Audrey Richardson | Chicago Tribune
Beneath the shadow of the bustling overpass on Chicago’s Near West Side, where Desplaines Street meets Hubbard, is an informal encampment residents call the “Chocolate Factory.”
Jeremy Holomshek, better known as Elmo, is a 43-year veteran of the streets who has faced a lifetime of displacement. “Foster care, boys’ homes… I got tired. Took to the road.”
As a long-term resident, he reflected on the years he has spent at the site. “I have a tent over there. Been here around three years. I feel like I’m stuck here though.”
Article Excerpt:
Doug Schenkelberg, executive director for the Chicago Coalition to End Homelessness, said the organization supports Johnson’s efforts to “create safer, more dignified spaces for unhoused Chicagoans, particularly at a time when the federal government is poised to abandon housing investments and embrace racist policy choices.”
“It is crucial for the city, state and federal governments to pair investments in shelter with more permanent solutions — housing with supportive services — so all Chicagoans have a safe place to call home,” Schenkelberg said.
