When Tony Winters saw city human services workers approach a small homeless encampment in Chicago’s lower street levels east of Michigan Avenue, he crossed the street from his makeshift home to meet them.
Winters, 38,asked for a coat and got the flu shot from a doctor who accompanied a city homeless outreach and prevention team. He said once the COVID-19 vaccine becomes available for him, he hopes to get it.
“I want to get it because (the virus) can kill you,” Winters said.
He shared his concerns with Selena Ruiz, a community intervention specialist, as part of the survey for this year’s annual count of homeless people in the city Wednesday.
Officials say this year’s count will help them determine how the pandemic has affected Chicago residents and what resources are needed for those who have lost housing. It will also ensure that staff can engage with people without shelter and identify their possible locations to connect them with those administering the vaccine once it becomes available for them, said Quenjana Adams, spokesperson for the city Department of Family and Support Services.
While homeless shelter staff and residents are next in line for inoculations, there is no clear plan for vaccine rollout for homeless people who don’t use shelters. Once a plan is implemented, Adams said, her agency and its outreach specialists will serve as the “access point” to the residents.
Because of the pandemic, the count of homeless people in Chicago will take place over three days, through Friday, rather than overnight on a single day. But the snapshot for a related federally mandated count will be based on Tuesday night’s count. So one of the questions that residents must answer is where they spent the night that day.
Homeless people staying in shelters were also counted on Tuesday.
This year, the number of volunteers and outreach workers canvassing the streets is smaller than prior years, and the interaction with homeless people has been kept brief and distant, officials said.
Ruiz, the outreach specialist who helped to count homeless people on Chicago’s underground streets Wednesday morning, said she’s been patrolling the area for nearly 14 years. She’s familiar with many people who live there, but over the past year she’s seen “many new faces,” she said.
Heather Beecher has been there for nearly three years. The two talked a little before Beecher agreed to answer questions for the survey. Marvin Medina, a transportation specialist, gave her some face masks, hand sanitizer and socks.
Beecher, 31, became addicted to heroin after a family tragedy in 2018 and ever since, she’s been living on the streets.
She said that though she’s tried to go to rehab in the past, she hasn’t been able to leave her addiction behind. Regardless, she is hopeful that she will be able to recover one day.
“I don’t want to die out here,” Beecher said as her eyes watered.
Ruiz said that while many, like Beecher, are willing to answer the questions for the survey, a few don’t feel comfortable talking, and thus are not counted as part of the annual “homeless census.”
Last year, there were more than 1,500 sleeping in the streets of Chicago on a single night, a slight increase from nearly 1,300 in 2019, according to city data.
Adams said she expects that number to be higher this year because of the economic hardships the pandemic has caused.
Each year, the data compiled from the count is analyzed to assess homelessness in Chicago, identify areas of need and allocate funds, resources and services to aid those in need.
Though the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development requires the count every two years, the city implemented yearly counts for Chicago to get a comprehensive tally of those in shelters and those living on the street.
Though the count is meant to be a “snapshot” of homelessness in the city, Julie Dworkin, of the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, said that the “point-in-time” count is not an accurate way of counting people experiencing homelessness.
“A one-night count does not tell you what you will need in terms of resources because it doesn’t account for the people who will become homeless the next day or the day after,” she said.
Dr. Kevin Carney, who accompanied the city group during its downtown count, approached each resident after Ruiz introduced him to them.
“It takes time to get them to trust you,” Ruiz said. She introduced herself and then explained the purpose of the survey.
“It helps us get more funding,” she told a man.
Carney, who also works with the Heartland Alliance, asked some of those he approached if they would get the COVID-19 vaccine and shared his information with others.
John Lindquist, 31, answered yes. He said that he has tried to keep himself safe from the coronavirus by following the safety protocols as well as he could.
larodriguez@chicagotribune.com
