A growing number of people are living in Chicago without stable housing. An estimated 68,000 Chicagoans are experiencing homelessness according to a new report. That’s equal the population of Skokie.
The ABC7 I-Team’s six month investigation reveals big shifts in where the homeless are staying, with thousands more living in shelters or on the street.
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“It’s everywhere. It’s in everybody’s community,” said Brian Rodgers, a grass-roots leader at the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless.
When Rodgers meets people experiencing homelessness, he tells them he was once in their shoes. Incarcerated twice, he struggled with housing when he got out of prison.
The crisis is painfully visible.
“I’ve seen more bodies removed here than at any point in my life,” said West Loop resident Conrad Fuhrman.
The I-Team has been monitoring some West Loop encampments since last summer. Residents have also been sharing photos and videos with us.
A six-month investigation by the ABC7 I-Team reveals big shifts in where the homeless are staying, with thousands more living in shelters or on the street.