Homeless Mundelein resident urges board to amend public-camping ordinance; police say services were offered

James Holm, a Mundelein resident who said he has been homeless in the village for more than 25 years, used the public-comment period at the Feb. 10 Mundelein Village Board meeting to urge trustees to amend what he identified as Ordinance No. 0241052 because he said parts of it criminalize camping and could punish people who lack shelter.

Holm told the board he had four questions about the ordinance and described three provisions of particular concern: section 4 (which he said declares municipal property “not permitted nor intended to be used in public camping”); section 10(g) (which he said allows substitution of community service for monetary fines); and section 7 (an indemnity clause he summarized as requiring people to accept personal risk). “My name is James Holm and I’m homeless. I have lived in Mundelein more than 25…