Column: Caring for the homeless a stressful job that needs all our attention

Chicago Tribune

20 hours ago

Attitudes toward the homeless population make Joe Jackson sick.
As executive director of Hesed House, Aurora's homeless shelter, he not only has a front row seat to the growing problem – locally and across the nation – Jackson is well aware of the misinformation and lack of empathy so many people have toward this vulnerable population.
But it was while watching President Donald Trump on television Monday declare he was moving all homeless people out of our nation's capital that Jackson suddenly became sick — literally.
As the president delivered the White House briefing, Jackson's right arm started getting numb. Within a few minutes, his entire right side, including his face, tongue and legs followed.
A call to wife Tricia, who is a nurse practitioner, informed him he needed to get to an emergency room as he could be having a stroke.
On the way to Rush Copley Medical Center in Aurora – yes, he drove himself, not a good thing – Jackson became more alarmed when, at a red light, he gave himself a quick stroke screening test – he placed both arms out in front and noticed the right arm drift downward.
'That's when I finally realized,' Jackson told me, 'I'm really glad I'm going' to the hospital.
Fortunately, testing, which included a CT scan and MRI, ruled out that Jackson had suffered a stroke. And after two days 'of getting poked and prodded' at the hospital, he was sent home with baby aspirin and an appointment with his primary doctor, who advised that counseling would help him figure out ways to deal with the anxiety that brought on this stress-induced episode.
The problem is, Jackson takes his job to heart.
As he was lying in the hospital dealing with his own health problems, the Hesed House leader posted a compelling Facebook plea that paints a bleak picture of what is happening to the population he's dedicated his career to serving.
Declaring that 'I've learned the hard way' how dangerous stress is, he put the focus on record-high homeless numbers, including among families. He pointed to shelters being full across the country, and how funding is running out for offsite hotels for families, which have seen numbers double in a year.
He pointed to how the crisis in affordable housing continues to be 'ignored or pushed aside,' and how budgets are eliminating funding for critical social services, which are the safety nets that, among other things, provide desperately needed mental and behavioral health services.
Jackson, who himself was on his own at age 18 and couch surfing, deals with these issues both internally and externally each and every day. Which, no doubt, landed him in the hospital. Still, his concern remained on those far more at risk.
'This stress is nothing compared to what people experiencing homelessness or on the brink of losing their homes are going through,' Jackson pointed out in his Facebook post. 'With shelters full, where do I sleep tonight? Where will my next meal come from? Do I pay my sky-high electric bill or let it go to collections so I can put gas in my car this week?'
How, he asked, 'do I break it to the kids' all they can take when we leave our home must fit in a duffel bag?
'The need has outpaced the capacity for years and it is getting worse by the minute,' Jackson wrote, a statement that is reflected in a recent report by the Kane County Continuum of Care that highlighted 'urgent housing needs' in our communities.
Key findings from this group of nearly 30 local agencies collaborating to tackle the problem noted over 1,700 people experienced homelessness in the county in 2024, with seniors, those with disabilities and families dealing with domestic violence facing significant barriers.
And the report declared 'an urgent need for more permanent supportive housing, expanded emergency shelter capacity, increased access to mental and behavioral health services for those experiencing homelessness and workforce development.'
Homelessness, of course, is not a new issue here or anywhere else in the country. But what's different now, Jackson told me after he was back at work following his health scare, is that the 'level' and 'the complexity' of the need 'has grown exponentially.' And what's not grown, he quickly added, is 'the public level of education and empathy toward the problem.'
It seems more than ever people believe homeless people 'just need to get a job, pull themselves up by their bootstraps,' Jackson continued. 'And most are not taking into account how incredibly traumatic this all is, or how deep the barriers are these days with few resources out there to help.'
And it's not just housing, he insisted.
'People are starting to see it is a problem just to get in for an initial psychiatric appointment. With Medicaid, it takes six months-plus for the initial counsel … that's if you can get in at all,' Jackson said. 'And every day not on meds you get worse and worse.'
Jackson describes homeless shelters and other social service agencies as 'the safety net for every crack in society.' But the problem, he continued, 'is we are not equipped to be at this level of service … no one is.'
It is 'all that together,' he admitted when we spoke, 'that is becoming overwhelming.'
And so, as good as Jackson is at verbalizing the problem, this panic attack that landed him in the hospital means he needs to figure out a better way to internalize all he sees, all he deals with.
On his Facebook post from a hospital bed and in this conversation with me back at work on Friday, he wants people to know he's OK. But rather than send good wishes or lasagna, his wish is that you contact your elected officials and ask what they are doing to resolve the affordable housing crisis. He asks that you support (donate, volunteer) local shelters and social service groups, which are 'drowning with the overwhelming need' that is out there right now.
And he asks that you recognize and reinforce the humanity in the people experiencing homelessness.
'I am worrying about them,' he said of the residents of Hesed House. 'But they are worrying about their survival.'