Among those affected are about 300 people, including children, who live above the stables at the track and must now find new places to live.
For 18-year-old Arleth Roman, Hawthorne has been home for most of her life. She has lived at Hawthorne and, before that, Arlington Park, since she was 5 years old. Her parents work at the track. After recently graduating from high school and planning to attend college, Roman now faces the additional challenge of finding housing.
"It's pretty sad over here. We have friends, family close to each other. Now everyone has to go," Roman said.
Fourteen-year-old Maya Heins and her parents are preparing to move to Kentucky, where they can find work at another racetrack.
"I've been here since I was four. It's a really hard change. I made a lot of friends. Gonna be hard to go, but can't do anything about it," Heins said.
According to the report, Hawthorne's owners attempted to find a buyer who would keep the property operating as a racetrack. Those efforts were unsuccessful, and last month a judge allowed a Delaware company with other plans for the property to purchase it.
"You're uploading a whole community. There's a sense of closeness here. Everybody knows each other," said George Moreno of the Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association.
The closure also affects horse owners and others whose livelihoods have been tied to racing.
"I'm not the only one whose life revolves around horses. And we've been trying to save this place. But there's nothing more we can do," said horse owner Mena Perez.
The situation is particularly difficult for residents of the backstretch, who are losing both their jobs and their homes. Among them is Sylvester Espinosa, who said he has been unable to find housing because prospective landlords are asking for proof of income and a rental history, neither of which he has.
Roman said many residents are seeking help as time runs short.
"It's over now. It is what it is. I'm very sad," she said.
Despite the planned closure of the track, Hawthorne's owners have applied for racing dates for next season. According to information provided in the report, the owners still hold the racing license and are hoping to find a partner to continue racing at another location.