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Tensions flare over the homeless camp in Touhy Park after the Park District decides to shut everything down. The appearance of mysterious flyers claiming the tent city will be relocated to a fancy hotel causes rampant confusion and amps up emotions on all sides. With the election looming, what paths remain for the local alderwoman to get everyone housed before a potentially lethal winter?
Special thanks to Musician Andrew Bird who donated music from his Chicago-inspired, 2013 EP “I Want To See Pulaski At Night” and Block Club Chicago Reporter Joe Ward who broke many of the stories in this episode, also 49th Ward Alderperson Maria Hadden, Erin Ryan, Tom “The Mayor of Uptown” Gordon, and the many encampment residents we interviewed for this story.
CREDITS:
Reported by Jesse Betend, Suzanne Hanney, A. Allen, Kianna Drummond and Keith Hardiman
Produced by Jesse Betend with help from Jennifer O'Neill
Music by Andrew Bird, Jeremy Blake, AETHER, John Patitucci and Freedom Trail Studios
Editing by Suzanne Hanney, Sheila Solomon, Amanda Jones, Julie Youngquist, Terri Lydon and Cindy Paulauskas
About StreetWise magazine
StreetWise has been part of the fabric of Chicago for 31 years, covering everything Chicago from its people to its social issues, politics, nonprofits, arts, culture, and neighborhoods.
Over the past 31 years more than 14,000 StreetWise vendors have found dignity on street corners in many neighborhoods across the city as they are empowered to earn an income with a hand up and not a handout.
About Rivet360
Rivet360 is a business to business podcast agency. It was founded in Chicago in 2013 with a simple mission: Tell the world’s stories, making them engaging and fun. An obsession with elegant solutions and devotion to editorial integrity have been part of the company from day one—along with a flexible, can-do attitude that customers love.
Creators & Guests
What is Where I Stay?
Welcome to the 51st Ward.
Rivet 360 + StreetWise are proud to present a second season of the Shorty Award finalist documentary series, WHERE I STAY, exploring homelessness and the housing crisis in America.
ABOUT SEASON 2:
As winter cold sends the city scrambling to create housing for thousands of people, many have intentionally chosen to brave the elements together in ad-hoc communities known as “tent cities.”
Over the course of Season 2, we examine the housing crisis in Chicago from the rise of tent camps fueled by the global pandemic, attempts to reverse engineer a city built for segregation, and policies that have contributed to a critical lack of affordable housing while selling off public land. With the added pressure of an influx of migrants, Chicago must collectively answer a number of questions, starting with the most fundamental and often ignored: What do we owe each other?
We’re also exceptionally proud to have partnered this season with Streetwise vendors, whose reporting brings the expert perspectives of the formerly unhoused. Our team of reporters participated throughout the documentary process, from our first brainstorm to the final interview, with the goal of grounding our work in the issues that matter to the communities most directly impacted.
ABOUT SEASON 1:
Angelica first became homeless at the age of twelve, but she didn't live on the street. Prisons. Vegas condos. The living room of an Iowa drug queen-pin and an inpatient facility for adolescents. This is WHERE I STAY.
Over the course of 8 gripping episodes Host Jesse Betend explores the issue of invisible homelessness through Angelica's story. Season 1 has been called a “wonderfully empathetic telling of a story you will be richer for knowing” and “an incredibly impactful and illuminating podcast about hidden youth homelessness.”
WHERE I STAY is a serialized podcast designed to challenge the way people think about homelessness. Each season dives deep into a single story to unravel the many interconnected threads that can leave someone without a home. The show also serves as a grassroots campaign to raise funds and awareness.
About StreetWise magazine
StreetWise has been part of the fabric of Chicago for 31 years, covering everything Chicago from its people to its social issues, politics, nonprofits, arts, culture, and neighborhoods.
Over the past 31 years more than 14,000 StreetWise vendors have found dignity on street corners in many neighborhoods across the city as they are empowered to earn an income with a hand up and not a handout.
About Rivet360
Rivet360 is a business to business podcast agency. It was founded in Chicago in 2013 with a simple mission: Tell the world’s stories, making them engaging and fun. An obsession with elegant solutions and devotion to editorial integrity have been part of the company from day one—along with a flexible, can-do attitude that customers love.