Advocates in Lake County see rise in people experiencing homelessness, some for first time
LAKE COUNTY, Ill. (CBS) — Advocates are seeing more people seeking help for the first time, and officials are pooling their resources to fight the new face of homelessness.
Jane Paglia is getting dinner from a food pantry in a Mundelein motel serving as a homeless shelter.
"I never thought I'd end up in this particular circumstance," she said.
Last year, after a long career, she found herself experiencing homelessness for the first time.
"Got kind of chewed up and spit out by the corporate world," she said.
Alexandria Queen is also experiencing homelessness for the first time. She lives in the same shelter with her five children.
"First it's sad, then it's embarrassing, then being a mother of five, you wonder how you're going to live," she said.
They're part of a rise in homelessness in the area.
"We've seen a lot of new people in our systems that have typically not visited or received services," said Barbara Connet, Northern Illinois Food Bank.
A chart from the Lake County Coalition for the Homeless compares the same day over 25 years. That day last year saw the most homeless people since at least 2009.
The Northern Illinois Food Bank's chart shows that it plans to serve around 570,000 people in suburban Chicago this month, many more than just three years ago.
"Wages are not keeping up with the cost of living, we're seeing inflation we're seeing rising food prices," Connet said.
Allen Swilley is the executive director of the organization PADS of Lake County. He said he's also noticed the concerning trend.
"We have about 85% last year are new to homelessness, so these are people who were just pumping gas next to you or standing next to you, and this trend is causing a new face of homelessness that we might not be prepared for," he said.
But Swilley and Connet are working together to tackle that new face of homelessness.
"Everyone thinks homelessness is just old and don't have money, but it's women, it's children, it's men," Queen said.
Queen had an appointment last week to see an apartment, but the landlord went a different direction. She's planning to see another place this week and is hopeful she can get it for herself and her kids.
