‘Nowhere to go’: Unhoused people staying at O’Hare International Airport look for shelter

CHICAGO — The City of Chicago is addressing the unhoused population at O’Hare International Airport Friday night after an alderman called out the mayor for not dealing with the problem.

After Ald. Ray Lopez pointed out the increasing homeless population at the airport, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said she would address the problem and move people out of the airport.

As of Friday night, most of the unhoused people are gone.

The problem now is some have nowhere to go.

Arkal Davis is homeless and has been staying at Chicago O’Hare International Airport for almost a year.

“Like you come here and it’s a safe environment and it’s warm,” Davis said.

But some of the people experiencing homelessness had started to raise concerns. Airport staff members shared pictures of messes made in restrooms and described problems like urine and feces in elevators.

In some cases, some people even threatening staff members with violence.

Lopez shared his thoughts and helped shine a light on the issue this week.

“In certain terminals, it is very much that bad where you’re seeing the homeless using the toilets to bathe themselves, who are relieving themselves wherever they are at,” Lopez said. “This happens nightly. Two to 300 individuals descend on the airport between the hours of 11 and 4 in the morning.”

Travelers said they had started to notice an increase in the homeless population at the airport.

“Oh absolutely, absolutely,” Cedric Crittle said. “The colder it gets the more people there will be.”

Lightfoot responded to the alderman’s comments on Thursday and said she gave clear messages to police and the Department of Aviation to address the matter.

“We absolutely cannot have people sleeping in our airports who are homeless,” Lightfoot said. “We will continue within the bounds of the law to provide support but elsewhere.”

But as of Friday night, elsewhere has been hard for some to find.

“Nowhere to go,” Davis said.

Davis, who has a substance use disorder, has struggled to get a bed in a shelter.

“It’s difficult to find shelter even not being an addict,” Davis said.

He said he and others who were staying at the airport were told they had to leave. But he returned Friday night to panhandle for food before he goes to his new temporary housing.

“The train is what’s been my option,” he said. “The CTA train.”

Travelers feel that there should be some other solution to this problem besides leaving these people to fend for themselves.

“And they have no other place to go,” Crittle said. “Chicago should do better.”

Davis said he would prefer to be in a shelter, but beds are difficult to find.

He felt blindsided when he was kicked out of the airport.

The City of Chicago recently received $60 million in federal funding to help combat homelessness.

Lopez said he would like to see that used to add beds to shelters so people who need housing have somewhere to go.