Thursday, June 23, 2022

Lawrence Viaduct Fire Damage Being Repaired; All Residents Offered Opportunities For Permanent Housing



"The Lawrence Drive viaduct under DuSable Lake Shore Drive has been cleared of the encampments in order to do required electrical repairs for the lighting that was destroyed by the last two fires that occurred there earlier this year. 

CDOT has agreed to fully repair and repaint the viaducts after every fire without the use of 46th Ward menu funds. The repairs are expected to take approximately one week to complete, weather permitting.

Once completed, the people who have been living there can either return back with all of their belongings or accept other options that include offers of permanent housing or opportunities that lead to permanent housing. The Department of Family and Support Services and other social service agencies continue to actively engage with everyone residing other the viaducts and continue to offer services including housing.

Click here for more information about successful strategies put out by the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness that have demonstrated success of getting people off the streets and into housing.  Ald. Cappleman continues to advocate for the City of Chicago to adopt this same approach."

4 comments:

  1. San Diego has solved it's homeless sleeping on the streets problem. And I don't understand why we can't solve the problem of homeless in the viaduct. They act like they own the viaduct. It scares me, a walker, to walk in those areas. It's called HOSTILE architecture. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FcYq3Yq-ds

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  2. When given the option of returning back to their original viaduct "digs" or given permanent housing, most of those homeless WILL be returning to THAT location, I'm sure. Trying to "right" the homeless situation is admirable, but you can't correct this situation. Most homeless people are mentally ill and can't be made to lead a more structured framework of living INDOORS. I suspect the Lawrence viaduct will once again be a shambles very soon.

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    1. I used to feel the same way (until recently) as many of you about the homeless people living under the viaduct and lumping them ALL into the same category, having mental illness, drug addicts, scammers, etc. that is until I started watching a series on YouTube called Invisible People. Just saying, there are people that face homelessness because of a set of unfortunate circumstances in their lives. And trust me I'm no bleeding heart, just trying not be so darn judgmental. Let's be better than that!

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  3. A few weeks ago, the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness listed 7 principles that should be used to address encampments. The Mayor knows I want the City of Chicago to adopt these evidence-based, best practices that are used all over the country.
    https://www.usich.gov/tools-for-action/7-principles-for-addressing-encampments

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