Emily Hoerner

Emily Hoerner is an investigative reporter who works with data. She covers issues involving public health matters, health care systems and education. She previously covered judges, prisons, policing and criminal justice at Injustice Watch.

Public restroom at 69 W. Washington in Chicago, Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2021. To get into this bathroom one needed to search for it in the corner area next to the escalators, due to lack of signage, then you need to ask a guard to let you in with a key.
Chicago's failure to consistently provide accessible public restrooms, harms unhoused people, those with medical needs, and anyone hoping to operate within the city's public spaces. (Antonio Perez/baiduhai)

Baños públicos de Chicago: encuentre uno cerca de usted con este mapa en el que se pueden realizar búsquedas

October 21, 2021 at 5:01 a.m.

En algunas ciudades, los gobiernos locales proporcionan mapas en línea que ubican los baños públicos y sus horarios de funcionamiento. Chicago no lo hace. Por lo tanto, el Tribune utilizó...

Elita Schallman, who suffers from the inflammatory bowel disorder colitis, shops at Sunset Foods on Sept. 14, 2021, in suburban Lake Forest. Last summer, Schallman was in downtown Chicago when her colitis flared. She ran into a Starbucks where the employees refused to grant her access to their restroom despite her begging and her attempts to show her medical information about her disease. Schallman said she prefers to shop at places she is familiar with so she knows where the restrooms are located.

Everybody needs access to bathrooms. Chicago doesn’t provide nearly enough of them.

June 14, 2024 at 6:47 p.m.

Perched on a milk crate in front of a glossy storefront window on Michigan Avenue, Marcus Carter can quickly identify each of the nearby restrooms one might be able to...

A public restroom in the Cook County Administration Building on Sept. 8, 2021.

Chicago’s public bathrooms: Find one near you with this searchable map

June 14, 2024 at 6:47 p.m.

In some cities, local governments provide online maps locating public bathrooms and their operating hours. Chicago does not. So the Tribune used public records requests, interviews and publicly available data...

All Stories