Recent fires and safety concerns at a tent encampment in suburban Elgin have prompted city leaders to begin the process of removing the encampment and relocating residents to housing.
Clearing of the encampment was underway Thursday afternoon, with contractors working along train tracks to clear a path near the intersections of State Street and Kimball Street.
“It makes me kind of sad you know, there’s a lot of people out here that have disabilities, there are a lot of people out here that are going through a lot in their lives,” said Pearl Salcedo, who is waiting to move into permanent housing.
Salcedo told NBC Chicago that she's been homeless for five years, with her and her partner living in a shelter after learning about plans to remove the encampment.
“It’s a lot better for me,” she said. “I don’t have to be out here in the elements considering that I’m five months pregnant.”
The Elgin Fire Department said there have been three recent fires at the encampment, all involving heating units that were ruled accidental and unrelated. The encampment is located between the Fox River and the Metra tracks, posing a concern for officials.
A city spokesperson declined our request for an on-camera, interview, but told NBC Chicago via phone that at least 40 residents agreed to move out next week and relocate to a nearby hotel.
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“As an organization, we’re just grateful the city is taking the initiative to address the problem” Jen Keller, development manager of PADS of Elgin said.
PADS of Elgin is among several community partners working with the city to address homelessness. Keller said her team was at the encampment last week to assess the need of residents and provide resources to help residents transition to a safer home.
“PADS is going to participate in this effort in any way that we can,” Keller said. “We have offered case managers for on site at the hotel; in general we will continue doing the work that we’ve been doing.”
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The city said it received a grant from Kane County to pay for temporary shelter for residents at the Lexington Inn & Suites for 120 days.
Residents have to move out of the encampment by next Wednesday, with officials beginning to clean and restore the site before fencing the area off.
As for Pearl and her partner, they’re hoping for better days ahead as they wait for a voucher to get them into permanent housing.
“We’re going to be moving into our place,” Salcedo said. “It’s going to be a lot better for us to be able to raise our kid in a safe environment.”