By Larry Loughlarry@thewoodstockindependent.com Woodstock’s most prominent “tent city” for homeless residents has been evacuated at the request of the property owner in a hurried process marked by what was described by one advocate for the “unhoused” as uncoordinated among agencies that serve that population. The encampment for the homeless, off the back parking lot of […]
Woodstock’s homeless assistance center, operating in the former city fire station at South and Throop streets for the past four years, will close this week. A news release from the city on Friday said OFAC – Old Firehouse Assistance Center – would end operations Thursday, Nov. 21. City Manager Roscoe Stelford said that decision was […]
During the recent polar vortex, many Woodstock residents sought shelter in the warmth of their homes; schools were closed, and some businesses also were closed. But there was a population of chronically homeless people who did not have a place to call home when the wind chills approached 50 below – and there was one […]
During a 10-day period in early May, the Woodstock Police Department reported making 16 arrests. The home address for eight of them was listed as “transient.” In a word more familiar to Woodstock, they were homeless. “I would not phrase it as a crackdown,” Police Chief John Lieb said. “I would describe it as a […]
Van Brautigam Van Brautigam, originally from McHenry County, suffered a brain injury in a childhood accident that has left him unable to work. He is receiving federal Supplemental Security Income; however, that income is not enough to live independently in McHenry County. Van said he moved back to this area after a short residency in […]
Part of the conundrum facing communities that want to “solve” homelessness is that the problem does not have a single cause. Moreover, a combination of two or more factors often lies at the root of a person’s homelessness. Homelessness tends to happen in stages. It might start by living with family or friends, a stay […]
ABOUT THIS SERIES Woodstock attracts people who are homeless because, as the county seat, many agencies are here to serve them. In this three-part series, The Independent will examine the problem, the people, and the plan to manage services for the homeless. Today: The Problem – While local officials have taken some interim actions, they seek […]
Larry Lough is editor of The Independent and reports local news.
Janet Dovidio has been a freelance correspondent for The Independent for eight years.
Susan W. Murray wrote for The Independent, covering various beats, from 2005 to 2008.
Tricia Carzoli is a freelance writer and photographer that on community news.
