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* 2020…
The City of Kankakee has rejected a plan put forth by Fortitude Community Outreach to turn the former St. Paul Lutheran Church School in Downtown Kankakee into a homeless shelter for the upcoming winter.
The proposal was struck down by the Kankakee City Council Monday night by a vote of 12-2. […]
Last winter, Fortitude used Emmanuel Baptist as a shelter but was only granted a one year permit for the site.
* The city eventually approved a winter site. Then the operator started making plans to open a new downtown facility. And that brings us to last month…
The Kankakee City Council has postponed any action on restoring federal funds given to the city to support the operation of a homeless shelter by Fortitude Outreach. Mayor Chris Curtis was not present during the meeting.
Four weeks ago, the council voted to remove the group’s funding after receiving complaints of police interference and panhandling by homeless people outside downtown Kankakee businesses. […]
The delay in funding decision comes amidst ongoing discussions about how to address homelessness in Kankakee. A recent study found that the city’s homeless population has increased by 34% since 2019. The study also highlighted the need for more affordable housing and supportive services.
* Last week…
Several members of Kankakee’s downtown business community, including a former longtime Kankakee alderman, pressed the city administration to take action regarding the expanding homeless and day-drinker gatherings in the city’s core. […]
[Mayor Chris Curtis] said that while the city has earmarked $100,000 of American Rescue Plan Act money for Fortitude, that money has not yet been transferred. […]
Fortitude is planning to construct a 4,800-square-foot shelter in the 100 block of North Washington Avenue, on property immediately north of the CVS Pharmacy. The total cost of construction is set at $1.2 million. […]
[Fortitude’s executive director Dawn Broers] added that Fortitude’s program is not the reason for the spike in downtown difficulties. […]
[Former Alderman Dennis Baron] said opening a larger homeless shelter without providing daytime services will only heighten the growing problem. […]
“Promoting day sheltering before we have a permanent site in which to provide overnight shelter is literally putting the cart before the horse,” [Broers] said. “It appears there is an incredibly disconnecting, and illogical, rhetoric growing that our presence as a shelter is causing a problem rather than working toward solving a problem.”
* Yesterday, Fortitude issued a press release…
Fortitude Community Outreach announced Monday night that they will be stepping back from providing overnight sheltering in the city of Kankakee and requested that further discussions on a potential $100,000 ARPA grant be ceased.
“For these last 8 months, we have been told an agreement for an ARPA grant and approval was coming any day. In the meantime, we have been facing increasing waves of misinformation, scrutiny, attacks, and demands that hurt our organization and our homeless. We now realize the city has not been working with us in good faith, and the Council will not approve this grant. We realize the escalating attacks are so that this funding can be denied without political fallout: make us look bad so you don’t look bad.” […]
In more recent months, the city increasingly highlighted issues occurring downtown. These issues were primarily caused by housed individuals with addiction issues, or homeless individuals who cannot or will not receive services and led to the closure of the downtown gazebo area. Fortitude became the target of these problems and the existence of the shelter in Kankakee was blamed for an increase in homelessness. Prominent business members spoke publicly stating that individuals were being sent to Kankakee from out of state just to stay at Fortitude, without providing any additional information with those claims. “While the vast majority of our guests are from Kankakee County, we occasionally receive guests who came to Kankakee for a job or a relationship that fell through and led to homelessness. We talked through those concerns with the Chief and agreed to work on a policy that would limit the stay of any out of town guests.” […]
If we were approved for funding, we know we would continue to face attacks and false accusations simply for existing. It is appalling that we are being blamed for an increase in homelessness and accused of actually shipping homeless in from out of state. People aren’t coming to Kankakee just to stay at Fortitude.” […]
Fortitude has been pummeled with demands for day sheltering in the last year, with demands increasing along with the downtown concerns in the last several months. “More day services for the homeless will be very helpful, but there is a misunderstanding about what day services will be. Individuals who want to engage in addictions and panhandle are not going to sit in a building all day where there are rules and restrictions. The individuals that are the most troublesome are not the ones we will be serving.” […]
“It was clear that adversaries were recruiting more adversaries, and a campaign of misinformation and fear mongering was underway. It was time to remove ourselves from the conversation before it destroyed our ability to serve the homeless in any way.”
* Daily Journal…
“We were shocked [by the announcement],” said [5th Ward Alderman Victor Nevarez], then paused for a moment. “I guess there is relief as well. This is an issue we don’t have to deal with now.”
I got news for you, alderman.
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Apr 26, 23 @ 12:53 pm
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How very Christian of them.
Comment by Tony DeKalb Wednesday, Apr 26, 23 @ 12:58 pm
Can’t have charities potentially cutting into the action and revenue generation of the Kankakee County Jail and Sheriff’s Department.
And why aren’t all these homeless layabouts pulling themselves up by their bootstraps in Kankakee, a land of seemingly endless opportunity? I tell you, back in my day…
Comment by Roadrager Wednesday, Apr 26, 23 @ 12:59 pm
I guess These good Christians, forgot about this part
For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
Comment by Someone You Should Know Wednesday, Apr 26, 23 @ 1:37 pm
Seems reminiscent of what happened early 2020 in Springfield with Helping Hands and their proposed homeless aid facility on 11th Street.
Comment by Stuck in Celliniland Wednesday, Apr 26, 23 @ 1:46 pm
Big difference to what happened in Springfield. The city council voted in support of the Helping Hands project 8-2. Memorial pulled support because the Mayor had guaranteed a 10-0 vote.
Comment by FIREDup! Wednesday, Apr 26, 23 @ 2:12 pm
There is nothing Christian left in these people… they have abandoned all tenants of Christian service and compassion.
Comment by Lincoln Lad Wednesday, Apr 26, 23 @ 2:20 pm
===Seems reminiscent of what happened early 2020 in Springfield with Helping Hands and their proposed homeless aid facility on 11th Street.===
It was directly across 11th St. from a day care.
Comment by Anyone Remember Wednesday, Apr 26, 23 @ 2:28 pm
~”I got news for you, alderman.”
Ugh. Such a common refrain. “If folks aren’t asking to build a homeless shelter, we don’t have to deal with the homeless problem.” Or “They’re not our people - they’re being bused in!”
Looking forward to the day we can start talking about this issue honestly and work on solutions with clear heads.
Comment by Riverwalker Wednesday, Apr 26, 23 @ 2:45 pm
These issues will only continue until society decides to adequately fund mental health prevention and treatment. And that’s not going to happen any time soon.
Comment by Papa2008 Wednesday, Apr 26, 23 @ 4:06 pm