For many families in the Chicago area, finding a permanent place to live can be a real struggle. Such is the case for Alicia, her partner and her six children ages 1 to 14. Since May 2023, the family says they have been living in their mini-van. Sandra Torres has the story.
Update: One day after NBC Chicago shared their story, Alicia’s family has found themselves on a pathway to permanent housing. You can find our update here. Our original story continues below.
For many families in the Chicago area, finding a permanent place to live can be a real struggle.
Such is the case for Alicia, her partner and her six children ages 1 to 14. Since May 2023, the family says they have been living in their mini-van.
"This is our home right now," Alicia told NBC Chicago as she showed a van parked in an empty lot in the city's South Austin neighborhood.
NBC Chicago reporter Sandra Torres first met the family after hearing from State Representative La Shawn Ford, who created a GoFundMe page to raise money for the family.
Day and night, the family parks their mini-van in the empty lot. It's not comfortable, especially at night, but Alicia said it's their only choice to keep their kids safe.
"One person has to stay up while the other person watches our surroundings," Alicia said. "The kids wake up on and off … they cant stretch much."
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Before the van became their home, the family lived with Alicia's father. But back in May, her father passed away after what she said was a tragic attack.
"It was devastating… it was always me and my daddy.. before the kids," said Alicia. "And while dealing with the loss of my daddy, we lost our place to live."
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Alicia's partner and father of her children, works full-time at a local restaurant. While the family is grateful to have some money coming in, it's not enough to afford a home. And feeding the children, has become a daily struggle.
"It's hard… especially when they ask you for certain stuff and you cant get it or they say they're hungry and you can't feed them," she said. "Sometimes you feel you're failing as a mother."
When Ford learned about the family's living situation, he said he decided to reach out to them to see how he could help.
"This is painful for the mother and father to not to have bare necessities for their children," said Ford. "I wanted to see how I could help."
Ford said he found out the family has been on a waiting list for affordable housing through the Chicago Housing Authority. He is now working with the agency to try to accelerate the process, considering their situation.
"We are hoping she can get her emergency voucher pulled and get emergency housing now," said Ford.
Through the work of NBC Chicago's documentary, "Homeless Youth: An Invisible Crisis," we learned affordable housing is one of the biggest challenges in Chicago, according to the Chicago Homeless Coalition.
Alicia said she understands her family is not the only one facing housing insecurities and appreciates any help provided.
"It's sad… everyone has their own problems. I wish we could all get help. I don't want anyone to be in my predicament," she said.
Aside from housing, Alicia said her priority is also to get her children enrolled in school. Without an address, she did not know how to navigate that process.
NBC Chicago reached out to Chicago Public Schools officials to see what options the family had. A spokesperson said the children can be enrolled without a permanent address.
CPS reported that as of April 2023, at least 16,844 students identify as STLS, or students in temporary living situations. Students enrolled in the program have access to numerous resources through the program, which Alicia and her children can enroll in.
"I want them to go to school and be comfortable instead of being in a car every day in the sun… it's hot," Alicia said.
In the meantime, NBC Chicago also reached out to local organizations to see what resources the family can have access to.
The organization BUILD Chicago in the South Austin Neighborhood welcomed them with open arms. They're allowing the family to use their facilities so the children can take a shower. The organization is also connecting the family with a case manager so they can navigate the process of finding a permanent home.
