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The City of Elgin is responding to two devastating fires at a local homeless encampment by proposing a plan to relocate residents into hotel rooms.
The City of Elgin is working on plans to move its homeless population into hotels after two fires ripped through an encampment in the area. The Elgin City Council will vote on the plans Wednesday night. The city is working with the Lexington Inn & Suites NW Chicago Elgin to relocate people. The city council will decide at its meeting Wednesday night what that relocation could look like.A homeless advocate said putting the residents up in a hotel would be a start.
The first fire at 'Tent City' at State and Kimball streets broke out two weeks ago. Three structures were destroyed, and about 40 people and their pets were displaced. Eight days later, there was a fire at the encampment again. No people were injured in the second fire, but firefighters found the remains of a dog during a search of the site. The Elgin Fire Department attributed both the fires to measures people are taking to stay warm. The assistant city manager said in a statement on the proposal the city council will go over Wednesday night: 'The city is taking action to relocate Tent City residents to safe housing and supportive services. This will eliminate the hazards presented by the encampment, ensuring safety around the Metra tracks and restoring the shoreline environment.' The effort is funded partially through a $400,000 grant from Kane County Health Department, supplemented by city funds budgeted to address homelessness.An Elgin city spokesperson confirmed the city is working with the Lexington Inn & Suites. 'To be able to house them into a hotel for about three to six months' is the goal, said Elgin resident and advocate Perla Sanchez. Sanchez has been volunteering on her own to help those living in the encampment for five years now—work she ramped up after the fires this month
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