Activists gathered Thursday morning in downtown Chicago to protest the removal of winterized tents that had been tagged by the city with notices warning occupants the tents had to be cleared for a street cleaning scheduled for Thursday.
Late Wednesday, officials from the Department of Family and Support Services told the Tribune that the tents in the Fulton Market area would not need to be cleared for the scheduled cleaning and would only be required to be moved for “deep cleanings.” The protesters, however, still gathered Thursday at the site under the Metra bridge on Milwaukee Avenue and then marched to City Hall to deliver a letter to Mayor Lori Lightfoot, requesting a meeting to discuss the city’s homelessness crisis.
The group, which grew to nearly 40 people, held signs demanding “No eviction” and “Permanent houses + mental health services” and chanted, “Housing a human right” and “Leave the tents alone or give the people a home!” The group was ultimately turned away by security at City Hall after delivering the letter to someone who identified himself as an intern working for the mayor’s office, the protesters said.
The 10 bright orange heated tents, which include a foundation, heating and lighting, arrived under two weeks ago through the efforts of Andy Robledo, founder of the nonprofit Feeding People Through Plants. Just days after assembling the tents, the city slapped red notices on them, alerting people that they must remove the shelters from the premises before the cleaning.
Robledo previously told the Tribune that the tents’ assembly and supplies cost between $350 and $500 and that they are not easy to take down. While the city has confirmed that the tents would not be removed, Robledo said the work is still ongoing.
“We’ve won this battle, but I want to win the war,” Robledo said. “The policy needs to change because we’re going to keep fighting these battles all over the city. It’s happening constantly. The way to fight is to get people housing.”
Morgan McLuckie is a Pilsen resident who joined Feeding People Through Plants’ board six months ago. She learned about Robledo’s work as a fellow neighbor and wanted to help.
She calls the work — delivering food to encampments around the city three times a week — “incredibly eye-opening.” She has also assisted Robledo in rebuilding camps and constructing the new winterized tents.
“There’s such a negative connotation and people think the absolute worst,” McLuckie said. “I’m out here three days a week, and I’ve never run into any issues. Everybody’s so sweet. They just need help, you know?”
Another volunteer with the nonprofit, Sarah Kroth, came out to support Robledo’s message to the mayor and city officials. She said she has seen the needs of the city’s most vulnerable populations firsthand when she helps with donation drives and camp rebuilds.
“Andy’s doing a really great job of just meeting people where they’re at and getting them what they need,” Kroth said. “You can be just one life event, one paycheck away, from this kind of situation, so I wish people had more empathy.”
Natasha Gonzalez sees the issues unfold on the North Side, in Uptown, where she and members of the organization Rise Uptown Coalition work to protect unhoused people’s property during city sweeps. She wanted to take part in the same effort in the Fulton area.
“We’re here to protect our neighbors, and that’s our unhoused neighbors, too,” Gonzalez said. “We’re all community here.”
At a news conference Thursday morning with the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless and Bring Chicago Home, Robledo thanked the crowd for the turnout and emphasized his mission to protect unhoused people’s rights.
“We wanted to send the message to the city that they’re not touching these tents unless they offer people housing right now,” Robledo said. “I think they got the message.”
During the news conference, the local coalition Bring Chicago Home emphasized its call to restructure Chicago’s real estate transfer tax on high-end property sales. The organization’s proposal asks for a 1.9% increase on the city’s taxes for properties over $1 million to create a dedicated revenue stream for housing, along with mental health, substance abuse and other supportive services. The group is in the first stage of getting the proposal on the February ballot.
Robledo said he has tried to reach the mayor directly, including through previous letters, but has not been successful. His letter Thursday condemned the mayor’s response to homelessness in the city, calling Lightfoot to issue a public statement that the orange tents can remain in place and to amend the city’s policy and procedures governing off-street cleaning.
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Robledo said the current off-street cleaning policy doesn’t address or protect people’s rights to property in a tent. The policy itself does not refer to tents specifically, only to “portable personal items” such as blankets, suitcases or sleeping bags.
“Her silence speaks volumes,” Robledo said.
Robledo remains frustrated by the city’s response, saying that the resources and services they offer still come with long waiting lists that leave people in limbo.
“It’s performative at best if you’re not coming with housing,” Robledo said. “Don’t come with the garbage truck, and the wrecking ball. I think the city’s approach to fighting homelessness is with the streets and sanitation approach, and it’s not with a humanitarian approach.”
When the Department of Family and Support Services and a sanitation crew came in later in the morning, all tents were occupied. A man living in one of Robledo’s tents, Charles, said he has lived in the Fulton area for about five months. When he moved into the new tent, he called the difference “night and day.”
“I was blown away. There’s no words to describe this genuine, unconditional help,” Charles said.
Charles said the new tents help keep the streets cleaner because the tent is large enough to contain all his belongings versus having to keep them out in the open on the street.
“I pride myself on trying to keep our area clean and that really shows,” Charles said. “Even the neighbors that are in the high-rise condominiums come by and say, ‘Kudos to you guys for keeping this area so clean.'”
Tears welled in Charles’ eyes as he recalled the moment he found the city’s bright red notice on his tent. He called Robledo who assured him not to worry.
“Imagine finding a red sticker on your doorstep, saying two weeks, get out of here or we’re moving you, how would that make you feel?” Charles said.
He said he feels especially secure that his tent will continue to stay in place with the support of Robledo and other community members who rallied by the encampment.
“I feel like I’m safe amongst friends out here,” Charles said. “I have not only a warm tend to be in, I have the warm comfort of friends.”