Latest news with #AcceleratedMovingEvent
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Yahoo
Tents still in place at Gompers Park weeks after moving event began
CHICAGO (WGN) — Six weeks after the start of what the City of Chicago dubbed an 'Accelerated Moving Event' – tents at a Northwest Side park remain in place and others have even been set up. WGN Investigates visited Gompers Park on Wednesday and found more than two dozen tents still in place, even as the city began the work to clear the park. City agencies descended on Gompers on March 5th, offering services and housing – an approach the city's Chief Homelessness Officer Sendy Soto talked about during a one-on-one interview with WGN Investigates last year. WGN Investigates: Investigating public corruption, crime & fraud 'We are not in the business to arrest people who are unhoused, that is just not going to solve, one, the issue that people want to see solved,' Soto said during the interview. WGN Investigates has been following what happens at the park since September when cameras captured a glimpse into the lives of those who call the Northwest Side grounds home. While some have moved on to housing, many more remain at the park. Recently, through a Freedom of Information request, WGN Investigates obtained a 'coordinated outreach plan' from the city's Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS). Chicago pushes back plans to clear out homeless encampment in Gompers Park 'Shelter has been offered consistently but residents have declined due to shelter beds not being in the Northwest Community area,' the outreach plan said. The plan also detailed a timeline that points to June as the beginning of a lagoon restoration project and with it the coordinated clean-up and removal of tents. Currently, yellow signs are letting park residents know about what's to come, but even that hasn't been enough to persuade them to clear out. Chicago faces shortage of affordable housing 'They're not forced to leave in the sense that if were offering housing, that is really the option that we would want them to pursue. If that's not where they would like to go, then they can choose to go somewhere else, but that site eventually is going to be cleaned up and brought back to its original state,' Soto said when asked whether residents would be forced to leave. For now, at least half a dozen organizations are visiting the park each week trying to convince residents to move before the park is officially cleared out in June. In a stamanet shared with WGN Investigates on Wednesday, DFSS said that locations with a lot of public attention tend to have people moving in once an Accelerated Moving Event begins in order to try and secure housing. Fire renews calls for city to remove homeless encampments at Gompers Park 'Unfortunately for those who have relocated to the Gompers Park encampment following the park's March 5 Accelerated Moving Event, this will not speed up access to housing for these individuals, DFSS said in the statement. The moving event is now on its 43rd day, similar events have gone on for as many as 90 days before the area is completely cleared. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Protest planned outside Chicago alderwoman's office over Gompers Park homeless encampment removal
The Brief Community members are holding a rally outside Ald. Samantha Nugent's office, calling for an end to what they describe as the "criminalization of homelessness." A long-standing homeless encampment at Gompers Park in the 39th Ward was cleared during a recent cold snap. Rally organizers say last week's "accelerated moving event" lacked the safety measures promised by the city. CHICAGO - Community leaders are set to gather outside the office of 39th Ward Alderwoman Samantha Nugent on Tuesday to protest what they call the "criminalization of homelessness" following the removal of a homeless encampment at Gompers Park. What we know The encampment, which had been in place for an extended period, was taken down during a brutal cold snap last month. Rally organizers claim the city's actions put vulnerable individuals at greater risk during the extreme weather. They also allege that an "accelerated moving event" held last week lacked the promised safety precautions, further endangering those displaced from the encampment. The backstory The homeless encampment at Gompers Park had been a point of contention among community members for months. Neighbors expressed concerns about safety issues, including reports of drug use, fires, and off-leash dog attacks. The Gompers Park Athletic Association also faced potential disruptions to youth baseball games and practices due to the encampment. What they're saying The Restore Gompers Park Coalition released a statement criticizing the protest. "The Restore Gompers Park Coalition has worked tirelessly for months to push for an Accelerated Moving Event; we are glad that 100 percent of AME participants are moving forward with the housing process, per the press release issued by the Mayor's Press Office on March 7. We have heard from numerous local residents who are happy to hear about this win-win solution for everyone. However, many in the local community have expressed their disdain for this protest today. Protesting the alderman's office does not help the unhoused. Spewing extreme rhetoric is a distraction and an affront to the efforts underway to provide housing and wraparound services to those in Gompers Park. We denounce the continued attempts to create chaos and disruption by this vocal minority of individuals." What's next The rally is expected to draw advocates, residents, and possibly city officials. Organizers say they are calling for more compassionate and safety-focused approaches to handling homeless encampments in Chicago. The Source The information from this article was provided by rally organizers and FOX 32 Chicago.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Yahoo
Protesters say Gompers Park unhoused were unjustly displaced
CHICAGO (WGN) — A small group of activists gathered Monday evening in protest outside a northwest side alderman's office, upset about the city's actions in moving people facing homelessness from Gompers Park. The members of the independent political organization 39th Ward Neighbors United say actions at the park are criminalizing the unhoused, while the city says it's helping dozens find a path to permanent housing. The protest follow last week's outreach effort called an 'Accelerated Moving Event,' which the city hails a success with 100 percent of participants continuing the optional process to find stable housing. While the demonstrators acknowledge the progress of the event, they say people prior to it were unjustly displaced. Members say they want affordable housing and emergency shelter space in the area. Until the solutions are ample, they say, public parks must remain free and available to all. Nearly 30 at Gompers Park homeless encampment enroll with housing providers Agencies dismantle smoke stacks, propane tanks at Gompers Park encampment The city and Ald. Samantha Nugent's (39th Ward) office both emphasize that no one was forced to leave the park during the AME. 'Protesting the alderman's office does not help the unhoused,' a statement from the group Restore Gompers Park said, in part. 'Spewing extreme rhetoric is a distraction and an affront to the efforts underway to provide housing and wraparound services to those in Gompers Park. We denounce the continued attempts to create chaos and disruption by this vocal minority of individuals.' For months, neighbors raised concerns about the growing encampment at the park on the 4200 block of West Foster Avenue, saying it creates an unsafe environment. Residents and officials say used needles, weapons and drug paraphernalia have been found. There have also been reports of alcohol use and fires, including two in six-day span last month. The fire department has been called to the park at least 36 times since January 2024. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Yahoo
'Accelerated Moving Event' unfolds at Gompers Park encampment, housing assistance offered
The Brief After months of community members asking for the city to intervene, an Accelerated Moving Event (AME) unfolded at Gompers Park. Many of the unhoused individuals living in tents accepted permanent housing on Wednesday. Safety concerns and disruptions to youth sports prompted calls for city intervention. CHICAGO - After months of debate, a long-standing homeless encampment in Gompers Park on Chicago's Northwest Side is in the process of coming down. Still, those living in tents will not be forced to leave, according to city officials. While tensions have run high over the issue, many of the individuals living in the encampment walked away with permanent housing on Wednesday. What we know The City of Chicago's Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) hosted an "Accelerated Moving Event" in partnership with All Chicago on Wednesday to quickly connect unhoused individuals with shelter and other services. The scheduled event helped speed up and fund the process of placing individuals into housing, allowing them to complete multiple complicated steps at once. They were brought to a nearby building where they met with housing case managers, selected apartments, and even chose furniture. "It's pretty much a one-stop-shop for housing and it's very comprehensive," said 39th Ward Alderman Samantha Nugent. "This has proven to be the most successful way to get the unhoused into housing and actually stay in housing and youth services. Also, I do support the restoration of the park, and I understand the concerns of our community." Since last year, residents have raised concern about safety, citing recent incidents involving an off-leash dog attacking community members, as well as indecent behavior and reports of drug paraphernalia and knives found in the park. The fire department has also responded to multiple fires at the encampment. "The fire department was called out roughly 35 times over the last year," Nugent said. Youth baseball games and practices, which were at risk of relocation due to the encampment, are now expected to return to the park. "Right now, things have been kind of quiet, and I think everyone is really hopeful that we are going to have games moved back here after things are back to normal," said Ryan Johnson, president of the Gompers Park Athletic Association. What's next Although many of the unhoused individuals have accepted services, tents remain in the park for now—as it could take between 30 to 90 days to move them into newly selected homes. As encampment members move into housing over the next several weeks, any abandoned property left behind will be removed during the next monthly park cleanup; however, city officials explain that the Accelerated Moving Event is not an encampment shutdown. "This isn't a closure, this isn't a sweep, but it is an opportunity for people to move out of housing and possibly, the park having less foot traffic," said Sendy Soto, Chief Homelessness Officer for the City of Chicago. "We would love to provide an opportunity where everyone can move into housing and receive the wraparound services but we don't have those resources, our partners don't have those resources, so until we can address the gap in availability of affordable housing or even the shelter beds we need, we cannot force people and we wouldn't be forcing people to leave a public space." City officials say they will continue working to restore the area while ensuring those in need receive ongoing support. In the coming months, the Chicago Park District is planning several projects at Gompers Park. According to Nugent, they include restoring the lagoon, building the Nature Play Space that was a winning Participatory Budget project from 2022, and resurfacing the basketball parking lot on Pulaski Avenue. Notices will be posted in advance of construction, and during that time those still living in tents will be asked to relocate to other areas.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Yahoo
Chicago to remove Gompers Park homeless encampment as residents call for long-term solutions
The Brief Chicago plans to remove a homeless encampment on the Northwest Side by March 5, with officials emphasizing that the relocation will be handled with care. Residents have been pushing for an Accelerated Moving Event (AME) due to ongoing safety concerns, including fires, dog attacks, and drug paraphernalia. Community leaders want a commitment from the city to enforce park rules after the encampment is cleared to prevent future settlements. CHICAGO - The city of Chicago plans to remove a homeless encampment on the Northwest Side in two weeks, with the relocation scheduled for March 5. Rumors circulated Wednesday that city crews had already started taking down tents, but officials clarified that only litter and abandoned items were removed as part of a routine monthly cleanup. 39th Ward Alderwoman Samantha Nugent assured that occupied tents were left untouched. The backstory Residents have been calling for an Accelerated Moving Event (AME), a program that speeds up the process of placing unhoused individuals into shelters. Neighbors cite ongoing concerns, including fires, dog attacks, and drug paraphernalia found in the area. Members of the Gompers Park Athletic Association and the Restore Gompers Park Coalition urged city leaders to enforce park rules once the relocation takes place. They asked Mayor Brandon Johnson for a commitment to prevent future encampments from forming in the park. What they're saying Nugent's office has stressed that the relocation should be handled with care and sensitivity to the encampment members. "Once the unhoused accept the housing and help being offered to them via this AME, the residents expect the same, equitable enforcement of existing park ordinances just like you provided, Mayor Johnson, to Humboldt and Touhy parks after their AMEs. This is not about criminalizing homelessness, it is criminal to keep people in tents inside parks without any means to support basic human needs in 6 degree weather," said Nicole Foster, member of the Restore Gomphers Park Coalition. What's next The city remains on track to move forward with the March 5 relocation.
