Just two days after yet another fire at Elgin’s huge tent city, a webpage was launched to update residents on Elgin’s efforts to relocate inhabitants from the homeless encampment and to offer ways for people to help.
The “Homelessness Response” page at ElginIL.gov/EHR is a one-stop site for all information related to tent city residents’ move to Lexington Inn and Suites, the demolition and clearance of the eight-acre site along the Fox River off Route 31, resources available to assist and answers to frequently asked questions.
About 40 people have accepted the city’s offer to move to one of 50 hotel rooms booked starting Monday. The rest of the rooms will be offered to homeless people living in other smaller areas in Elgin, officials said.
The impetus behind the extensive relocation and demolition plan were two tent city fires in early December. A third occurred Saturday night in a 1,000-square-foot area at the camp’s south end, which firefighters found fully engulfed when they arrived about 10:45 p.m., according to Assistant Chief Mike Rothecker.
Because of its proximity to the Metra rail line, firefighters were delayed in getting their hoses over the tracks for about three minutes because of a passing freight train, Rothecker said. Metra then shut down service to allow them to work.
Having to wait to put out a fire is a “little bit against our DNA, but it’s the nature of the beast unfortunately in that area,” he said.
It will take a while to determine the fire’s cause due to the extent of the damage, he said.
The fires that occurred Dec. 4 and Dec. 12 destroyed about a dozen structures but resulted in no deaths or injuries. Officials have not been able to determine an exact source for either but said they suspect homemade warming devices may have played a role.
In anticipation of the relocation, city police officers and social workers have been going to each dwelling to inform residents and assess their needs.
A $2.5 million contract to fund the teardown work of the camp, which has been there for decades, was approved by the Elgin City Council last week. Hotel rooms for the homeless through the spring will cost the city as much as $425,000.
“The city of Elgin is committed to addressing homelessness through comprehensive action and compassionate support, with the goal of ensuring every individual has access to safe, stable housing and the resources needed to thrive,” according to the new webpage.
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The site includes a donation portal through which residents can give money in any amount or choose specific options to fund such things as $25 essentials kits or $65 to cover the cost of a one-night hotel stay. Set up through GiveButter.com, donors can request a tax deduction certificate.
Information on how to volunteer to work at the city-sponsored warming shelter is also provided.
Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.