Chicago Storage Building Doubles as Residence for Homeless

A new generation of homelessness flies below the radar at a storage facility in the aorta of Chicago. It's a topic that few care to discuss. The Public Storage building in the River North neighborhood of Chicago is not only home to some Chicagoan's excess belongings, but a residence for individuals, enduring hard times.

At the Public Storage on 362 W. Chicago, a customer, who asked to be referred to as "John"--says, "Three people have been residents for at least a month or more to my knowledge. It becomes apparent that someone is living on the premises, when they're sleeping in a unit at 7 p.m. on a Saturday night."

The first time that John made note of someone living at the storage building, it was an African American woman. When John informed an onsite employee of the situation, the Public Storage agent purported that "she's harmless." Since it was the dead of winter, he ignored the situation.

Over recent months, John noticed that a new resident moved in across from his storage unit. "You feel bad for someone down on their luck. But, it also raises the question of whether your belongings are safe at night."

When John gave me the tip for the story, for obvious safety concerns, I was reluctant to approach a person living in a storage facility. As the deadline for this story drew near, I worked up the courage to investigate and request an interview.

After hours, customers have to punch an access code for entry. The building's side gate allows leasers to exit without having to re-key in a passcode.

On June 30th, I entered the building with a renter, who was transferring items from his storage unit at 8:50 in the morning. I found the semi-homeless man that John reported at his unit on the fourth floor. The transient was not the type of person that one would profile as homeless. About 30 years old, he was immaculate, clad in a pair of cacky shorts and pristine white gym shoes.

When I approached the quasi-homeless gent for an interview, he promised to meet me outside. Patiently, I waited 30-minutes, when he expeditiously bolted past me on a cell phone.

A representative from Public Storage's investor relations declined to comment or return the call. However, a spokesperson of the storage facility in Chicago, asserts that they were unaware of the situation, and plan to investigate.

Please comment if you know someone, who lives in a storage facility or have a strong opinion about this topic.