The Chicago Reporter

This story is the first in a multi-part series on the consolidation of the Wicker Park and Humboldt Park Department of Human Services offices and the impact on the communities they serve. It's not just a matter of packing up some desks and file cabinets and moving people a couple of miles away. For some employees and users of the services of the Wicker Park Family Community Resource Center, the coming consolidation into the Humboldt Park office is the latest step in a reduction of services by the Illinois Department of Human Services that has accelerated since the recession. DHS says the scheduled June move is part of a “statewide effort to consolidate offices where appropriate . . .making state services more efficient, while also achieving cost reductions.” Its these expected cuts that have some fearful that funding will be inadequate to run an already overloaded office. “I’m very much against this,” said Stephen Edwards, a human services caseworker at the Wicker Park office. View Larger Map Aside from the anticipated financial burden of adding Wicker Park's 25,000 annual cases, and its 68 employees, Humboldt Park is more difficult to get to, particularly for people with disabilities. “The location we are at is very well situated for public and car transport,” Edwards continued. “It really couldn’t be much better in terms of access to the community [as] all of our cases are north of North Avenue.” The Wicker Park office is near the Milwaukee bus, the Ashland bus, the Division bus and the Blue line. Meanwhile, the Humboldt Park office is a ten minute walk from the nearest Blue line, and because it is further west, the buses run less often than those closer to Wicker Park. “The California bus takes forever and a day,” said Ivelisse Baughns, a human services caseworker in the Humboldt Park office. Baughns said she used to take the bus to work before she had a car, and is familiar with the difficulties of getting to the office. Edwards says he is particularly worried about clients who come to the office to see the Department of Rehabilitative Services, and users of the service agree. Larry Biondi, advocacy coordinator with Progress Center, who is in a wheelchair and speaks with the assistance of a voice translator, said: “It’s going to be hard for people to get there.” An upc