>> MOST >> OF US CAN AVOID CHICAGO'S FRIGID TEMPERATURES JUST BY STAYING HOME.

BUT FOR THOSE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, THE SOLUTION IS NOT THAT SIMPLE.

LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS WORK DIRECTLY WITH THOSE INDIVIDUALS HOPING TO PROVIDE RELIEF AND FIND LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS.

JOINING US TO DISCUSS THE MAR MARKET CEO OF THRESHOLD AND REVEREND JACQUELINE, TRISH ACTIVISTS FROM INTERFAITH ROUNDTABLE ON HOMELESSNESS AND THE BRING CHICAGO HOME COALITION.

THANK YOU TO YOU BOTH FOR JOINING US.

MARKET LET'S START WITH YOU.

PLEASE GIVE US A SENSE IF YOU WOULD, OF WHAT THRESHOLD, MAYBE SOME OF YOUR OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT YOU PARTNER WITH ARE DOING TO RESPOND TO THE EXTREME TEMPERATURES LATELY.

>> YES, SO WE WERE ABSOLUTELY PREPARED FOR THIS.

WE A WEEK AGO OR LONGER THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE 40 BELOW 0 WIND CHILL.

AND SO WE PUT A PLAN IN PLACE.

WE KNEW THAT SUNDAY AND MONDAY WE NEEDED 25 PEOPLE OUT AROUND THE CLOCK TO MAKE SURE THAT ANYBODY THAT WAS LIVING IN A PARK IN A TENT UNDER A BIDEN WHERE WE DO OUR HOMELESS OUTREACH ALL THE TIME THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE THERE.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE DID ON SUNDAY AND MONDAY.

WE WERE OUT THERE.

WE'RE ON THE CTA IS WE'RE IN PART.

WE WERE DOWNTOWN AND WE CONNECTED PEOPLE TO WARMING SHELTERS.

WE'VE GOT PEOPLE TO GO TO THE HAROLD WASHINGTON LIBRARY.

WE'VE GOT PEOPLE TO COME TO THRESHOLDS.

WE SAVED LIVES THIS WEEKEND AND THAT WAS OUR GOAL.

>> I WOULD IMAGINE YOU ALSO HAVE TO DO SOME WORK TO PROTECT YOUR STAFF, YOUR TEAM, THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING OUT IN THE VERY COLD SOMETIMES SNOWY TEMPERATURES AS WELL.

ABSOLUTELY.

I MEAN, WE CARE DEEPLY DEEPLY ABOUT OUR STAFF AND WE HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF THEM SO THAT THEY CAN KICK CARE OF THOSE THAT WE SERVE AND THEY WERE PREPARED.

THEY WERE DRESSED WELL, THEY WERE SUPERVISED.

WELL.

>> I WAS TEXTING THE DIRECTOR MYSELF, THE DIRECTOR OF THE HOMELESS OUTREACH PROGRAM TO SAY I'M HERE FOR YOU.

IF YOU NEED ME TO COME OUT ON THE WEST SIDE WHERE I NOT FAR FROM WHERE I LIVE, I WILL BE THERE FOR YOU.

>> HOW WOULD YOU KNOW AS YOUR TEAM'S GOT OUT VOLUNTEERS?

HOW DID YOU FIND FOLKS WERE RESPONDING TO THE COLD?

HOW WERE PEOPLE WHO ARE UNHOUSED, HOW THEY'RE HANDLING IT RESPONDING?

YES, SO, YOU KNOW, WE GENERALLY PEOPLE WITH SERIOUS MENTAL AND ALL THE COMPLICATIONS OF THAT ILLNESS MAKE IT REALLY HARD TO GET PEOPLE TO COME FROM OUTSIDE.

THEY'RE SCARED.

THEY'RE PARANOID.

WHATEVER'S GOING ON.

BUT I THINK OUR TEAMS THAT ARE REALLY GOOD JOB AND WE EXPANDED WELL BEYOND THOSE WITH SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESS DURING THESE KINDS OF CRISIS PERIODS WE SERVE EVERYBODY.

AND AS I SAID, WE GOT 8 PEOPLE INTO THE WARMING SHELTERS THAT WOULD HAVE GONE OTHERWISE WE PAID FOR 5 MOTELS FOR PEOPLE WHO WOULDN'T GO TO WARMING SHELTERS BUT WOULD GO TO A MOTEL.

AND WHAT I TOLD THE RIGHT BEFORE EVERYBODY WENT OUT ON THE STREET IS YOU'RE NOT WORRIED ABOUT MONEY THIS WEEKEND.

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS TO SAVE LIVES AND GET PEOPLE WARM AND GET THEM SAFE.

FIGURE OUT HOW TO PAY FOR IT.

LATER REVEREND HOW HAVE FAITH LEADERS HEADING?

WELL, TYPICALLY RESPOND OR HAVE YOU TYPICALLY BEEN ABLE TO >> SUPPORT PEOPLE WHO ARE UNHOUSED WHO ARE HOMELESS.

>> WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH BRING CHICAGO HOME FOR THE LAST 3 YEARS OF FAITH LEADERS WORKING BEFORE THAT.

BUT WHAT YOU HAVE JUST HEARD AT IS THAT WE NEED CREATE AN OPPORTUNITY THAT WE DON'T HAVE CRISES WHEN THE WEATHER GETS COLD.

GOING TO DO THAT IN THE WINTER WHEN THE WEATHER GETS REALLY HOT.

BUT DO THAT IN THE SUMMER AND SO WAS BEEN CHICAGO HOME, WHICH MEASURE ON THE BALLOT IN MARCH.

WANT EVERYBODY TO VOTE.

YES, WE ARE NOW CREATING A SYSTEM THAT WILL PROVIDE UP FUNDING THAT IS NOT USED ANYTHING BUT TO CREATE HOUSING TO CREATE SERVICES AND TO PROVIDE FOR ASSISTANCE RENTALS SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE 68,000 PLUS MIGRANTS THAT ARE HOMELESS.

WE DON'T HAVE 17,000 STUDENTS WHO ARE HOMELESS.

WE WE NEED TO WORK TOWARD A RESOLUTION OF THE PROBLEM AND THE PROBLEM IT WAS IS VERY INTERESTING.

I I THE DOCTOR SPEAKING THE HOMELESS ISSUE IS NOT BECAUSE OF ONE PERSON WHAT SON DID.

AND THERE'S THAT THIS ALSO SAYS SOCIOLOGICAL ISSUES THAT COME TOGETHER, THE INEQUITIES THAT OFTEN CREATED THE HOMELESS SITUATION A FAMILY OF 4 INDIVIDUAL THAT THAT THOSE NEED TO BE ADJUSTED.

RIGHT NOW WE'RE LOOKING TO WORK TO HAVE WHEN CHICAGO IN PLACE AND FUNDING THAT.

SO ONLY A AND OF COURSE, THE FUNDING THAT YOU'RE REFERRING WITH REGARDS TO THE BRING CHICAGO HOME INITIATIVES, THE REAL ESTATE TRANSFER TAX, WHICH WILL BE ON THE BALLOT >> WHICH CHANGE BE THE REAL ESTATE TRANSFER TAX IN ORDER TO RAISE REVENUE TO HOUSE THE HOMELESS.

>> VIEWERS CAN READ MORE ABOUT IT ON OUR WEBSITE, OF COURSE OF BUT MARK, GOING TO PIVOT BACK TO YOU FOR SECOND.

HAVE YOU ALL NOTICED INCREASED NEED ARE MORE PEOPLE IN NEED OF HOMELESS SERVICES.

>> THE NEED FOR HOUSING SERVICES OF CHICAGO HAS NEVER BEEN GREATER.

I AGREE WITH MY DEAR FRIEND HERE.

IN FACT, THRESHOLD IS ONE OF THE IN THE BRING CHICAGO HOME CAMPAIGN.

YEAH, WE'RE WORKING WITH SOCIAL SERVICE PROVIDERS AND HOUSING PROVIDERS AND HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS ALL OVER THE CITY TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN BECAUSE IF WE CAN MAKE THIS TRANSFER TAX HAPPENED, WE CAN PROVIDE OVER 150 MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR FOR NEW AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND FOR THE SUPPORT SERVICES FOR PLACES LIKE THRESHOLD AND OUR PARTNERS.

SO, YEAH, THE NEED HAS NEVER BEEN GREATER.

>> REVEREND, TELL US A LITTLE BIT MORE, PLEASE ABOUT THE INTERFAITH ROUNDTABLE ON AND IN THE ORGANIZATION OF THE WORK THAT YOU ALL TRY TO DO.

>> SO ROUNDTABLE HAVE WE HAVE CHURCHES, WE HAVE INSTITUTIONS.

WE HAVE JEWISH.

WE HAVE MUSLIM.

ALL OF THE INSTITUTIONS ARE COMING TOGETHER BECAUSE YOU KNOW, WE BELIEVE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOMEBODY DOES THAT HOUSE THE HOMELESS BEAT THE HUNGRY AND WE'RE WORKING BY SHARING INFORMATION WITH OUR CONGREGATIONS AND WITH THE COMMUNITIES.

SO THAT A MARCH 19 PEOPLE VOTE.

YES, WE'VE WORKED HARD FOR THE LAST 5 YEARS.

WE'RE GRATEFUL THAT MAYOR JOHNSON CAME IN AND SUPPORTED THIS AND WE'RE GRATEFUL NOW THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO HAVE IT PLACED ON THE BALLOT ON 19 AND ALL CHICAGO VOTERS HAVE TO VOTE.

YES, ONCE THEY VOTE, YES, WE THEN PROCEED AND HAVE IN PLACE A PROCESS.

SO WE'RE NOT GOING FIND IT WAS PRICES EACH WINTER AND PRICES EACH SUMMER.

>> I'M MARK.

PEOPLE KNOW HOW THEY CAN HELP, RIGHT?

ESPECIALLY AT A TIME LIKE THIS.

IT'S PROBABLY ON ON THE EVERYDAY PERSON'S MIND MORE THAN IT MIGHT TYPICALLY BE, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE WEATHER IS NICE.

WHAT CAN WHAT SHOULD PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT HOW THEY CAN HELP?

YEAH.

SO I MEAN, I THINK WE HAVE TO RECOGNIZE.

PEOPLE WHO ARE UNSHELTERED AROUND HOUSE.

THEY'RE HUMAN BEINGS JUST LIKE THE REST OF US.

THAT HAPPENED TO BE BY THE GRACE OF GOD HOUSED.

>> AND SO TO TREAT PEOPLE WITH KINDNESS AND RESPECT AND LOVE ACKNOWLEDGE THEM.

WHEN YOU SEE THEM, IF YOU CAN HELP THEM, IF YOU CAN GIVE THEM MONEY FOR FOOD OR IF YOU HAVE A BLANKET OR IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING TRY TO DO WHATEVER YOU CAN, OF COURSE, DONATE TO LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE.

VOLUNTEER AT YOUR FOOD PANTRY YOU KNOW, CHICAGO IS A PLACE I THINK FILLED WITH PEOPLE THAT LOVE AND CARE DEEPLY.

AND I THINK DURING THESE MOMENTS WE NEED THAT LOVE AND CARE MORE THAN