Westley Heine never dreamed of singing for change on the streets of Chicago but life sometimes offers only stark choices. Getting by as a musician, artist, or writer is uphill barefoot through snowdrifts on a good day. Add a recession, a relationship going sour, some substance abuse, and a generous helping of self-doubt and few […]
Tag: Homeless
Posted inNews
Rogers Park neighbors debate a new men’s shelter
Meanwhile, life goes on for houseless Touhy Park occupants.
Posted inNews & Politics
A bouquet of pharmacy roses
Caught in a systemic cycle of incarceration, addiction, and homelessness, how do you make room for the possibility for hope?
Posted inNews & Politics
Escalating violence and lack of police response put the city’s homeless even more at risk
A string of fires and stabbings have many advocates worried, and challenges in reporting and investigating these crimes leave little hope for justice.
Posted inNews & Politics
‘The city is dead, are we next?’
What staying at home means for people who stay on the streets.
Posted inMusic
Marcus Mixx has lost his home, but he still has house
Marcus Mixx’s early records fetch hundreds of dollars apiece from a cult of collectors, but he just wants a space of his own to make his new tracks.
Posted inBlogs
Sleep Out raises funds and awareness for homeless, trafficked, and at-risk youth
Participants spent the night outside, heard from youth about their experiences, and explored the idea of home.
Posted inBlogs
Fight for right to camp on city streets will continue despite legal setback, homeless advocates say
The city could face further lawsuits after a judge ruled that a homeless tent city in Uptown was not a protected protest.
Posted inNews & Politics
Chicago police commonly confiscate and throw away the tents of the homeless
CPD’s policy seems more concerned with optics than with law and order.
Posted inArts & Culture
Three selections from The Teeth of the Comb & Other Stories
Three short stories from Syrian writer Osama Alomar’s book The Teeth of the Comb & Other Stories
Posted inBlogs
Teachers’ union is rethinking a spring strike, and other Chicago news
Also, construction on Jeanne Gang’s Vista Tower will start this summer.
Posted inBlogs
Bernie Sanders opens a campaign office in Chicago, the best and worst of the Wrigleyville McDonald’s, and other Chicago news
Also, David Axelrod recounts an interesting encounter with the late Antonin Scalia, and shots are fired at snowplow driver on the west side.
Posted inBlogs
Common to rock Metro for charity on Thursday
A small show from a big star for a good cause
Posted inNews & Politics
Pariahs amid the rainbow
Pariahs amid the rainbow: young, queer, and homeless in Boystown