Elgin mayor: 'We will do the best we can' to take care of homeless

Elgin is committed to helping the homeless in partnership with local service agencies, Mayor David Kaptain said Thursday during an event announcing federal grant money for the effort.

"Homelessness is a big concern for Elgin," Kaptain said. "We've taken some bad press in the last month, and I am happy to see that the money is being directed into the hands of professional people that direct their efforts in a proper way, to provide proper services and proper treatment for people that are homeless."

Kaptain referred to media attention garnered by resident Greg Schiller, who last month set up cots for the homeless in his unfinished basement. He was ordered to stop by the city due to safety concerns.

One previously unreported fact was that city inspectors told Schiller he could bring the homeless into his residence if he wished, Kaptain said.

"We will do the best we can do to make sure that our residents, and that people that are in the city of Elgin that are homeless, are taken care of and are safe," Kaptain said.

This year, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development allocated a record $1.77 million in homeless assistance to agencies throughout Kane County, a nearly 9 percent increase over last year. That includes nearly $646,000 to Ecker Center for Mental Health in Elgin, which provides rental housing programs and supportive services for homeless people with mental illness.

Those are among "some of the most vulnerable populations we serve," said Joseph Galvan, HUD's Midwest regional administrator, who attended the event staged at city hall. Galvan, who lives in Elgin and ran for mayor in 2015, also praised the city for its work.

"As a resident, it warms my heart," he said.

Ecker is getting 2 percent less money than last year, but that's because HUD in 2017 allocated extra money that was not spent, said Rick Vander Forest, the organization's residential and facilities director.

The agency has 36 people in its HUD housing program, all of whom suffer from chronic mental illness that contributed to their homelessness, Vander Forest said. Ecker works to secure food and housing for them while helping them learn to manage their medications and start contributing to society, such as by volunteering, he said.

Ecker is among 25 organizations in the Continuum of Care for Kane County, a collaborative that tackles homelessness and ensures that "federal and state dollars are put to good use," said Scott Berger, director of Kane County's office of community reinvestment. Other recipients of HUD money this year are Hesed House in Aurora, Lazarus House in St. Charles and Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans in Wheaton.

The homeless population in Kane County has decreased by 20 percent since 2010, Galvan said. At the last point-in-time count in January 2017, there were 360 homeless people in Kane County, data show. Overall there were 10,798 homeless people in Illinois.

Most of the homeless population in Kane County lives in communities along the Fox River, mainly Elgin and Aurora, which have the most social service agencies, Berger said. Precise numbers by community are not available, he said.