Advocates, Homeless Say Tent City Erected To Draw Attention To Harassment By City
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A small tent city has been erected in the Uptown neighborhood on Chicago's North Side where advocates for the homeless and the homeless, themselves, are trying to call attention to their treatment by the city, reports WBBM's Mike Krauser.
Mitch says he's been on the streets for five years. He was one of many complaining about harassment at the tent city at Wilson Avenue and Lake Shore Drive.
"It's the police and the Park District working together," Mitch said. "They come through here with cruisers, with dump trucks, garbage trucks, loud speakers, spotlights. They wait until everybody's asleep at two or three in the morning."
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Carol Boyd is with a charity called Humble Hearts. She was homeless once, herself, and says she's harassed, too.
"I understand homeless people are eyesores," Boyd said. "They're taking a lot of these high rise buildings, turning them into luxury homes. People who used to be able to afford can't afford. It's creating more homeless."
Ryne Poelker lives nearby and is an activist.
"This is a citywide crisis," Poelker said. "People are losing places to live. Homelessness is going up and people are being told to go somewhere else and their question is where?"
People here say the harassment has gotten a lot worse this summer.
These people put a lot of blame on the pro-development Alderman James Cappleman, saying he's behind the harassment. Cappleman did not return our calls or emails.
