For months, residents near Chicago's Gompers Park have raised concerns about a homeless encampment, saying it's a safety and quality of life issue. Now, a youth baseball league, which utilizes the baseball diamond just yards away, could be displaced.
The city was supposed to host an Accelerated Moving Event (AME) this month, but that was ultimately delayed until March. The AME will provide city services and housing options for the unhoused.
A spokesperson for the Department of Family and Support Services blamed the delay on President Donald Trump's attempt to freeze federal funding, though the freeze has been halted by multiple judges.
"Due to the uncertainty of access to federal funding for housing, All Chicago, the non-profit organization that establishes the schedules for AMEs for the Chicago Continuum of Care, paused all AMEs temporarily throughout the city of Chicago on January 28th. This pause took immediate effect," DFSS told NBC Chicago in a statement. "Unfortunately, this impacted an AME that was scheduled to be carried out the following day... These extenuating circumstances have led to the new AME date of March 5th, 2025. We are working closely with all our partners to ensure this event moves forward without further delays."
Ald. Samantha Nugent, of the 39th Ward, has been pushing the mayor's office to act faster amid cold weather and safety concerns.
"We had three fires in six days [at the encampment], and the most recent fire took down a portion of the fence," Nugent said. “The community is really concerned, we want the unhoused to have housing with wrap-around services, and we want the restoration of the park."
She also said there is an unleashed Pitbull that has attacked other dogs in the park several times.
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"The Fire Department had over 35 calls for service in Gompers since January of last year," she said.
The encampment sits next to a youth baseball field, which hosts about 85 games and 150 baseball and softball practices each year, according to the Gompers Park Athletic Association.
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The GPAA Board is reconsidering utilizing the park while the encampment is there. Board members have fielded several complaints from baseball parents.
“Rampant drug use, drug paraphernalia found on the ground... residents of the tents bathing in the lagoon naked in front of children," Ryan Johnson, president of the GPAA Board and travel coordinator for the baseball and softball league, said. “It’s a beloved park for a lot of people... we want a solution that works for everyone."
The GPAA Board has the authority to decide where games will be held. On Thursday, board members will vote on whether or not to relocate the teams until the camp is gone.
"So if there are tents here at the beginning of the season we will suspend play," Johnson said. "If tents come back at any point during the season where the safety concerns are possible then we’ll suspend play then.”
Johnson hopes the AME will not be delayed further so the teams can utilize the park by April.
NBC 5 reached out to the mayor's office for comment.
