The Chicago Coalition for the Homeless (CCH) has just released a study contending that there are far more homeless in Chicago than we think.
The CCH study includes in its counts the “invisible homeless” who are living doubled-up with friends and relatives. The City of Chicago, which has a 10-year plan to minimize the homelessness problem, counts only 1/5th as many homeless, and doesn’t include the doubled-up, according to the relatively balanced Sun-Times reporting.
This study appears to be shamelessly timed to capitalize on your guilt and sympathy at holiday time. After looking at the media attention this study’s generated, I’m led to think that — like cops — there’s never a Scrooge around when you really need one.
Anyone else up for a rousing “Bah, humbug!” for the 19-member CCH staff, that appears to have so few real accomplishments to show for its existence? Are there too many organizations chasing too few homeless to too little effect in Chicago?