Leaders and health experts have urged people to stay inside when the air quality is poor — but that’s not possible for all Chicagoans.
ALBANY PARK — As Chicago saw record-breaking poor air quality last week, local leaders advised people to stay inside and mask up to avoid the potential health effects.
Many were able to follow the recommendation — but it was not as easy for some people, like those who are unhoused or who have to work outdoors.
Tracy Alcoser lives in a tent in Ronan Park, 3000 W. Argyle St., part of an encampment of unhoused people. Waking up on Thursday morning, she could immediately feel a difference in air quality from the smoke that had set in overnight, she said.
“It hit like a smack in the face. It was scary,” she said.
From the Article:
Though Alcoser volunteered to stay outside, many unhoused people are forced to during extreme weather, said Doug Shenkelberg, executive director of the Chicago Coalition To End Homelessness.
The city offers cooling centers, public libraries and park fieldhouses for unhoused people seeking shelter indoors, according to its website. But these spaces are not open overnight. And as most homeless shelters have limited capacity and long waitlists, many unhoused people get stuck outside in dangerous conditions, Shenkelberg said.
“The best way to prevent people from being impacted by these extreme weather events is for them to be housed,” Shenkelberg said. “So when emergencies like this come up, there’s fewer people outside to begin with because we adequately invested in housing services for folks.”
