The sight of people selling copies of StreetWise, the country’s oldest newspaper for the homeless, is common throughout Chicago—but those individuals may be gone soon.
Officials connected with the 16-year-old nonprofit issued a press release April 14 acknowledging its current financial hardship and “impending closure.” The situation has become so critical that 1st Ward Alderman Manuel Flores introduced a resolution, heard at a city council hearing April 15, to call attention to StreetWise’s crisis.
During the hearing, Flores said the City Council is prepared to support StreetWise by using funds earmarked for workforce development and homeless prevention. StreetWise Editor Suzanne Hanney e-mailed Windy City Times that the newspaper’s staff members “were absolutely heartened by the aldermen’s response.”