Street homelessness is one of the worst things you can experience. When I was 18, I was kicked out of my parents’ house and lived on the street in Fox River Grove. I starved during winter and lived out of the train station so as not to freeze to death.
Fox River Grove in McHenry County has fewer than 5,000 people. Being in a rural community, I had no transportation — the closest Pace bus is in Crystal Lake, 7 miles away — and didn’t know where to go to get help. The closest homeless shelter is McHenry County PADS, more than 10 miles away, but nobody told me about that option. I tried to get help from a food pantry but couldn’t because I didn’t have an identification card to prove who I was. I have a bipolar diagnosis, and mental health resources in rural areas are very scarce, requiring you to go one or two towns or counties over to get the support you need. Though I struggled with drug and alcohol addiction during that time in life, I was sober while I was homeless.
After six months on the street, my parents secured a place for me in a nursing home to help me manage my mental health and addictions. I’m grateful to say I have lived in stable housing with my wife in Zion for 10 years now.
State lawmakers are discussing House Bill 1429 to decide how a community should respond to people who are unhoused like I was. Communities in Illinois have passed public camping bans, making it illegal to sleep on public property like I had to. Cops can show up any time to throw away your belongings. This bill would prevent Illinois cities and towns from passing these counterproductive ordinances.
People overlook how hard it is to get housed if your ID or medication is thrown away. Replacement documents need a receiving address and can take weeks to arrive. You need transportation to get to the pharmacy and ID for prescribed medications, which have limited refills. I notice a significant change if I cannot take my bipolar medication when I’m supposed to.
Instead of passing camping bans, cities and towns should be partnering with nonprofits to address homelessness, connecting people to the services they need.
I hope state lawmakers do the right thing and pass HB1429 so more people have a chance to get help and find housing like I did.
— Stefano Medansky, Zion
