Illinois homeless service providers and outreach workers need adequate guidance and resources in order to do their work during this time. Moreover, policies need to be put in place that halt evictions and provide extra support to those that are precariously housed so homelessness does not increase as a result of this situation.

We will continue to both work with and push the city, county, and state to provide guidance to shelter providers and outreach workers, quickly adopt smart policies, and put in place additional resources to curb the spread of the virus and protect those most in need of protection.

Thank you,

Doug Schenkelberg

Executive Director

CCH Legal Intern Ezra Lintner recently submitted the following letter to the editor to the Chicago Tribune, responding to its coverage. 

Legal staff from the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless were onsite February 10 when city of Chicago crews bulldozed the Tent City located near the Dan Ryan Expressway at Roosevelt Road and South DesPlaines.

The conditions that our homeless neighbors living near the Roosevelt exit experience are inhumane: They are living in a society that cannot (or will not) provide them adequate shelter, healthcare, and social services. As a result, they are forced to live in destitute conditions. No human being wants to live in the conditions that we have left our neighbors to – mud, trash pile up, and lack of shelter from the elements.

Cleaning an area inhabited by people in is necessary, as we believe the quotes from Tent City community members in your coverage show. In contrast, waiting a year to clean, and then bringing dozens of city workers and bulldozers to conduct such a cleaning is not necessary.

During our monitoring, we assisted homeless residents distressed that city crews were hauling off their tents and many of their possessions. We helped advocate for one man who had to insist that city crews not confiscate his tent with a bulldozer.

We were deeply disappointed that the Chicago Tribune covered the Monday morning “cleanup” by quoting just one resident who said he supported it. In the course of our time at the Tent City, we spoke with numerous other residents who told us they were scared about losing their tents and possessions in the sub-freezing winter weather. Moreover, we personally witnessed city workers berate residents who tried to salvage their things.

Instead of waiting a year to clean the area, the city should provide portable toilets and dumpsters to help residents keep the area clean.

Bulldozing was unnecessarily destructive, as are most of the Tent City cleanings we’ve monitored. We are saddened but not surprised that it took the presence of two attorneys, a legal intern, and a street organizer to prevent further mistreatment of some of our homeless neighbors by the city of Chicago.