Chicago's City of (homeless) Children

May 27, 2008

Heated discourse on the Children's Museum, pro and con, has occupied many pages of the Chicago Tribune recently. Expressions of passion and concern for our city's poor children have emerged as part of that discourse, even a suggestion by the mayor to call this the "City of Children."

So, too, has willingness emerged to spend substantial money for the museum - $100 million and the whatever-it-takes cost of legal fees to be paid by Chicago.Chicago Coalition for the Homeless lauds expression of concern for our children by the mayor and other leaders, but we invite attention to be turned fully to the children's greatest concern, a lack of stable, affordable, decent housing.

This year alone there have been 10,349 homeless students identified in the Chicago Public Schools. On any scale, such a thing can only be termed a disaster.

What happens to children when they are homeless? You won't like the answer: they are more likely to be exposed to violence and food deprivation, suffer increased anxiety and depression, have greater rates of developmental delays and behavioral disturbances, experience more untreated or undertreated asthma, have fewer supports to recover from trauma, more hospitalizations and emergency room visits, experience repeated disruption in relationships and social settings, require more special education services and generally have a worse overall health status.

With more than 10,000 of Chicago's children undergoing homelessness, a hefty figure repeated for at least two years, shouldn't housing be our pre-eminent concern for children?We recognize the considerable power of a bully pulpit acting to change the lives of homeless children. And museums are important.

If, for the sake of children we are willing to spend $100 million and more on the museum, then, at least, we ought to be willing to spend the same amount of money and passion to fund and build affordable housing for Chicago's families and their children.

Laurene Heybach - Chicago Coalition for the Homeless