Updates
05/09/2026 – Members of our staff met with encampment residents and organizers in preparation for the scheduled cleaning on May 18.
05/08/2026 – The City of Chicago’s Department of Family & Support Services and the Chicago Park District have scheduled a routine cleaning of the Ronan Park encampment the morning of May 18, which our office will attend.
DFSS has offered housing to 4 people, all of which have accepted and moved into their respective units. DFSS is waiting for more units to be allocated.
04/28/2026 – The Chicago Police Department has requested the postponement of the April 30 cleaning of Ronan Park, until after services have been held for the 17th District Officer recently lost in the line of duty. While there is no new date yet for the cleaning, it is anticipated to be in approximately 2 weeks.
04/27/2026 – The City of Chicago’s Department of Family & Support Services and the Chicago Park District have scheduled a routine cleaning of the Ronan Park encampment the morning of April 30, which our office will attend. Our office has been meeting with relevant agencies to better understand their plan for the cleaning and we encourage our neighbors to contact our office with any questions. You can learn more below.
Context
This page will be used to provide regular updates
We have received many residents from the former Legion Park encampment into our ward as they wait for their assigned housing. I understand that this encampment has caused great concern for many neighbors. When this community moved into our local park, my office began working in close, daily collaboration with many local organizations, mutual aid groups, nonprofit agencies, and government partners to ensure that our neighbors most in need receive the care, attention, and resources they deserve.
Our communities, our city, and our country are facing an extreme housing crisis due to challenging and complex issues, including rising rents, barriers to accessible housing, systemic racism, and economic inequality. These challenges have been compounded by federal cuts to social services and a violent immigration enforcement campaign.
The work of this office has always been centered on fighting for fact-based, human-centric solutions that benefit our ward and our city. That is why I supported Bring Chicago Home to address homelessness by taxing the rich to build more affordable housing. That is why I have championed addressing mental health crisis, whether at home or on the streets, through Treatment Not Trauma (TNT) and the Crisis Assistance Response & Engagement Program (CARE). That is why I recently introduced a resolution in support of Overdose Prevention Sites, to provide compasionate care for people who use drugs, while providing supervised spaces so people would not use in public.
More immediately, we have also welcomed the encampment residents into our office, giving them time to rest in our mini-living room, while connecting them with job opportunities, and other services.
My office’s position remains that all of our neighbors deserve safe, accessible, dignified, healthy, and affordable housing. The pathway to finding housing is different for all of us, and I am grateful for the incredible community that has been organized to provide help. This is ongoing work, and we remain committed to meeting people where they are and supporting pathways forward.
Key Takeaways
- Our office holds relationships with encampment residents and is regularly checkin on our neighbors to provide support
- Several encampment residents have already received housing
- Many others are on a clear path toward housing
- Our ward superintendent is checking in on a daily basis
- Our office is in close communication with all relevant city departments, the Mayor’s office, and the Park District to understand essential policies impacting the encampment, and ensuring encampment residents receive the care they deserve.
Resources
You can contribute to local groups who have been providing Mutual Aid to encampment residents:
You can also volunteer with our office for community cleaning and outreach regarding this matter:
- 773-840-7880
- info@33rdward.org