In the terminal of Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, homeless encampments have appeared, raising concerns for people’s safety as pictures of individuals sleeping in filthy homemade shelters have surfaced.
The well-traveled highway has become a haven for thousands of individuals who are sleeping rough, with many of them erecting shelters inside the terminal structures.
One Twitter user posted a picture of numerous people sleeping amid a mass of luggage close to Terminal 1 of the airport, as passengers were quick to document the deteriorating situation.
Other horrifying images depict a man unconscious inside a doorway, another slouched without shoes, and a group of about a dozen people occupying a space indoors near to the escalators.
O’Hare’s expanding issue is merely a glimpse of a widespread homelessness catastrophe that is seething beneath the surface of a city that is degenerating due to skyrocketing crime rates.
One Twitter user questioned the city’s leadership with a picture of one of these encampments, but airport officials responded right away.
O’Hare stated, ‘We appreciate your feedback. Safety, security, and an optimal passenger experience is top priority for the CDA, and we have forwarded your message along to our security team. We apologize for any inconvenience caused and hope your next visit to ORD is more enjoyable.’
One user described their uncomfortable experience by labeling the airport’s surroundings as “dystopian.”
O’Hare Airport gave what looks to be a copy-and-paste response, thanking the customer for their criticism but offering no suggestions.
According to Block Club Chicago, the Haymarket Center’s O’Hare outreach program, which links homeless persons overnight at the airport with housing, housing counseling, and other social services, their clientele is growing rapidly.
According to the organization, demand climbed by 25% in 2022 compared to the prior year, and this trend continued into 2023.
The non-profit organization is open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, and is supported by the Department of Family Support Services and the Chicago Department of Aviation.
3,875 individuals will be homeless in 2022, according to the city’s annual Point In Time count, which evaluates people who are sheltered and those who are not.
The data reveals that the majority of people are categorized as black.
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In 2020, 65,611 Chicagoans were homeless, according to figures from the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless.
Since 2019, the number of persons living outside and temporarily residing with others has both increased by 12 and 20 percent, respectively.
The nearly 16,000 persons who are homeless are also more prone to dying from exposure to the cold in the winter.
According to records from the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office, there were four documented deaths in the city in 2020, seven in 2021, and four in 2022 due to exposure to the cold.
