Morning, everyone. The meeting of the Committee on Public.
Safety will come to order pursuant to notice issued in
compliance with the Illinois. Open meetings ACT. First item
is to have a roll call to establish the presence of a
quorum. Uh, chairman Hopkins is here and vice chairman
jansy. Thank you Alderman, Chico.
Alderwoman tabaris.
Alderman, Sancho Lopez.
Alderwoman Fuentes.
Alderman Vasquez.
Alderman. Martin.
Alderwoman Haden.
Alderwoman Gutierrez absent, Alderman Lopez.
Alderman, Curtis absent Alderman, tally of pharaoh absent
Alderman, pisado absent, Alderman, Knudsen?
Alderman. Gardiner Alderman manah hoppenworth
Alderwoman Silverstein.
We have a quorum present, we do have some real 59 requests,
uh, alderwoman Silverstein.
Alderman's pisado uh alderwoman mitts as a guest has
requested access. Anyone else?
Do we have a motion to provide for rule 59 remote access
moved by Alderman Martin hearing no objections. So ordered
Alderman Gardiner is via Zoom as well. Oh, Alderman
Gardiner as well. You are added to the rule 59, uh, remote
participation. Thank you. Thank you.
We do have uh written testimony. Uh 12 written statements
have been distributed electronically to all committee
members and we have 4 public speakers uh followed by a
selection of expert Witnesses, who have been invited to
testify. We'll start with the uh public speakers. You have
3 minutes. Our first public speaker is Kathy powers.
Good morning morning. Good morning. And the First Act day of
October 2024,
I'm here to remind everybody.
That there were 739 excess deaths.
In the 1995, Chicago Heatwave.
We have the same number of cooling centers now 6, and none
of them are open 24 hours.
warm nighttime temperatures, especially 80 degrees or
warmer do not allow people to recover from daytime Heat,
When warm temperatures are combined with high humidity
conditions can become dangerous. If not deadly,
even in the middle of the night.
Without relief from the Heat.
Heat stress can continue to build and increase the risk of
heat illnesses and death.
There are indications that Knights can be more deadly than
the daytime heat wave.
You may usually increase as during the overnight hours
because as temperature, Falls air is less able to hold
water molecules.
As it gets cooler.
Systemically, we are not equipped to protect our citizens
from excessive Heat.
Although, we have added public spaces like, libraries city,
colleges parks and police departments.
The life barrier is the need for 24-Hour, cooling sites in
expanded accessible community area.
And teleprompter, City cooling system is built and
operated.
CTA could provide air conditioned buses for use as
temporary cooling centers.
CTA must allow customers to carry on cold water or soft
beverages.
In any cooling areas, people must not be removed because
they fall asleep.
This is the body's way to recover from heat stress. Thank
you.
The next speaker is Zoe Lee.
Every day, uh, change this public, speaking things. And now
y'all got the timer on there. Nobody can't see us, but
that's cool. I know how to edit and stuff like that.
Um, y'all been 100 million dollars annually a year?
Probably. Well, that's in a budget for
Um, homelessness in the state of Illinois.
and in Chicago, and
You guys come in here and act like y'all are so concerned
about the unhoused Chicagoans when there's been a family. I
mean, they're not here today but y'all know Michael Young,
Bae his daughter and his wife that has been trying to get
housing for over a year. Yeah.
Yeah. And uh, what the f***?
and um,
And y'all just don't care. Like y'all sit here in these
committees and these meetings and our freight concern. I
have this this uh video that I'm putting together that has
over, maybe about 40, black homeless men that are like on
every corner. Like I mean homeless and it's getting worse
in their right like next to an undocumented immigrant with
the candy and the kid right there.
So like it shows.
Like this weird.
Situation that we got going on in Chicago that we're
supposed to be so fake concerned about the undocumented
immigrants and how we have to have dignity in. We have to
figure out how to get them housing. While I'm watching a
black man, who is homeless, talking to himself American
citizen, who has no resources?
and y'all are sitting in here, trying to figure out what
y'all going to do about the extreme weather impact for the
unhoused Chicagoans like this, like the jokes
They they come because there's no way in the world that
y'all are concerned and we know you're not concerned, we
know you're definitely not concerned about housing because
I've been coming here for a year about illegal eminent
domain and I had to
Do whatever to figure to finally get.
Notice that this is a real thing. We have a real housing
crisis in Chicago. Not y'all are displacing people. Y'all
displacing black seniors on the street.
But y'all are in here about to act like y'all care about
the unhoused Chicagoans when y'all are, unhoused people on
purpose.
That doesn't make any sense. This a Democratic Party.
That's why this city is going to turn red. The state of
Illinois is going to flip read for the first time because
y'all do not care. And y'all need a lesson. Y'all need to
be taught a lesson for real because nobody's playing with
y'all. It's the people first.
Uh, please add uh Elder woman Gutierrez to the roll, call
for a quorum purposes and vice mayor Bernett uh, for
attendance purposes.
The next speaker is fujan Blink.
Urgent blink. And uh, please set the 3 minute speaker
clock.
All right, good morning. Thank you for having me. First off.
I'd like to start by thanking everyone for being here and
Having the courage to voice your concerns.
I'm born and raised here in city of Chicago. So I know what
it's like living here from the day I was born and I just
like to share a quick story. Yesterday, I made a, I made a
great friend in the name of Ronnie. He's a homeless man who
lives just south of where you guys are building a new
casino and I just want want you guys to know that the
homeless people in the city are great and strong Community,
just like, I know that this city can be, we are Sanctuary
City and I just think that we should all, you know, take
that seriously and be a city that we know provides for the
people in need and that includes the homeless people. I
like to just bring up a point about and I hope you guys can
touch on this during your hearing about the, uh, the 1
System initiative. And what that is is you guys have re not
you guys specifically, but the city of Chicago has closed
down migrants centers.
Because they're consolidating a lot of these facilities. So
I just want to ask why are we consolidating these
facilities? And not repurposing them for the homeless
people in the city of Chicago, when we know we have the
resources and we know we have the people that are willing
to step up and provide support. So if you can touch on that
during your hearing, I'd really appreciate that. Um,
because I know that money isn't going to solve everything.
It's going to take action, it's going to take commitment.
It's going to take people willing to go out of, you know,
Above and beyond and volunteer their time to make these
changes in the city. And I just wanted to voice my
Personal opinion and just make it clear here today that I
do volunteer, as a citizen of Chicago to do this for free,
you know, this these are real people out here in these
streets. I pushed Ronnie about a mile to his Camp because
he wasn't sure he was going to make it that day, you know?
And he was, I found him sitting on a corner in a wheelchair
after getting hit by a car and he was throughout the entire
walk. There he kept thanking me saying, I was never going
to make it. I was never going to make it. And I said, well,
that's why God made multiple people so that we can all be
there for each other and that's why I strongly believe. And
if we all really take that role seriously, that I don't see
how we can't solve this issue and help these people in
these streets.
Um, 1 thing, I know we can do for sure. Is, you know,
Not just provide these people a place to sleep and stay but
I have an idea and I have a plan to provide to provide
these people with work that can help clean up the city, the
city streets. And you know,
They may be homeless, they may have not have a roof over
their head, but they are some of the most Fearless people
I've ever met in my life. So I know that whatever it takes,
they're going to look out for each other and they're going
to look out for the city that they reside in. So if you
just please touch on those topics again, about the 1 System
initiative and why we are closing down these centers again
again providing support and and materials and I'm not
against helping migrants. I'm not, I'm just, I'm just
confused as to why we're closing down certain facilities
when we can, you know, repurpose these things. So thank you
for your time.
Uh, please add Alderman kutson to the Quorum roll call, and
alderwoman Scott to the attendance list. Our next speaker
is Jessica Jackson
Uh, good morning.
Um, wait a minute. Go oh the gentleman that just spoke
before me. Um the answer to your question is because they
don't care.
That's, that's the short answer. They don't care.
Right now, the Democratic party is priority is illegal
immigrants.
That's what time it is. Homelessness been around since like
the late 80s since the days of Ronald Reagan.
When he closed down all those Mental Hospitals and VA
hospitals, and stuff like that, that's what created
homelessness in America.
and it's a topic that a lot of people can make money
campaigning about to seem like their humanitarian, but the
reality is, they could care less.
Now, as a battalions to what we're dealing with today, we
dealing with a, a city hall that could care less.
They have allowed the Hispanic Alderman to bring their
issues here and make their problems in their country. Our
problems in America,
and that's the reason why.
Trump has to get in office. See you all might want to
believe this or want to believe that but America needs a
leader that's putting America first.
Anytime you have a Americans like myself, that could come
and keep talking about the problems with probate, how they
stealing black people's property and how you can have a
city council that cares. Less about that, they don't care.
Why why would not vote for Trump? We need somebody on the
federal level that can do something about what's going on,
on the local level, on the local level. Everybody is
Democrat. I don't care where you go. Everybody is Democrat.
They are no opposing views. There are no opposing
positions.
So everywhere we go in the city for help, it's Democrat 1.
Dirty hand, watching the other 1 dirty hand doing a favor
for another and it's leaving us in the position that we are
in Americans. Now, where our lives are literally being
destroyed by the Democratic Party.
We need a, we need somebody that can help us As Americans.
There's nothing wrong with America being first. When
they're taking our tax dollars to take care of this stuff.
How in the world is that wrong?
For your money to take care of you first for your Council.
people supposedly to deal with your issues first. How can
that be wrong? How can that be racist?
It's responsible, you got them having us a billion dollars
in debt taking care of people that don't even contribute to
the country.
For real.
Uh, that concludes our registered public speakers. Uh, we
have 1 item on the agenda today a resolution. Uh, offered
by Alderman Vasquez uh resolution 10357 calling for this
hearing regarding extreme weather response. And we have a
number of uh, expert Witnesses who will testify. Um, before
I turn it over to Alderman Vasquez, I want to commend him
for bringing this important issue before us today, as you
all know, uh every year we have debts in the city of
from hypothermia, we have dust from heat stroke. Every 1 of
Every 1 of these debts is a preventable event every single
1 of them and we're going to get into that today. So with
that I will turn it over uh to Alderman Vasquez who does
have a presentation and then we will call our first Speaker
uh thank you chairman Hopkins. Uh thank you to our
colleagues here at the Committee on Public Safety and to
the
The members of the public for being here today. Um, I think
many of us might remember when we had the heat waves in the
90s, I remember,
Sleeping on a mattress with the windows open, trying to
survive that and that's having a roof over my head. And I
think
uh what we've seen is a number of us if we were left out in
in the Heat or in the cold for any longer than an hour, we
would lose our minds. You'd watch the anxiety take over.
Um, and so as we see what is, clearly, an increase in
homelessness across our city, we see folks in Parks
viaducts out in the streets, um, really taking into account
and and imagining what it's like not just for a couple
hours to be out there in that weather but days weeks months
not knowing um what kind of shelter, what kind of
protection there is um we see that growth. We know that the
city is doing some work to address uh you know uh extreme
conditions and have solutions for folks who need it. Um
there's also been a a focus uh related to creating more
more affordable housing as a way to address homelessness.
Uh I want to make sure we applaud our colleagues who work
on that, but there are people out there who can't afford
the affordable who need help. Now who are homeless people
largely black and brown.
On the streets of the city. Um so while we are doing the
work to to prevent homelessness to address uh issues uh
with chronic homelessness that we see in our city, there's
more that we need to do. So what we see is that Chicago
currently does not offer enough extreme weather resources
to unhoused Chicagoans uh, on our coldest and hottest
evenings on how Chicagoans have no, no shelter available to
them. Uh, City shelters are often at capacity and Chicago
does not operate any warming or cooling centers overnight.
um, as a result of the lack of resources on how Chicago and
see a high incidence of weather related injury, like
frostbite or amputation, and a high incidence of weather
related death, uh, these are wholly, preventable, if we set
up the right systems in place, um, fortunately there have
been Advocates out here who have been organizing around
improving Chicago's extreme weather resources for years and
we have many Visions for an improved extreme weather
response plan.
Uh, nearly all of them share and understanding that un has
Chicago. Winds need nighttime Refuge from extreme, heat and
cold.
Now solving these challenges is incredibly difficult. Uh we
we know there's funding that's needed, there's change in
policy that's needed. Um, the administration agrees that
our extreme weather plan should be more robust, but there
are real financial and Staffing limitations that need to be
overcome.
Um, however.
Uh, we have a unique opportunity to address this issue. I
want to thank, uh, Mayor Johnson and the administration,
uh, for the installment of Chief homelessness officer,
Sandy stow, and for the pivot, to the 1st of initiative. So
although we've had close to 2 years now. Oh, it feels like
a divisive, um, system, write 1 for migrants that have
gotten here and 1, that is in dire need of growth for the
homeless that have already been here. Um, by pivoting
towards the 1 System initiative. What we hope to do is have
1 System shelter for all who need it, um, and some of the
recommendations coming out of that initiative, include
keeping Chicago shelter, stocked at 11,000 beds. So, we've
seen prior to the migrant Mission, there were only 3,000
beds uh, at Max Capacity for everyone who was homeless
prior to the migrants coming in the large influx, uh, the
migrant Mission kind of
grow that number to about 15,000 beds. Uh, as we look at
our budget, we know that we have to figure out. What's the
sustainable capacity? Going forward by creating a 1 system
and having 11,000 beds. You have enough for folks who need
it, as we then figure out permanent housing. Um, as well as
Mental Health Resources substance use disorder help for
those who need it as well. Um, but also, what we believe is
that we need to create a centralized Landing zone for all
who need it. So people who are trying to identify where
they can go to find, um, either warmth or a a
Way away from extreme heat, uh, to have a landing Zone that
could potentially include Flex shelter for extreme
temperatures. Um, we hope the administration accepts and
implements these recommendations. Uh, the administration is
also communicated, their willingness, uh, worked uh, to
create a working group to explore expanding extreme weather
response resources. Uh, and I hope that our colleagues
here. Um, participate hold some accountability to make sure
that we get regular progress reports, understand how we're
improving. Um I think by doing so we can learn what policy
changes and legislative changes. We might be able to
implement here in the city of Chicago, as well as, uh,
being more clear on what asks and demands. We might have
our state and federal governments and providing the funding
and resources as well. Um, so we're going to now jump into
the presentation which aims to provide a broad picture of
the extreme weather resources and shelter resources
available or often unavailable to un how Chicago winds and
the consequence of some of the gaps in our policies. Uh we
have a number of presenters. Uh I don't want to steal any
Thunder. They'll
Go over a lot of the detail and a lot of the, um, results
of the current model and why we think it needs Improvement.
Uh, thank you very much for the opportunity to share this
with our colleagues, uh, chairman
Yeah. Thank you. Almond Vasquez, we'll start the slide
presentation.
The, our first speaker speaker is Dr. Lee Freedman from UIC.
Who is with us virtually?
How you doing everybody? Uh, good morning. My name is Lee
Freedman. I hope you guys can hear me. Uh, so I'm from the
University of Illinois, Chicago School of Public Health and
I'm 1 of the co-authors on the state report, the Illinois
state report on morbidity, mortality of people experiencing
homelessness that was done in collaboration with the
Illinois, Department of Public Health and the office to
prevent it and homelessness at the governor's office. Uh,
so I've been asked to talk just very broadly about kind of
the scope of the problem in terms of health effects, from
temperature related injuries. So temperature related
injuries includes both cold related as well as heat related
injuries, examples would be hypothermia on the cold related
side and then heat stroke heat rash uh heat fever Etc on
the uh heat related injury side. So we looked at data death
death, certificate data for 6 years and we identified a 100
deaths involving people experiencing homelessness. Uh, that
were specifically
Identified as a contributing cause was temperature related
causes, uh, of which 96 were cold related injuries.
However, in addition to the death certificate data, we also
had data on all, Ed, visits and Hospital admissions in the
state of Illinois.
And we identified almost 6,400 uh admissions hospital
visits over that 6 year, period of which 90% were cold
related. Now, we're in the city of Chicago. So of both
deaths and, uh, non-fatal hospital visits 66% of the deaths
and almost 50% of the hospital visits occurred within
Chicago. So Chicago really does bear a disproportionate
burden in terms of the scope of of temperature related
injuries Statewide. Um, and we consistently see that year
to year, that there's about 10 times more cold related
injuries than heat-related injuries, but I'm going to end
on a caveat to that, uh, finding that we see year after
year. Um, in addition, our research shows that there's
specific risk factors that dramatically increase the risk
of a of suffering, a temperature related injury, uh, in
particular substance, use disorder and within substance use
disorders, particularly alcohol use disorder alcohol.
Really affects the way the body can regulate its internal
temperature, as well as how we perceive temperature
particularly experienced cold. Um, in addition, as we get
older, we are more susceptible to temperature related
injuries as well as uh, individuals that have pre-existing
conditions, particularly circulatory and respiratory
diseases are at greater risk of these temperature rated
injuries. And what's very important among people
experiencing homelessness is that often we see these 3,
very primary risk factors. Kind of joined together. They're
often occurring all at once simultaneously in this
population because we have an older uh population that are
on house. Uh next slide
So, a lot of people also think, well, you have a temporary
temporary temperature related injury, it ends there. But
actually, what we see is that after an individual suffers a
temperature related injury, uh, they're also at greater
risk both during the course of hospitalization. And after
discharge from hospitalization of medical complications,
particularly infection, kidney disorders, and metabolic
disorders. And then in addition, among cold related
injuries, it's already been mentioned that a very common
cold related injury are frostbites uh people think
frostbites? No big deal. It's just a finger, a toe, what's
the big deal? But what we actually see is that 12% of frost
bites result in a surgical amputation and over half of
those surgical amputations involve part of the foot up to
the knee. And these are major amputations that are
Incredibly disabling and life-altering. Um, I want to just
end on 1 Note uh, is that it's well recognized within the
research that, uh, heat related injuries, uh, and heat
related adverse effects are severely undercounted because
the nature of the coding both within death certificates, as
well. As Hospital data doesn't do a good job capturing, um,
conditions that are exacerbated when that individual is
exposed to a particularly if it's a cardiovascular
condition or a respiratory condition. So the numbers are
severely undercounted. So even though we see that
disproportionate number between cold related and heat
related injuries, I don't want the conclusion to be that,
oh, all we need to do is really invest in heating centers
during the winter. Because in fact we also have an endemic
problem of heat related injuries and exacerbation of
adverse Health outcomes during the summer as well.
Thank you for inviting me. That's all I have to say today.
Thank you, Dr. Freedman. Next, we have Owen lure with uh,
Loyola Street medicine, to talk about his research on
frostbite.
Yes, good morning everyone. My name's Owen, I'm with Loyola
Street medicine and I'm also 1 of the directors at Chicago
Street medicine. Um, so our group with along with Dr.
Terrezza win at Loyola, studied people experiencing
unsheltered homelessness in Chicago and we wanted to figure
out, okay? How many people have gotten frostbite in their
lifetime? How many people
Have gotten amputations, um, because this is not been
studied in any population like this in the world. Um, we
don't know the Baseline numbers that people experience
especially in Chicago which is America's largest or
coldest. Um, large city, um so we found that injuries
highly prevalent. 29.5% of people have reported having
frostbite in the past and while that might be inflated due
to self-reporting, we found and this was verified on
physical exam. 2.1% of this population have had amputations
Um, and 7.1% of the people who got frostbite have had an
amputation. So, this injury is very severe at Baseline. Um,
and then interestingly to, we talked to these people and we
asked where do you stay when it's cold?
and we found only 14% of subjects access shelter that we
considered habitable on cold evenings. So that includes,
um, a warming shelter in apartment a hotel, a friend's
house or anything like that. The rest were all out on the
streets or special on the CTA. Um, and then this has been
peer-reviewed and uh, going in for publishment in March. So
next, slide.
So is frostbite injury? Even that bad DR? Leaf Freeman just
touched on that for a little bit but but what does it look
like? Is it just a cold finger, cold hand or what can it do
to someone next slide?
So,
In your packets. Um, to all the older people. You do have
an injury, a picture of an injury. I'll kind of go over
that now. So in your packets, you see, um, a man who came
into Loyola for frostbite to his toes was a to the internal
medicine service. And then um, was was uh, talked to you,
our, um, we have an inpatient Street medicine program to
help connect these folks to services on discharge. And you
can see how his injury involves from 1 Day to a couple days
later. So, he came into the hospital, he has a little bit
of swelling or on the tips of his toes. Maybe maybe a
blister there on his left, second toe. And then a couple
days later, you can see the significant necrosis happening
around the tip of his toes, on both, on both feet. And he
did have to have amputations due to this. This man was
also, 28 with no past medical history. He was sleeping
outside in January. So this is 1 of our more mild
Examples. Um, I I spared you from a very severe image of
frostbite, um, but now let's talk about like, how does
frostbite happen? What's the process? How does it happen
through? Um, Heating and Cooling? So imagine we're going
through time time is left to right temperatures top to
bottom. So we're going to start at the top left. Someone
goes out into the cold. Say this is a guy walking around
looking for a place to sleep. Um, s's body as his hand will
say, starts cooling. Down the blood vessels is in his hand
constrict and then eventually, he'll lose, um, nervous
sensation. So those those nerves in his hand will stop
firing. And as we cool down and freeze, we get ice Crystal
formation, our cells burst. And this causes microvascular
damage. So the blood vessels going to all the little nooks
and crannies in his hand are now burst apart and cannot
deliver blood. So that will cause tissue damage in
necrosis.
And now, let's say he comes to our housing Access Center.
On Kedzie comes inside starts to warm up as we as we rewarm
um blood and liquid starts to peruse while. Um,
inefficiently it does come back into his hand.
Excess oxygen will cause damage and then he'll get
inflammation. Additional Vaso constriction, which is the
blood vessels again, constricting, and he'll start getting
clots in his hand, right? And so you'll get clots which
leads to even less blood flowing into his hand blisters and
then more tissue damage in necrosis.
And then let's say he stays 20 minutes. He's told there's
no space in the shelters in Chicago, and since it's not a
warming shelter, he has to leave. They'll go through this
process again, if that hand freezes down and with each
time, through this cycle, you'll have more damage more risk
of amputation due to frostbite as well as high risk of
chronic pain in that hand due to nerve damage. So we can
move on to the next slide.
And so just in summary, I think an important point to leave
this on is refreezing, makes injury worse. So with each
time someone's hand that had been frozen freezes, they're
at increased risk of amputation and chronic pain.
Importantly, people who get frostbite need to get to an
emergency room within 24 hours, hopefully shorter. But
there's a time frame to get a clot busting drug called TPA,
and that helps reopen those clots in his hand, to get blood
to his fingers and that would help him not have to get in
the amputation down the line. And there are also, um,
Advanced Imaging techniques
That people can use that doctors can use in the Ed to
determine whether or not someone needs an amputation. Um
and we would rather someone get a medical amputation than
an auto amputation or toes just falling off in the field
which we did see in our study because that puts people at
risk for pretty severe infection.
And then, you know, just please review that picture in your
slides because of note injury evolves over days. Um if
someone comes in with a Frozen Finger, if it's frozen, it
will not be swollen and it might not be black, it could
look normal. Um, but that person in 3 days may have a
completely black finger, which should have gotten
treatment. So, it's hard to tell at initial presentation,
when someone walks into a shelter, whether or not they have
severe or very mild for frostbite. So, therefore, like
people with legitimate concern for frostbite, do deserve
immediate medical attention on an ambulance, to the
emergency department. Um, but even more importantly, in 2
the point of this uh hearing people who are at some risk
for having developed frostbite deserve sustained warmth, we
do not want them going back through that cycle over and
over and putting them at increased risk of amputation and
chronic pain. Thank you. All
Thank you, Owen. Our next presenters are Lynette Sims and
Dr. Howard Urban, both from people's response Network, Dr.
Man was also a former Chicago assistant Health commissioner
Hello. Okay. Um,
My name is leness Sims. Thank you for. Um, having us here
today. Um, The People's response network is a Grassroots
organization with a mission to rebuild our Public Health
infrastructure, um, next, slide, please.
So last year, the city of Chicago um launched a cool shot
2023 campaign, the cool shots 2023 campaign.
um,
Was an initiative. Um, due to the fact that the uh, Noah
mapping project, selected the city of Chicago, as 1 of the
23 cities to participate in heat mapping.
Uh, people's response Network. We wanted a community-based
organizations um that worked with the city. Uh,
The Chicago Department of Public Health and planning the
cool shot 2023 campaign.
Um on the day that we collected, the temperature results is
is termed activation day. And on that day, we collected 3
different uh
3 different measurements in the morning and afternoon and
in the evening.
And the afternoon had the most significant temperature, Gap
compared to the morning and the afternoon.
so there was a 22 degree Fahrenheit difference, but between
the hottest areas and the coolest areas in the city of
Chicago,
And I also want to make notes that um, the temperature.
I mean.
I also want to make note that the active afternoon
temperature data collection period was from 3:00 p.m.
Central Standard Time, the floor p.m. Central Standard
Time.
On July 28th of 2023, which was the third hottest day.
Of that year.
Um, how this area?
Is the hottest areas in the city of Chicago are
African-American and Latino areas?
On the Southwest west and south sides of Chicago. Those
communities, um,
Were mostly impacted by rail lining.
So, we see the legacy of rare lining um, due to the fact
that these Community areas, lack trees, lease Community
areas have the highest amount of vacant Lots, our closest
to uh, railroads are closest to expressways are closest to
Industry that generates excessive amount of heat which
leaves African-American and Latino communities. Bearing the
burden
Um, next. Slide please.
So in the 1995 Heatwave 739 people uh passed away in 4 days
and black Chicagoans were twice as likely to die.
Than white Chicagoans in 1995.
And if you and if you compare this, um, map that lists all
the 77 Community areas and the community areas that are
Um, in Black had the most deaths.
It's very similar to.
the cool shot 2023 results and also to the 1930s, uh,
home owners loan corporation Maps, uh, which started
redlining
Uh next. Slide please.
so, um,
we suggest that uh, the city of Chicago look towards
Phoenix Arizona, um, in regards to heat lessons and
Um, what?
Phoenix Arizona is doing to uh try to mitigate the heat
crisis that they are. They are experiencing
So, in the first line, uh, 645 heat related deaths, that
should actually say a Maricopa County.
And there were 400 deaths in Phoenix. Arizona, and half of
those deaths were of homeless people.
He was the second biggest killer of homeless people in
Phoenix Arizona.
And also, um, unhoused people, uh, experienced third degree
burns from the asphalt being so hot during um, the
excessive heat waves and Phoenix Arizona.
There's a good report called Streets of Fire that details
um,
The burns. And also, the number of people who had to go the
Intensive Care due to the burns that they experienced.
so, um,
Phoenix, Arizona has implemented several policy
recommendations.
Um to address the crisis and 1 of those policy
recommendations is called cool pavement. Pilot program
So this uh cool payment pilot program is sprays a
water-based asphalt treatment.
On the streets.
And that water-based asphalt treatment, it reflects the sun
rays, back into the atmosphere and set of absorbing it.
Which resulted in uh at least a 10.5 to 12 degree
Fahrenheit, lower average.
Uh, Street surface temperature versus traditional asphalt.
So people's response to network. We recommend that the city
of Chicago implements, a cool payment pilot program and
prioritize the hottest Community areas. First, thank you.
oh,
Can you hear me now? Yeah, thank you. Uh, good morning
everyone. Uh, really want to thank, uh, the committee
chair. Uh, and in particular, Alderman Vasquez for inviting
us into the space. Uh, it's been a while since I've
testified the city council. I was the assistant Health
commissioner appointed by mayor Harold Washington, uh, for
about 8 years.
uh, I think, first and foremost, we want to honor
Uh, the hundreds of people who have died in the last few
days, in 1 of the worst hurricanes ever recorded on Mother
Earth uh, hurricane Helen. Uh, there are hundreds of bodies
that are still not accounted for uh we expect the death
toll to definitely go over 500.
uh, people who are unhoused uh, during Hurricane Helen,
just like in every climate disaster. Are the ones by far at
highest risk. Uh, the first slide uh, comes from data, from
the throughout the United States, including the state of
California, Arizona, New York, Etc.
Uh, even though in the state of California, for example,
unhoused people only account for 0.1 to 0.2% of the
population, uh, 13% of all hospitalizations for heat, uh,
are among unhoused people half the heat deaths uh, in every
every state that has counted them is unhoused people. Um
and I think you've heard great testimony before me about,
other disease problems with cold. It's true with floods
tornadoes, whatever. We had a situation uh, 2 months ago
that has never happened uh in the history of Chicago. Uh
since white men took over the land um from the potawatami
in Miami and Ojibwe and that is 27. F0 or F1 tornadoes
touched down either inside the city limits or within 30
miles of downtown Chicago.
Uh, the city like every other city is completely unprepared
and unfunded.
Uh, underfunded to deal with this situation. Uh, next
slide, please.
1 of the first things that this committee can do, uh, is to
recommend, uh, by executive order that the mayor of the
city of Chicago, Brandon Johnson immediately changed the
policy at 10 South Kedzie today. The back to way it was
originally, which is that when people come in, after 5:00,
they are not forced to go into a shelter, they can sit
there. The second thing, the mayor can do today is
basically order oemc which is responsible for all these
policies primarily to stop kicking people out of any space.
That's a public space of the city of Chicago for falling
asleep.
Um everybody here who's gone out in heat gone out and cold
knows that it's a natural body reaction to fall asleep. If
you come into a heated or cooling space,
um, when do humans get in trouble with heater cold? We know
the answer to this. Uh, and finally, the government of the
United States, the federal government and this government,
uh, starting with Alder person, Maria Haden's 2022. Cooling
ordinance are recognizing the reality.
once the heat index which is the combination of temperature
and heat get to 80,
All of us. Even healthy people start losing the ability to
cool. Our bodies by sweat evaporating.
Once the temperature gets to 50 or less, at least
sometimes, this can happen in the 60s. Uh, basically people
get uh hypothermic
And a windchill of 32 is when frostbite begins uh not
negative 15 degrees Fahrenheit or stuff you may have read
in a newspaper.
I'm 77 years old. Um we lived in about 8 different
apartments until I was 14.
and in 1986 with the support of Mayor Washington, we
created the first heat ordinance in the city of Chicago,
meaning that on the South Side in working-class
neighborhoods of color in white neighborhoods. There was no
heat at night during the winter, unless the landlord lived
in your building, that was the tradition that we changed in
1986. So, the city can do this, we now have the support of
the federal government on July 2nd President, Biden
announced
um,
that basically, for the first time, after trying to get
done for 20 years, the federal government under OSHA and
the CDC have now, proposed a heat rule, for workers that
starts at a heat index of 80. This is incredibly
significant. Uh, the details of um, are here in terms of
what has to happen, but it's quite specific about
Cooling about providing water education, Etc.
Uh, next, we have the 2023 proposed, Chicago heat illness
outdoor workers protection.
Uh, that was sponsored originally um, by Alder person um
Haden and my actual Alderman, Mike Rodriguez, uh, this is
another significant step forward that again, uh, starts
actions beginning at 75 to 80 degrees outdoor temperatures.
The 2022 cooling ordinance. We already talked about.
Um, and we want to thank um, Alder person Haden for
basically listening to ourselves and a lot of other people
and changing the actual trigger point, from 90 to 80, uh,
heat index, very, very important.
Uh, next slide is it in the last week. It was announced by
the city of Chicago.
Uh, that police are going to be taken off of Mental Health.
Emergency Response programs. Exactly the same thing has to
happen now with emergency response to weather.
um, what's happened since we decimated, the Chicago
Department of Public, Health and Department of what we used
to call Human Services,
Together which have lost 3,000 workers in the last 30
years. We used to have 2,000 workers in the Department of
Health. Now, we have about 700, uh, Dr. E, thankfully is
increasing that slightly. What has to happen is police have
to be replaced by workers from the city of Chicago who are
community health workers, who are out
Reach workers from the Department of whatever it's called.
Now family and Human Services. Uh, we don't want police
knocking on people's doors. We don't want them showing up
with the gun in their host holster for somebody who's got a
weather related emergency.
Next are the actions. The city has taken in the past and
can take in the future in 2006. There was a major blackout
on the south side that affected over 100,000 people.
Uh, in the city responded, by sending out dozens of CTA air
conditioned buses that people could just get on that has to
start happening. Now with the temperature heat index co
cold temperature uh figures that we gave uh that has to
happen. This fall this winter. It's a no questions asked
policy. You don't ask people when they get on the bus or do
you want to sign up for a shelter? That's not the reality
of unhoused people, if they want to sign up for the
shelter, they should be given that choice, but they just
get on the bus. They get a blanket, they get something to
eat, they get some warm stuff or cool stuff, depending on
the situation.
The other things that has to do that other speakers have
mentioned is that we have to open up cooling centers and
probably the most relatively friendly place are the 81
libraries to be 24/7, cooling warming centers. Uh, we now
up to I think about a dozen libraries, maybe a little less
that now have social workers hired by the city. Um, this
has to be expanded, uh, but the libraries are probably the
most logical place that people could walk to and get to uh,
if they can't and they don't want to get on a bus.
uh we need to have people go out before this happens uh
from the city of Chicago and from the nonprofit partners
that are sitting here and testifying to do simple things
for people to prepare for extreme weather to encampments or
whatever, there are 2 dollars NASA blankets that can keep
people safe to a certain point from freezing to death. Uh,
and there's lots of other things like this, that could be
done by the city. Uh, the city recently began to give out
backpacks, uh, through the Department of Health. Uh, we
gave out a thousand backpacks, to the summer, uh, for
emergency, uh, response. I think that's a great start, but
we need a lot more. And there should go. First and foremost
to unhoused people.
Uh Geographic priorities. Uh everybody here knows where the
encampments are. So that's where you go first and then you
go to the neighborhoods, they have the least amount of air
conditioning, we know that from the US Census Data. The
long census actually asked that question. And we all know
now that even though people may have more air conditioners
and they did 95 far, more people are not flipping the
switch to turn them on because the electricity rate has
tripled in terms of the cost.
Um,
and we have to inform the new state law that came online
this year, that there can be no utility shutoffs during
periods of extreme heat and cold.
A lot of actual older people didn't know about this law
until we brought it to their attention. Uh, it was passed
last year in the state legislature. It's got to be
implemented and enforced. Uh, lastly, we want to talk about
the problem with Statistics that you're hearing today. Uh,
and in the past,
the only statistic that really matters in terms of, in
addition to what we've heard today.
Is the statistic that Dr. Steve Whitman. The chief
epidemiologist of the city almost got fired for by mayor.
Uh, Richard M Daly, and that is 739. People died in 4 days.
You cannot do this by death certificates.
Physicians are not going to put on the death certificate.
99% of the time that this person died of heat or cold, or
tornado of flooding, what they're going to put in the same
thing has happened under coid where they're going to put.
Is this person had diabetes. This person had heart failure,
that person had hypertension. So going by death
certificates, is a little bit helpful, but you have to
calculate excess deaths. It's real simple. You go back
about 10 or 15 years, like Dr. Wittmann showed in the movie
cooked, which if you haven't seen, it's it's super
important to watch. We're happy to show it here. Um, and
you calculate how many people died today on October 1st
compared to the last 15 years? You adjusted for population,
although the population city hasn't changed much and it
gives you excess deaths. That's it. So we're calling on
funding for, cdph to be able to do this in real time. Uh,
with excess hospital visits excess hospitalization excess
deaths. Lastly. And I'll finish here. Where's the money
going to come from? We all know.
Know where the money should come from. You got to pass the
and re-implement the head tax. That's at least 100 million
bucks. You got to pass the financial transaction tax that's
several billion dollars.
And you got to move Police Department positions for First
Responders into the health and human services department.
Thank you very much.
Dr. Man. And thank you. Lynette Sim.
Next is Isabella Mancini who is going to talk about um,
Harold Washington, Library serving as a 247 warming Center
last winter.
Hello.
Oh good, it's gonna be hard to follow you, Dr. Man. I am
Isabella Mancini. I use, she her pronouns. I am currently a
programmer at Healthcare alternative systems. I'm a
licensed clinical social worker, and I am also a part of
charge. I am also from Chicago, I was raised in Belmont
Cragin and I have been working in homeless services and
providing services to people living with severe mental
illness for about 11 years in Chicago. Um, so I'm going to
talk a little bit today, just about um providing homeless
Services, specifically Outreach Services um an extreme
weather. So last year as part of charge we conducted a
survey, we utilized 5 different street Outreach teams, um,
of unhoused, Chicago wins. We did it in Fall asking
questions about um, on how Chicagoans experience, um, in
extreme heat and extreme cold,
Um, and we utilize, direct service workers to do it because
these are the people who have relationships with folks
sleeping. Outside in the survey conducted? I'm sorry in the
survey conducted 45% of individuals surveyed indicated,
they state in place during extreme cold so that they would
rather stay where they are sleeping than utilize. The
options that are currently available to them by our system
and during extreme heat 56% of individuals, stay in place.
And in place for those folks mean CTA, it means
encampments. It means under viaducts. It means bus stations
all the things that you all already know. We also asked
people what would they need to see? That is different than
we currently offer in our Shelter Systems, in order for
them to seek shelter. We got a lot of different answers. We
were able to group them and do like a couple main
categories and those things. Almost every participant that
we asked said.
Better services on site. So higher quality of care increased
bed, availability, a lot of folks said they don't even
bother because they know that going to 10 South kedzi to
them or calling is a waste of their time cleanliness and
quality, right of the actual facility folks would rather
sleep outside than go to some of the beds that we are
offering them.
Privacy. So a lot of folks, especially folks, who are
experiencing unsheltered homelessness either because of
trauma, or because of history of incarceration, do not feel
safe in congregate settings. Household remaining together,
a lot of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness. They
have chosen family, or they have a non-traditional family
structure, and those family structures are not accepted in
almost any of our shelters in Chicago. And the last 1 was
lower barrier, shelter or shelters with less strict rules.
We're seeing people who
maybe can't like accommodate a a curfew or can accommodate
not being able to bring their pocket knife inside or can't
accommodate things like traditional shelter rules and so
what they're doing is feeling forced to stay outside and we
know that staying outside when it's negative -20 or when
it's 105° is life-threatening next. Slide, please.
Um, last winter, the city initiated opening Harold
Library for emergency shelter during extreme cold. This was
a great response I was working Outreach. I was supporting
my team last winter. It opened really last minute. We we
found out about it like, the day or the day before it was
opening. So we scrambled, we got a ton of people in anyone
who was working, Outreach managing Outreach, can attest to
that. All of us were like, kicking butt trying to get
people in, but it worked and it worked because it was low
barrier. You could come in, at any time of day or night,
you could leave at any time of day or night, clients could
self-refer. You didn't have to be referred by an Outreach
worker, or by 3111, or by dfss. Or by the city, you can
walk yourself in walk yourself out, right? It worked.
Because if you had something in your bag, to keep you safe
and it wasn't allowed, they wouldn't confiscate it. They
would just put it in a cup behind the front desk and let
you leave.
Leave with it on your way out, right? So we had this
temporary setup, that allowed people to come inside so that
they wouldn't die outside and then leave when they needed
to and go back to their belongings. If they so needed to
during the day or when the weather, let up, was it perfect.
No, but did it keep hundreds of people alive? I would say
absolutely.
things that we need moving forward better planning around
doing that every winter and every summer we need to know
further than 2 days in advance if we're going to have
facilities operating like that and we need to make sure
that they have ample Staffing to provide services for the
people inside. We also need all of our Outreach programs,
whether they're dfss delegates or not to have direct
Pathways to shelter for their participants in all extreme
weather emergency. That means that when it's -20 outside,
we shouldn't have to call 311 to place. Our clients, we
should be able to take our clients to any shelter with an
open bed, whether it's shelters that are flexing up,
whether it's temporary facilities and get them a bed.
Ideally clients can do it themselves if that's not the
solution then at the very least, every provider needs to be
able to do it rather than bottlenecking through the 311
service.
In addition to that, over the years, we've seen Hotel
solutions for some Winters. I have experienced that a few
years ago with the hotel at 7, 73rd in Cicero. We saw it
last winter with the Treemont non-congregate options, offer
offer a life-saving opportunity for people who are often
unsafe in shelters or turned away from traditional shelters
because of severe mental illness because of substance use
or other triggers and traumas. We see people who are
formerly incarcerated have SMI or
Experience sud. Cannot survive in conventional shelter. So
providing non- congregate options.
If not always, at least for extreme weather.
Is allowing people to survive.
Our general consensus here based on the based on the survey
we did with charge and based on our experience, providing
services to people living unsheltered, is that people want
Services. There's help seeking Behavior happening, and
they're doing more than we could possibly imagine to
survive and look for resources. They're just looking for
resources that maintain dignity and autonomy. Thank you.
My name is Isabella Mancini.
Thank you, Isabella Mancini. Next, we have Erica Jackson
uh, from from charge who's going to talk about her lived
experience.
In the winter of 2023, I'd moved from a shelter downtown. Uh
Uh, due to falling on hard times, I was newly hired from my
employer so I had no uniforms for my job. The I was were
clear and I'd have to occasionally work late. So I
communicated with the shelter staff. As soon as I found out
shelter staff explained that they were communicate with the
second shift that I would be put that I would uh, come in
late to my surprise upon entering the shelter at the
standard curfew. I was interrogated by the security guards.
Asking why I was coming in late, I'm coming from work. I
replied, I told the staff that I was coming in late
tonight. Instead of going to get a staff member to confirm
this, the security proceeded to tell me that I was not on
the list for coming in late and I had to leave the building
frightened by the guards, I still stood my ground asking if
they can go and get a staff member to allow me to speak
with them. The guards uh just stared.
At me and continue to ask questions 1 in about the reason
why I didn't have a uniform. While another asked, was there
a small gift or something in the bad that I had with me?
Although I have rights, I felt in the moment that I needed
to answer the slew of questions being thrown at me
I told the guards that it was a birthday gift from my job, 1
sneaker under his breath. While the other proceeded to go
and get a staff member as I stood at, what felt like an
eternity in a damn hallway with the guards, piercing eyes
staring. I felt like I had been treated like a criminal for
following the directions necessary to avoid this happening
after the staff approached. She immediately recognized who
I was and allowed me entry in this moment. I was frightened
and seeking the shelter. I had been promised previously
upon walking to the elevator. I was still being verbally,
uh, degraded by the security telling me that I needed to
make sure that I had my life together. Instead of being met
warmly, I was treated as if I had been a lying criminal for
simply trying to enter the space. I recognized as home for
the time being in closing having these high barriers
shelters during inclement weather directly impacted, not
only my late arrival to uh
Later than usual arrival. But it also could have been the
place where I would have had to sleep for the night outside
without any extra protection or precautions. I could have
easily been a victim to a more violent crime while simply
trying to get a nice rest before. Returning to work, the
next day, might not direct my experience in correlation
with the charge Flex. Uh, research findings which indicated
that most unhoused tend to stay in place during extreme
heat or cold.
Do support shelter conditions, including the low quality of
care and shelter concerns with inflexibility for policies.
My security guard experience was consistent with the facts
stated in the reader article. Lukewarm welcome with the
security guards. Not offering the proper assistance. When
needed, there were several instances throughout my stay,
where fellow residents were being threatened and harassed
with no further support from the security guards, from my
point of view, we can truly benefit from implementing the
charge, Flex initiative, to have more relaxed barriers
further. Encouraging people to seek shelter during both
extreme heat and cold temperatures. If I never insisted the
guards, go and get a staff member, I could have easily been
another story about a homeless person, found dead due to
extreme weather conditions. Thank you for allowing me to
share.
Thank you, Erica for sharing.
Um, we're going to go a bit out of order here. We have uh
Dr. Trent Ford, who is the Illinois State climatologist on,
who has to leave a bit early. Um, so I'm going to flip
ahead a few slides and uh, Dr. Ford, I will pass it over to
you.
Dr. Ford are you, are you there?
Dr. Ford, you're talking about you're on mute.
Dr. Ford we are unable to hear you. Um,
Maybe you could leave the zoom room and then rejoin.
And in the meantime, we can
Forward with 1 other presenter and then try to go back to
you.
Yeah.
All right, up. Next we do
a member of Chicago Coalition for the homeless.
Good morning everyone. I am maxica Williams. I'm a graduate
leader, and the current board president for the Chicago
coalition to end homelessness. I am also, um, a Grassroots
leader with the Chicago Coalition in homelessness and part
of the lived experience commission for all Chicago. Um,
in 200 from 2015 to 2016, my children and I were homeless
experiencing housing, insecurities we um had to go through
a lot and there were a bunch of issues and barriers where
we were homeless. 1 of them was we didn't know about the
different. Um whether streams um, we went through 3 seasons
of extreme, um, whether such as um,
winter the cold weathers, we went through spring, um
excessive rain cold weather and also the summer um heat of
of 2016 which had very high temperatures, um, and heat
indexes. Um, we, I was homeless because I had a stage 3
cancer diagnosis, that rendered me disabled due to the
treatment,
um, I had 3, young children ages 8, 6 and 5. We went to 2
different shelters. Our starting point was 10 South kizzy.
It's what I know. Now is a warming Center and holding sight
for homeless individuals, to be placed in the shelter, my
personal experiences, um, are that I my issues that I had
no 1 to speak to before today. Um, and being brought on to
this specific project about extreme weather is that there
were barriers in accessing resources, um, to help during
these extreme weather, um, issues. When we were homeless,
there were rules and regulations within the homeless, um,
system where we had to leave the shelter every day between
6:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., which is
Summit when the weather is the worst. And what I Define was,
uh, were designed was different mechanisms for my children
and I to survive. And we also received blessings um, during
during that rain period from, um, a owner of a local
Subway. He would see us on 1 OCC when he had to come in and
get his stocks early because they were preparing for the,
um, the delivery person, the reins and everything that day.
Um, he came in at about 5 saws outside. And we were in his,
um, store doorway. He let us in. He got his deliveries of
his Breads and different things, um, to make the food for
his, um, company that day. And after that, he would come in
every day. Um, not because he had to, and then he started
opening up about 6:37 just to accommodate me and my
children, which he later Told Me 2 or 3 months down the
line, I just thought it was just something he was doing for
business purposes. Um, but because of that kindness, we had
a place to stay in while it was raining. And when and also,
During the winter um time as well, and we didn't have to
stay outside and wait for that first bus to start running
so that I could get my children to from the north side. Um,
Shelter to the South Side to their school. Um, and it was
also during, um, the winter that we would have to ride the
buses to stay warm when we didn't have anywhere to go.
Sometimes we went to the libraries as well.
um, I feel that next slide because when I was in the
shelter, I had low income and very little money for myself
and my 3 children and the cancer diagnosis, and losing my 2
jobs. Um, it was a lack of knowledge about the weather. I
did not have a working phone and sometimes if you didn't
have the phone under Wi-Fi and I had to find out about
different places restaurants libraries, that would
accommodate and let you use their Wi-Fi and that was an
issue for me, when, uh, my children and I were homeless,
um, not having a place to be during these weather times.
And we my children and I frequent the hospital a lot. I had
2 children with asthma, it was controlled before we went to
the shelters were doing then in the shelters we experienced
um my children having to be hospitalized 2 of them. Um, and
go to the emergency room 16 times throughout us being
homeless and um, they also had upper respiratory
infections. I was also diagnosed twice with walking
pneumonia.
And my thoughts on the changes to the emergency weather
response system in addition to what's already here. Because
we have to understand that you have to meet a person where
they are. Every person does not have access to a working
phone. Every person does not is not computer literate.
Every person, um, does not use house, landline phones.
Every person because technology has changed, does not have
access to public broadcast of of extreme emergency. Whether
I feel that there should be availability of multiple
languages of the broadcast via radio news Flyers social
media um and also posting the local businesses DHS offices,
libraries anywhere that any person could go to know about
emergency response uh during extreme emergency weather.
I feel that bus stops are critical and have a critical
information when people are standing there, they read the
Billboards and different things on it, and that's another
way to advertise, um, for the extreme weather Universe
extreme weather hotline with resources, for people to call
text, or see online to access and communities with share
spaces, like libraries police station, emergency rooms CTA
buses and trains cell phone alerts email blast. Alerts text
numbers. Designated to sharing alerts on severe weather
cooling centers and locations.
app development for City resources for extreme weather that
can be accessed by anyone with any level of communication
or technology ability, help getting a housing insecure.
register for any apps text lines. Help accessing 311 for
cooling centers, shuttle buses that are free to cooling
centers. Perhaps some type of contract with CTA to allow
homeless, or housing is geared individuals of people just
in general to ride the buses on days of extreme weather. Um
for free without being hassled or kicked off of the bus
more access to Chicago residents, where they can get help
with finding cooling centers resources during extreme
weather and getting transportation to help these to these
centers, more connections to free pop-up or schedule
events, to let the public know of the resources that the
city of Chicago has during extreme weather. A place for
housing and security to place their belongings in a locked
bin or locked and secured area, so they can safely leave
their current housing and security such as being um,
Street Homeless or riding the buses, they can put their
bags down and be willing to go to these places instead of
not having somewhere to go.
Um and also those individuals living in doubled up so they
have another place to go when they don't have um the
ability to stay in the home that they're currently sharing
with the relative while they're down and out, more cooling
center locations, um, throughout the city of Chicago and
utilizing the vacant buildings schools, um, and cites the
city has available in central locations that can be
Procured and created into the city of Chicago extreme
weather, hubs Resource Centers. Ideally this should be 212
or 3 level buildings and areas that divided the building up
into phases where there's emergency, weather, help resource
sharing and ability to let the individual stay to get cool
to stay warm and to stay dry. Um, the money in the city
budget, for these updated extreme weather response systems.
It can be anywhere from 5 million to 10 million, or even
more. If you create the excess housing,
and the reason that I feel is the city of Chicago's next
slide responsibility to update these policies is because
even today after surviving and going through the pandemic,
um,
homelessness or housing and security is for Angels
individuals. Do not receive the adequate. No, no
notifications or information on severe weather. Um, so that
we can have the opportunity to plan, get help or resources
and effort to survive extreme weather, um, to to live and
survive, and not die, and not have this whereby, we're
going back and forth and to shelters, or emergency rooms
because of illnesses due to extreme weather.
Um the city of Chicago is a world-class City, there should
be many ways to get this information to the homeless or any
Resident of the city of Chicago before during and after
Extreme weather, that must be information. Readily
available to this critical population. They are the most
vulnerable, enduring, any housing insecurities and without
the information of warning steps to prepare steps to endure
and resources to overcome after effects of severe and
extreme weather. The housing insecure or homeless are left
being victims of death or fatalities chronic illness, being
triggered, being hospitalized losing body parts through
amputation left to make their own way in this extreme
crisis, the left, vulnerable, and susceptible to illness
trauma and unsheltered during the extreme weather events. I
know that you all have the 311 system, but a lot of other
individuals throughout the city, do not know of it. So we
need to get this out and publicly so more people know, they
know what to do and that there is a place and
The city is providing this um service or place and is open
to them. And I like to thank you all for your time.
Thank you, Mexico. Next we have Chewie uh campusano from uh
who also who is going to talk about his lived experience um
to be also organizes with access living's, disability
rights, Action Coalition for housing.
Jews with us, virtually.
Good morning. Good morning, everyone. And thank you for
giving me the time. Um,
just want to share a little bit about my experiences about
being homeless, uh,
Many years, it's been years.
but um,
I have experienced homeless in the past.
um,
and leaving on buses trains is unacceptable.
As a person with a disability.
And who works with people with disabilities.
I know what it. I know how people uh face what people with
disabilities face on a daily basis.
We talk most of the, my, uh, my most of my, uh, the people
who are there. Um, my my colleagues spoke, uh, Ed, Ed Ed
me, well, that we need more places.
uh,
For the extreme heat. And for this cold weather,
but we also need accessible spaces.
Accessible spaces.
Meaning.
Uh, they have a combinations for people in wheelchairs.
And all types of accessibilities.
Now, I know that costs money. Um, but I'm not here to talk
to you, just about accessibility, I'm here to talk to you
about.
how people, uh, with disabilities, um,
can uh,
Also suffer with this extreme heat.
For example, myself.
I have epilepsy.
Epilepsy.
A person with with who has epilepsy cannot be and that he
and the long for a long time.
they have to be in a place where it's cool enough where,
uh, there is
um, AC
Um, also here I have people who have asthma cannot B or C O
P. D cannot be in the heat such a long time.
um,
people who have kidney disease, people who have mental
illness.
um and the list goes on and on that I have here on my phone
but
I think my colleagues have made a point. We need accessible
spaces for not just the winter time, not just the winter
time, but for the summer time, as well as people are dying.
and,
I,
Just want to say thank you for giving me this time. Um, and
Ellie, I'll turn it back to you.
Thank you so much chewy.
Uh, we are going to try to kick it to Dr. Ford again, Dr.
Ford is your microphone working. Now. How about now?
Yes, we can hear you, wonderful. Okay. Technology is
awesome. Yes, thank you. My apologies for that and uh
thanks for the council for giving me the opportunity to
speak on this important topic. Um, so what I want to talk
about is climate change, so a lot of the the Salient points
that speakers um before me have made um kind of run in
parallel with our changing climate. So unfortunately, um,
what we've, uh experienced across the Chicago land area
over the last hundred years or so, is increase in the
frequency and intensity of extreme heat uh and therefore
heat exposure to those who are most vulnerable.
Ball including including those who are experiencing housing
insecurity. Um unfortunately the the majority of that
warming has has not come equally throughout the day, but is
actually in the nighttime warming. So our, our our Knights
our summer nights in Chicago are warming at about 5 times
the rate of our daytime temperatures. Uh, so therefore as
we project this trend out into the future, it's likely that
um, in the next uh, 5 to 25 years, we'll see, continue to
see an increase nighttime, heat burden for Chicagoans who
are on the street. And so this really puts into
perspective, the, the current use of, of primarily,
primarily the use of of cooling centers that aren't open
for for 24 hours. Uh, so as we continue to see that extreme
heat during the nighttime, which as uh many of the speakers
speakers before me have mentioned is a more strongly tied
to uh, adverse Health impacts. Um, that means that without
having those cooling spaces open in the night time.
We're going to very likely see an increase exposure to that
extreme heat risk. Um, I can't see the slides as they are
right now. Um, I don't think sharing here but, um, the um,
um, the other point I wanted to make is that, um, we're
also seeing an increase in the, the frequency of other
types of Hazards as well, that can compound with, uh,
things like extreme heat. So I think 1 of the speakers
mentioned, power, outages, uh, that can even those who do
have, uh,
Safe housing are are at increased exposure to extreme heat
filing power outages. So, um, you know, the kind of overall
message here when it comes to changing climate, is that,
um, with, with the same kind of Paradigm that we've been,
uh, putting in place across all cities across the US. And,
and in this case, Chicago, um, and increased exposure to
extreme heat. Likely means it, uh, more adverse Health
impacts to Residents without, uh, changes in current
policies. So, thank you very much again and my, apologies
again for technology
Thank you so much, Dr. Ford. And then, our very last
presenter is Cheryl Hammond, Hamilton Hamilton Hill, uh,
CEO of Lincoln Park Community Services and also a member of
charge.
Are you able to hear me? Okay, yeah, all right. Well, I
have been in the city of Chicago for The Last 5 Years. Uh,
I came in from Washington DC. I worked on the hill there.
Uh, I'm an MBA. And I only say that because we solve
problems, uh, that's what we do in the business community.
And so, I came here to start up a Youth Shelter. You've
probably heard of Covenant House by now, and uh, then
shifted over to Lincoln Park Community Services. So I'll
tell you what we've been doing.
When the city called they were looking for 2 beds.
2 beds from each shelter uh during the inclement weather
phase. And so as I thought about it, I thought well you
know we don't have any additional shelter bed space but
what we can do is flex up some of the space that we
currently have.
So it didn't take a long time.
It took 2 days and it only took 2 days because
it took 2 days for supplies to come in from Amazon. This is
something that we were able to transition.
Almost overnight with some flexible space. We took an
existing dining room that was already in place. We already
operated 24 hours a day 7 days a week. And so we put out
cats, we put out dividers. We made sure that there was food
available for individuals when they came in.
We allowed individuals to take showers, they got up in the
morning, we provided breakfast and we provided a sack
lunch.
So, while it's only a 9-hour period of time, we were able
to get individuals off of the streets.
Throughout the night and throughout the day in that
inclement weather setting.
So what is it that you need flexible space. You need the
supplies and resources in order to make the space uh
available to individuals who need it. But more importantly,
you need the will
And often times, that is what we see uh is lacking, the
will to solve this issue and problem. Uh, that seems to be
growing. When I first came to Lincoln Park, uh, the shelter
was serving 400 individuals, it's just 3 years ago.
At the end of June that number had ballooned to 4,200.
And that is because we did uh, increase some of the
programming. We are on the streets as well. We go to where
the people are that are experiencing homelessness during
any time. Uh, I'm on the streets as well. I'm not anyone
who a person who works from home. I am with the people and
in the shelter making sure that, um, we are providing the
access that's needed.
So 1 of the things that um, you know, should not be a
revelation, I mean, not being a native, I did know that
winter does happen every year in Chicago. Summer also
happens every year in Chicago, so we don't have to wait in
order to begin addressing these challenges.
I would suggest finding the flexible space right now.
We can talk about what's going on for next summer, right
now.
We've got to make sure that we are solidifying. Our extreme
weather Partners. Right now, we should not be reaching out
in December asking people if they have space available. Um,
there are places where
We there may not be able to get the number of beds in that
we were able to get in, uh, in this Flex space. But even if
people have 12 beds, if you take that and, you know, you
got a 100 places that are able to do that, um, you're
taking quite a few people off of the streets.
And you want to make sure that the service providers have
the resources that are needed. Um, we're fortunate that we
have a lot of volunteer support in the community, where
people come in, to provide assistance with food, to help
with showers. Um, and, and some next slide, please, and
some of the other things that, uh, we need in the shelter
but we,
We are able to transition our space and flex during those
times that are needed for the inclement weather period. And
that is not just December through March, it gets cold.
In earlier months and it it starts to get hot in earlier
months as well.
so uh, if there are opportunities to talk more about this
or, uh, talk about how we are able to engage with other
willing Partners in the community, we are certainly willing
and able to do that. And I have to, uh, End by thanking,
Alderman's who are my older persons um who support our
shelters, in the work that we are doing, that's what it
takes. Um, you know, I don't have anyone in my family who
has experienced homelessness ever, but that doesn't mean
that I cannot be passionate about this work and that's why
I encourage other people to get involved. You don't have to
have lived experience in order to make sure that you are
taking care of the people who need our services. The most.
Thank you very much.
That concludes the community presentation. Uh, Alderman
Vasquez does have some concluding remarks but will
entertain any questions from committee members if there are
any, uh, and please add Alderman Gardner to the Quorum roll
call.
And spousal. Oh, we got you. Nick, you're on a roll, 59.
Uh, thank you, uh, to our speakers. This was an excellent
presentation, a very detailed and it is a call to action,
uh, which is the next step for this, uh, issue. Uh, we will
have a vote, uh, on a due pass motion to adopt the, uh,
whereas Clause of this, uh, resolution, which does call in
the city, council to take further action. So Alderman
Vasquez, uh, concluding remarks, and then you will make the
dough best motion. Uh, yes. Thank you so much chairman.
Thank you for everyone for being here, for all of the
presenters. Um, we wanted to make sure that people
understood really the scale of what we're talking about,
the level of detail involved and how much can be done in
the current moment as we talk about larger changes. So um
it's not lost on a number of us that we're heading into a
budget season with a
and is an understatement to call the substantial Gap. Um so
so I think looking at even some of the policy changes in
immediate would be important. Uh also wanted to thank uh
state representative Lindsay the point for her leadership
at the state level. Uh she's been really drafting some
recommendations as well, and I think there's an opportunity
here to partner with the state um that will necessitate us.
working together as a group and so want to make sure that
just as we heard, your voice is today, that the voices of
presenters are included in the solution. Um, often we've
seen in government where
Even even if the department is cast strapped, or they're
overwhelmed with things they're going on, uh, they find
ways to come to Solutions without the voices of those that
are working on the ground. We want to make sure that that
um is
A difference that moves forward and I think the
administration is in agreement with that. So we look
forward to partnering and identifying what the working
group will look like um with the chief homelessness
officer. And so I do ask ask our colleagues here uh to be
in support of this resolution. Um so we can continue the
work and make sure that we're better prepared for this
winter and so we see less death. Uh this work here will
save lives, it does save lives and we need to continue to
do it. Uh thank you very much, chairman with that. I move
for a due Passage.
So do pass motion on resolution R 2410357 hearing no
objection, it will be reported out of committee uh, with
the attendance roll call and a copy of same, will be
transmitted to representative leap points office to let the
general assembly know of the legislative intent to this
body. Having no further business to come before the body.
Alderman can do some makes a motion to adjournment without
objection. Thank you very much for ladies and gentlemen,