City Tells Man To Stop Sheltering The Homeless From The Cold Or They’ll Take His House

thefreethoughtproject.com

"Chicago, IL — When the brutally cold winter struck the Midwest last month, Greg Schiller opened up his empty basement to a group of homeless people who may have otherwise died sleeping out on the street. He offered them food, warm beverages, and cots to sleep on...

'I would stay up all night with them and give them coffee and stuff and feed them,' he said. What’s more, Schiller had a strict policy that no drugs or alcohol were allowed in his home.

This is Schiller’s second year of inviting the area’s homeless into his home. Last year, however, he let them sleep in his garage and even though it was sealed off from the elements, it was still too cold and EMTs were called to help a man with a heart condition. So, this year, he moved the same operation to the basement where it was nice and cozy.

Everything was going great this year until the state stepped in, however. Schiller was essentially told that even though he owns his home, he does not get a say in who gets to sleep in it.

'While we appreciate those who volunteer to provide additional resources in the community, Mr. Schiller’s house does not comply with codes and regulations that guard against potential dangers such as carbon monoxide poisoning, inadequate light and ventilation, and insufficient exits in the event of a fire,' city spokesperson Molly Center said in a statement—as if the homeless population is being forced to stay in this basement.

Once they found out that a good Samaritan would dare challenge their dictate on 'sleeping regulations,' the city sent in police with a warrant and told him to shut it down, or else.

'They shut me down and said I have 24 hours to return my basement to storage and take down – I have several cots with sleeping bags for everybody – or they’ll condemn the house,' said Schiller.

One would think that as this story began to get more coverage in the local press that the government would potentially back off due to backlash from the citizens. However, one would be wrong.

When confronted about the situation, Center issued a statement doubling down on Schiller’s 24-hour notice, adding, 'If not, the City will take additional enforcement action to compel the removal of the unlawful basement sleeping area.'

Aside from essential theft of property via condemnation, Schiller says he was also threatened with a slew of citations. Citations—that would ultimately be enforced with police force.

“I’m trying to help these people get out of the cold,” he told NBC 5. 'There’s not a lot of help for them as far as places to lay their heads.'

Sadly, however, the state would rather see the area’s homeless die—or create a burden on the already over-populated, taxpayer-funded shelters in the area..."