Parents and residents urge Elgin to relocate shelter at Lexington Inn after spike in police calls near EMSA

Parents and other residents pressed the Elgin City Council on May 14 to relocate temporary homeless housing at the Lexington Inn, which lies across the street from the Elgin Math and Science Academy (EMSA).

The appeals followed data shared by the Elgin Police Department showing an unusually high volume of police activity at the Lexington since early 2025. “This is not normal. It's not sustainable, and it's certainly not safe,” EMSA parent Nicole Fornell said, citing police figures that she described during public comment.

Why it matters: Speakers said the Lexington’s calls-for-service and officer-initiated contacts have been far higher than at comparable nearby lodging, creating safety and attendance concerns for families whose children attend EMSA. Parents asked the council for a clear standard that would trigger relocation or other remedies and for urgency in finding an alternative site before summer and the next school year.

What residents said and asked Nicole Fornell said police data show the Lexington had “50 calls for service between January and April this year alone” and “an astonishing 67 officer initiated calls,” which she said was “over 3 times higher than any other property.” She told the council that even if the property is cooperating with city staff, that cooperation does not remove the burden on police resources or the community’s concerns.

“Cooperation after the fact does not mean the underlying problem isn't dangerous or disruptive,” Fornell said, asking the council, “What threshold of calls and incidents would the council deem a site no longer appropriate for this type of program?”

Ling Lau, who identified herself as a parent and data analyst, said an analysis of comparable lodging found calls at other hotels were trending down while calls at the Lexington were rising since the relocation. “The data covered five comparable lodgings nearby. Year over year since 2022, calls have been declining for all the properties but Lexington,” she said, urging the city to acquire a new location quickly.

Marcia Rodriguez, another EMSA parent, asked the council to explain contract dates and any extension timeline. “This raises serious questions. When was the extension agreed upon?” she said, adding that a petition of more than 100 signatures had been presented and that FOIA requests were required to obtain some records the community expected to be publicly available.

What the public record shows Speakers said they were told by city staff that the site did not meet the city’s chronic nuisance standard because the property is cooperating, and so formal chronic-nuisance remedies were not pursued. Residents disputed that cooperation should be dispositive and asked for the city to disclose the metrics the staff uses to evaluate whether a property is appropriate for sheltering or should instead be cited and relocated.

Next steps noted in the meeting Speakers asked the council for a clearer policy and a timetable to secure an alternate shelter location before the 2025–26 school year. Council members directed city staff to take community questions under advisement during the meeting; no new formal council action on the Lexington housing was taken during the session.

Ending: The issue drew sustained public comment and several parents said they would continue to press the council for a firm timeline and clear standards; they urged faster relocation to reduce risks they say endanger students and demand disproportionate police resources.