Block Club Chicago: Homelessness Crisis At O’Hare Shows More City Support Is Needed On NW Side And Beyond, Advocates Say

By Ariel Parrella-Aureli, February 7, 2023

The city’s 2023 budget and recent national grants are allotted to address homelessness, but advocates say the city isn’t spending the money where it’s most needed.

CHICAGO — On a recent Tuesday morning, a group of people huddle outside a homeless outreach center at O’Hare International Airport, eager to get warm with a cup of hot ramen noodle soup and talk with friends.

A man who only wanted to be identified as Shorty woke up early to get a meal after spending the night in the airport’s Terminal 2.

Shorty, who is from Chicago, is one of several homeless people who take shelter at O’Hare in the winter, especially during frigid temperatures. Facing a complex medical condition and substance abuse issues, he said life has been extra challenging in recent months.