>> HOMELESSNESS HAS RISEN TO RECORD LEVELS UNITED STATES, AS WE'VE MENTIONED, THAT INCLUDES CHICAGO AND ACROSS ILLINOIS.

AND WHILE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ESTIMATES ROUGHLY 12,000 PEOPLE IN ILLINOIS EXPERIENCE HOMELESSNESS ON AN AVERAGE NIGHT LAST YEAR, HOMELESS ADVOCATES SAY THE NUMBERS ARE MUCH GREATER.

THIS AS CHICAGO VOTERS PREPARE TO DECIDE WHETHER TO INCREASE TAXES ON SALES OF HIGH-END HOMES AND COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES TO HELP FUND HOMELESS PREVENTION HAS HEATHER JUST REPORTED AND JOINING US WITH THEIR THOUGHTS ON WHAT WORKS AND WHAT DOESN'T IN REDUCING HOMELESSNESS ARE CAROL SHARP PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE NIGHT MINISTRY AND DOUG FRASER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE CHICAGO HELP INITIATIVE, BOTH ARE NONPROFITS SERVING THE HOMELESS.

WE THANK YOU BOTH FOR BEING HERE.

SO WE SHOULD GET THIS SORT OF DISCREPANCY AGAINST CHICAGO COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS.

PUTS THE NUMBER AT 68,000.

AS WE'VE MENTIONED, WHY?

WHY DOES THAT THE CENSUS?

BUT THE NUMBERS SO MUCH LOWER.

WELL, YOU KNOW, IT'S A IT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

I MEAN, I THINK WE KNOW THAT INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE BEING IMPACTED BY HOMELESSNESS.

>> DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECT PEOPLE OF COLOR.

WE KNOW THAT IT'S OFTEN TIMES DIFFICULT FOR US TO TO REALLY GET ACCURATE SENSE IS GIVEN THAT THIS UNSTABLE SITUATION.

AND SO WE RELY ON ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE COALITION TO REALLY SUPPORT US AND GETTING THOSE ACCURATE CERTAINLY HAVE INTERVIEWED A LOT OF FOLKS SAY IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS, LOTS OF COUCH SURFING OR FOLKS STAYING AT THEIR FRIENDS ARE AT THEIR RELATIVES AND >> AND THAT SORT OF IS FACTORED INTO THE CHICAGO COALITION THAT DOUG FRASER, WE'RE HEARING NOW, MORE OF A KIND OF HOUSING FIRST APPROACH, PUTTING MORE FOLKS INTO SUBSIDIZED HOUSING, WHETHER OR NOT THEY HAVE MENTAL HEALTH OR SUBSTANCE ISSUES.

IS THAT THAT THE RIGHT WAY TO GO?

ABSOLUTELY.

IF WE LOOK AT PROBABLY TO THE CITIES IN THE UNITED STATES THAT DO IT BEST.

SALT LAKE CITY IN COLUMBUS, OHIO.

THEY EMPHASIZE THAT THEY EMPHASIZE 2 THINGS, ONE HOUSING FIRST GETTING PEOPLE INSIDE AND THEN ADDRESSING THE PAPERWORK AND THE OTHER ISSUES.

AND SECOND, A PERSONAL APPROACH TO GETTING TO KNOW THESE GUYS MUCH LIKE NIGHT MINISTRY DOES GOING OUT CONNECTING WITH THEM KNOWING IF THEY'RE READY TO GO INTO HOUSING IN THE MAKING A GOOD FIT THAT IS MORE SUCCESSFUL, THEN WE ARE USING AN ALGORITHM AND A SET OF STANDARDS TO GO INTO A COMPUTER.

THE PERSONAL TOUCH MATTERS GOING BACK TO YOUR EARLIER QUESTION.

THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE HERE, WHICH IS THE CITY OF CHICAGO MEASURES HOMELESSNESS WITH H M I S WHICH IS A COMPUTER SYSTEM THAT MAINTAINS A BASE OF ABOUT 12,000 PEOPLE WHO ARE LISTED AS HOMELESS BY THE HAS A DIFFERENT NUMBER.

AFTER CAROL'S POINT, THE COALITION HAS A DIFFERENT NUMBER.

DEPENDS ON HOW YOU DEFINE IT.

SO OBVIOUSLY A DISCREPANCY IN NUMBERS, BUT THE COALITION, IT'S PRETTY STRONG ON THAT.

YOU HAVE TO INCLUDE THE FOLKS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, HOLING UP WITH WITH RELATIVES OR FRIENDS OR OR THINGS LIKE THAT.

SO WOULD THE BRING CHICAGO HOME ORDINANCE IF VOTERS WERE TO PASS THAT WITH THIS REALLY PUT A DENT IN THE PROBLEM WOULD GET PEOPLE SUBSIDIZE HOUSING.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE TALKED ABOUT THAT EARLIER NUMBER OVER 68,000 PEOPLE IMPACTED BY HOMELESSNESS.

WE KNOW THIS PROPORTION UTLEY NOT ONLY PEOPLE OF COLOR, BUT THERE ARE 20,000 CPS STUDENTS WHO ALSO IMPACTED BY HOMELESSNESS.

AND SO THIS STEP TOWARD US BEING ABLE TO REALLY TAX USING THAT TRANSFER TAX AS AN OPTION TO ENSURE THAT THOSE WHO PURCHASING HOMES OVER A MILLION DOLLARS.

I'VE BEEN ABLE CONTRIBUTE TO BUILDING A BUDGET AROUND SOLVING HOMELESSNESS.

ISSUES IS VITALLY IMPORTANT IN ORDER FOR US TO HELP THOSE INDIVIDUALS.

THAT PHRASE, ARE YOU CONFIDENT THAT IF THIS DOES PASS, THAT THE MONEY IS GOING TO GO, WHERE IT NEEDS TO GO, THAT THIS PROGRAM WILL BE ADMINISTERED THE RIGHT SO FIRST.

>> I THINK THE PROGRAM IS ESSENTIAL, BUT I THINK WE HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION TO IT AND MAKE SURE THAT IT THAT IS CHICAGO HAS A HISTORY OF TRYING TO BUILD ITS WAY OUT OF THIS IN TERMS OF BRICKS AND MORTAR AND CREATING UNITS.

THERE'S A SUBSET OF PEOPLE FOR THAT FOR HOME THAT IS ESSENTIAL.

THERE IS A MUCH LARGER PORTION THAT THERE ARE OTHER APPROACHES THAT ARE MORE COST EFFICIENT.

HERE'S A SIMPLE EXAMPLE.

ALL CHICAGO WHO IS STRONGLY BEHIND US HAS AN EMERGENCY FUND.

THEY SPENT 35 MILLION DOLLARS IN 2022, THEY HELP 7,000 PEOPLE STAY OUT OF HOMELESSNESS.

IF WE GO TO THE CURRENT MODELS, TAKE 35 MILLION DOLLARS AND JUST BUILD UNITS AT.

SOUTH BY INVEST SOUTH WAS A CALL SOUTH-SOUTHWEST WHERE THE AVERAGE PRICE OF A UNIT WAS OVER $500,000.

YOU'RE ONLY GOING TO GET 70 UNITS AND I'M NOT ARGUING AGAINST UNIT.

YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE THEM FOR SOME PEOPLE.

BUT THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE THAT CAN BE HELPED BY INVESTING IN THEIR FAMILIES AND THEIR COMMUNITIES BY PREVENTION, AS OPPOSED TO TRIAGE AFTER THEY END UP SUBSIDIZING THE HOUSING THAT THERE ARE ALREADY IN RIGHT CAROL SHARPLY MENTIONED 35,000 GIVE OR TAKE MORE POSSIBLY TO COME.

HOW'S THAT EXACERBATED CHICAGO'S HOMELESS SITUATION?

>> WELL, I MEAN, WE WE ONLY HAVE LIMITED RESOURCES TO SUPPORT THE HOMELESS, OUR HOMELESS NEIGHBORS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOUSING INSECURITY RIGHT NOW.

AND SO WE'VE SEEN AN INCREASE IN THE NEED TO BE ABLE TO DELIVER BOTH MEDICAL HEALTH SERVICES.

THAT'S WHAT PROVIDES SURVIVAL RESOURCES TO INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.

THERE ALSO GAPS AND AND LANGUAGE BARRIERS AND OUR ABILITY TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE CAN BETTER SUPPORT INDIVIDUALS WITH YOU KNOW, HEALTH CHALLENGES THAT HE MIGHT BE FACING.

SO IT'S CERTAINLY IMPACTING OUR RESOURCES AND WE NEED TO PLANT DAN FRAZIER.

YEAH, THAT THE MIGRANTS.

>> SO THERE'S A COUPLE THINGS THAT MATTER HERE.

ONE IS THERE IS DISPLACEMENT GOING ON.

IT'S JUST A FACT.

FOR EXAMPLE, WE SERVE A MEAL AT 7.21 NORTH WEST SHELF.

THAT'S THE CATHOLIC CHARITIES BUILDING.

WE USED TO SERVE 12250 HOMELESS TONIGHT.

NOW WE'RE SERVING 60 TO 70 HOMELESS AS MANY AS 200 TO 250 MIGRANTS.

THAT MEANS THAT THOSE HOMELESS, IT USED TO COME TO THAT MEAL AND ACCESS THOSE RESOURCES CAN'T GET IT.

THE SECOND IMPORTANT IMPORTANT POINT TO REALIZE IS THAT THEY ARE ALREADY IN THE SHELTER SYSTEM THAT SERVES CHICAGO.

AND SO THERE ARE MIGRANTS IN THAT SYSTEM AND THAT'S A GOOD THING.

WE DON'T TURN.

NO ONE SHOULD BE TURNED AWAY WHEN THEY'RE IN NEED.

BUT IT ALSO DISPLACES CHICAGOANS.

AND IT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY YOU MAY BE SEEING MORE PEOPLE IN ENCAMPMENTS AND ON THE STREET.

WE ALREADY HAVE A DEFICIT OF SHELTER WE LOST 40% OF OUR BEDS IN THE LAST DECADE.

AND AT THIS POINT WITH THE EXTRA POPULATION COMING IN, IT'S EVEN MORE OF A BURDEN IT, VERY QUICKLY.

ONE MORE REASON WHY THERE MIGHT BE MORE FOLKS CAMPUS.

>> O HARE NO LONGER CAN HOUSE HOMELESS HOMELESS WERE STAYING AT O'HARE.

THE CITY STOPPED TO AGREE WITH THAT THAT THE THE CITY PUT AN END TO THAT.

>> YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT WE NEED ACCESS TO AS MANY RESOURCES AS POSSIBLE.

AND SO IF WE'RE GOING TO STOP INDIVIDUALS FROM USING THAT THE AIRPORT AS HOUSING OPPORTUNITY.

WE NEED TO CREATE AN ALTERNATE OPTION.

DOUG, WHAT DO YOU THINK?

I THINK IT WAS POINTLESS AND CRUEL TO PUT THEM OUT.

THEY ENDED UP ON THE CTA.

>> AND THAT'S NOT THE WAY TO DO IT.

I WANT TO ADD ONE OTHER POINT OF WHAT COULD BE DONE NOW TO ADDRESS THAT.

IF YOU LOOK AT THE MIGRANT HOUSING STREAM THERE OR SOMETHING OVER 14,500 UNITS CREATED AND THERE ARE ONLY 12,000 SOME UNITS BEING USED RIGHT NOW.

THAT MEANS THERE'S A LAG IN THE SYSTEM.

AND IF WE'RE GOING TO PLAY, WE'RE GOING TO VALUE EACH PERSON EQUALLY AND WE NEED TO BE MOVING HOMELESS, WHO WANT TO COME INSIDE INTO THOSE BEDS IN THAT STREAM AS WELL SO THE CITY IS GOING TO BRING THESE TOGETHER.

BUT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT DOING THAT IN THE SPRING.

KNOW, DO IT NOW AND GET THESE PEOPLE INSIDE ADMINISTERING.

THIS IS GOING TO BE A HUGE ASSUMING