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On June 1, the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) provided notice to the homeless residents of Lower Wacker that they must vacate “the Triangle” on June 11. The notice states that all people must vacate the area and remove all of their property, or it will be subject to disposal by the city. An email from a nearby building management company indicates that the purpose of the construction is to block homeless people from sleeping there.

The city’s decision to put up barricades around the Triangle comes on the heels of a recent street sweep in the Triangle, where on May 15 city workers seized homeless people’s property and forced them to move in a manner that violated the city’s own street cleaning policy, which it adopted pursuant to a settlement agreement reached with Lower Wacker residents who were represented by CCH attorneys.

After this sweep, the Law Project at the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless initiated a dispute under the settlement agreement. One week later, CCH learned the city intends to put up barricades around the Triangle for the sole purpose of discriminating against people experiencing homelessness, an action that violates the Illinois Bill of Rights for the Homeless Act.

Chicago Coalition for the Homeless will be calling on Mayor Emanuel, Department of Family and Support Services Commissioner Lisa Morrison-Butler, CDOT Commissioner Rebekah Scheinfeld, and Ald. Brendan Reilly to address homelessness through housing solutions rather than trying to hide and displace homeless people by creating blockades where they are sleeping.

WHAT: Press conference

WHO: Chicago Coalition for the Homeless

WHEN: Thursday, June 7 – 10:15 a.m.

WHERE: 55 E. Lower Wacker Drive, across from the “Triangle”

For more information, contact Mary Tarullo, mary@chicagohomeless.org