Arlington Heights officials have been debating what, if anything, to do about people loitering in the downtown area near the Metra station.
Daily Herald File Photo
More than a dozen Arlington Heights residents and social-service advocates on Monday urged village officials to take a compassionate approach to homelessness in the downtown area rather than drafting and enacting an ordinance that would criminalize sleeping on benches or in other public spaces.
Several called for the creation of a task force to address the issue.
“Let’s get to work, not to punishment,” Beth Nabors, CEO of Journeys The Road Home said during a lengthy committee-of-the-whole discussion at village hall.
Arresting people for loitering when they have nowhere else to go is “inhumane” and a waste of municipal resources, the Rev. Martha Ross-Mockaitis said.
But not everyone in the packed boardroom agreed.
Resident Steve Blye fears more people who are homeless will flock to Arlington Heights if word gets out that the village isn’t doing anything about people loitering or camping in town. He also challenged audience members to invite people who are unhoused to temporarily live in their homes or on their lawns.
“There’s a lot of hypocrisy,” Blye said. “You all know who you are, you hypocrites.”
Monday’s discussion was a continuation of a debate that began in July.
The talks were prompted by complaints from downtown condominium owners about people loitering in front of their building. A bench near a high-rise building at Northwest Highway and Vail Avenue reportedly has become a gathering spot and has been claimed by one woman as her home, officials said.
Nearby residents have complained about noise, shouting, littering, public drinking and public urination. Some of the people who have been congregating on the corner are homeless, but not all of them, officials have said.
Representatives of social service groups have said any local ordinance restricting sleeping on public property would be a step toward criminalizing homelessness.
Mayor Jim Tinaglia said everyone in the boardroom knows the problem is sensitive and isn’t going away.
“All we can do is manage it,” he said.
Tinaglia said he’d like to see a consortium of village leaders, groups and experts come together to address suburban homelessness. The board unanimously agreed to pursue such an arrangement.
The board next voted 5-4 to direct staff to develop regulations for camping or sleeping on public property. Tinaglia voted last and broke the tie.
Neither vote was final action on the matter; some trustees said they want to see what the team comes up with so they can vote “yes” or “no” on a specific proposal.
The problem isn’t new in Arlington Heights.
In 2023, the village cracked down on adults who camped in municipal garages and kids who hung out there. Officials also have worked with Metra to reduce similar issues inside the village’s train stations.
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