Frequently Asked Questions on the Proposed Shelter Ordinance

For decades non-profit organizations and the Village have worked cooperatively and
financially to provide Temporary Emergency Overnight Shelters to the homeless community in
Oak Lawn. Since that time, through the hard work and passion of the shelters in the Village, the
Village of Oak Lawn now has the greatest number of shelters out of the southwest communities
working with Beds Plus, including the recent increase of two additional shelters in 2017 alone.
While the Village certainly supports all of the valiant efforts to assist the homeless in our
community, past incidents raised questions and concerns by the Board and community members
alike regarding the lack of input and regulation of the shelter system within the community and
potential health and safety concerns that could result. To that end, the Village has drafted an
ordinance taking into account the concerns raised by representatives of the shelters. During this
rather collaborative effort, detailed lists of concerns and issues were reviewed and incorporated
by the Village while at the same time being thoroughly vetted by various Village Departments.
Unfortunately, there has been a lot of misinformation and inaccurate claims regarding this
proposal. As such, the following is a clarification of the facts surrounding this matter as well as
responses to numerous questions that have been raised in the last week:

1. Why Wasnt BEDS Plus and its partner churches involved in the initial development of
the ordinance, which seems to be a hurried cut-and-paste job from a consulting law firm?

Response: Discussions with Beds Plus and others has been ongoing for several months.
When information was lacking and when the current codes were found lacking, the Village was
open and transparent when presenting this matter to committee at a public hearing, presenting
this to the Planning and Development Commission, only to have it initially tabled so that further
dialogue could take place. Following that dialogue, it was believed from the Villages
perspective that the proposed Ordinance offered a common ground between stricter regulations
on the one hand and the request to remain unregulated on the other.

2. The Village is requiring the names of all homeless shelter guests. Why are you requiring
that shelters give the village officials a list of shelter guests and the dates of their stay?
We do not even think this is legal. This is a serious privacy issue.

Response: There is no such requirement in the proposed Ordinance and this is factually
incorrect. The proposed Ordinance requires each licensee to keep and maintain records and
make reports. It requires too, that they keep a list of names of all who stay overnight at the
shelter and the dates of the stay. The proposed Ordinance does not even require those lists to
be turned over. Rather, if a request for information is made by the Police Department and the
shelter denies the request for information, the only recourse for the Village would be to obtain a
warrant as required under the law. Finally, the request to maintain records adds no new
requirement to their active operations since they have represented during open session that every
guests name and more personal information is already obtained.

3. The Village only wants shelters to serve Village of Oak Lawns homeless. Why the
requirement that shelters give preference to homeless persons from Oak Lawn? That is
counter to our efforts to work together as an entire BEDS system and counter to our
understanding of ministry.

Response: The original partnership between the various non-profit organizations and the
Village began to address the homeless concerns in the Village of Oak Lawn. This request for a
preference, which would not require removing anyone from a shelter to be replaced with a
homeless person from Oak Lawn, is sought to reinforce the original intent and focus on assisting
those living in Oak Lawn. The proposed Ordinance asks shelters to give preference to Oak
Lawns homeless but does not require that only said individuals are served by the shelters. It
does not require guests to be kicked out of shelters if they are at capacity in exchange for an Oak
Lawn guest. The Village is simply asking for Oak Lawn shelters to focus on Oak Lawns
homeless residents as a priority, if possible.

4. The shelters have been exempted in the past from the Villages Fire Code and requiring
compliance is unduly burdensome. Why the onerous fire code provisions? These are
very cost prohibitive, and almost none of our churches would be able to afford this
requirement and are thus exempt by the Village. If they are not necessary for the church
members, why are they necessary for the patrons who are homeless?

Response: The fire and life safety codes set forth in the Ordinance were adopted by the
Village in 2014. When adopted all business and organizations within the Village were granted a
three year window in which to become compliant by February 2017. To that end, many of the
churches and businesses in the Village are now compliant or continue to work with the Village to
gain compliance. The Village continues to work with organizations and businesses in becoming
compliant and will continue to do so. Finally, even without this Ordinance all current and to be
established shelters are still required to be in compliance.

5. Existing shelters will now be required to get licenses during their current operating
period.

Response: The proposed Ordinance has been altered to require existing shelters to obtain a
license by October 1, 2018 rather than January 1, 2018.

6. Once licensed, the shelters will need to seek a special permit each year.
Response: This is incorrect. For newly established shelters, they will need to only obtain a
special use permit once. Thereafter, no further special use permits will be required. As for
licenses, they will be required to be renewed once per year. This consists of completing a one
page renewal form confirming that the prior information remains correct.

7. Paying for a license is unreasonable.

Response: There is no fee associated with the licenses.

8. Regulating shelters will prevent other shelters from being opened in the Village.

Response: This is factually and legally incorrect. Shelters may still be opened and requiring
a special use to locate and open a temporary emergency overnight shelter is substantially related
to the Villages planning goals of limiting traffic, noise and preserving the aesthetics of the
Village. In addition, licensing requirements further assist in ensuring the health, safety and
welfare of not only the community but also the guests of the shelters.

9. Strict times of operation are too burdensome. Why 8 pm to 8 am? Our shelters currently
open at 7 pm, and there are occasions that patrons would be in the building later than 8
am. And when its bitter cold, mandating when patrons can enter or must leave is
ridiculous and unkind.

Response: Opening shelters early or keeping them open late, due to special events, do not
violate the proposed Ordinance. Operating times have been changed to reflect the current
operating times of existing shelters in the Village. Further, options remain to become flexible in
the time operations for instances of inclement weather.

10. The regulatory system proposed is not consistent with current operations in the shelter
system.

Response: The Village believes this to be inaccurate. During the collaborative effort, the
Village sought input and clarification on operations from several shelter representatives and
incorporated regulations based on their current operations as represented to the Village. While
leaving great flexibility in the day to day operations to the shelters.

11. Why are you limiting sites to a maximum capacity of 25 guests?

Response: This has been changed based on the cooperative discussions with various shelter
representatives. The maximum capacity will now be determined pursuant to the State of Illinois
Fire Marshall requirements.
 12. Why are you requiring a written agreement signed by shelter guests that they understand
their stay is temporary?

Response: The importance of this is to reinforce that the shelters are not intended to be a
permanent residence for their guests. Moreover, it is the Villages understanding, pursuant to
conversations with various representatives, that this is consistent with current operating
procedures at the shelters.

13. Why are you prohibiting all medical or health-related services from being provided at
shelter sites? Homelessness is hard on a persons health, and preventing a shelter site
from having a nurse occasionally visit to do routine screenings or other non-emergency
care seems especially capricious. The prohibition would prevent a nurse from
administering flu shots which are in the interest of the well-being of both guests and
volunteers.

Response: Based on a compromise dialogue with a Beds Plus representative, this portion of
the proposed Ordinance was amended to reflect the ability to provide counseling services, which
is needed in the community. Further, it was stated by our shelters that providing flu shots can be
done at their alternative shelter locations.

14. Why the provision for minimum staffing requirements (1 staff member for every five
guests)? And its unclear on whether church leaders and volunteers may be considered
staff?

Response: This has been changed based on the cooperative discussions with various shelter
representatives. To that end, a minimum of two staff members, either a volunteer or paid
employee, must be present at all times. This is for the safety and security of the guests and the
community.

15. At various points in the ordinance, a distinction is drawn between existing shelters and
potential new shelters. To me, this just reinforces that these proposed standards are not
workable for any existing sites, so why set such standards for potential new sites?

Response: The only new standards for potential new sites is the requirement that they obtain
a special use permit. By requiring a special use to locate and open a temporary emergency
overnight shelter is substantially related to the Villages planning goals of limiting traffic, noise
and preserving the aesthetics of the Village. In addition, licensing requirements further assist in
ensuring the health, safety and welfare of not only the community but also the guests of the
shelters.
 16. Why are you prohibiting serving food? For many, this is the only hot meal they get, and
depriving them of that is cruel and shows utter lack of compassion.

Response: This has been changed based on the cooperative discussions with various shelter
representatives resulting in this prohibition being removed in its entirety.

17. Why the requirement that a shelter not be located within five hundred (500) feet of a
child day care, nursery school or grammar school? This would prohibit many churches
from serving as a shelter site because of their schools or preschools.

Response: These requirements, which are subject to variances for good cause shown, are to
avoid issues with traffic, noise and safety within our single family residences and the congestion
that can arise with such sites new child day care centers or schools which are most often active
when the shelters are closing for the day.

18. Is this just an attempt to force homeless individuals and families into other communities,
as a result of unfounded stereotypes and fears?

Response: No. The Village is proud of the success of the organizations within its community
that are assisting the homeless in their greatest time of need. However, it also recognizes that the
concerns of the community and desire to ensure the safety of the guests at the shelter as well as
their neighbors are adequately protected are equally important.

19. Why the requirements about gender and family configuration? They may be well-
intended but they are potentially inconsistent with HUDs fair housing requirements that
shelters not separate families at entry.

Response: This requirement is based off of the present operations of shelters within our
community and merely codifies those operations in Ordinance form.