World Courant
Chicago is shutting down its migrant-only shelter system and merging it with town’s conventional homeless shelter system.
The Windy Metropolis can also be closing its “touchdown zone” for migrants the place newly arrived migrants get shelter placements and different sources. The touchdown zone will shut on the finish of 2024 and is now solely open from 8 a.m. till 8 p.m., versus additionally being open in a single day.
The strikes come because the variety of migrants arriving within the Windy Metropolis continues to drop. At its peak in late-December, town was housing about 14,900 migrants, however that has fallen to round 5,000, per studies.
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Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is shutting down its migrant-only shelter system and merging it with town’s conventional homeless shelter system. (Vincent Alban/Getty Photos)
The overhaul will see 3,800 beds added to town’s present homeless companies system of three,000 legacy beds in a brand new technique being labeled because the One System Initiative (OSI). The brand new technique goals to streamline operations and scale back the excessive value of working the migrant shelters, which have stretched town’s finances.
“We’re shifting to a more cost effective, equitable, and strategic strategy that addresses homelessness for all who want help within the Metropolis of Chicago,” Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson stated in a press launch asserting the plan on Monday. “This transition is consistent with the sharp decline in migration to Chicago and our present finances realities.”
The press launch states that the OSI is a “unified sheltering system to serve all Chicagoans” which is able to take impact by the brand new yr.
Johnson took a swipe at Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott who started busing 1000’s of migrants to the Windy Metropolis in 2022 due to its sanctuary metropolis standing as Texas struggled to cater to an unprecedented surge of migrants arriving within the Lone Star state beneath the Biden-Harris administration.
“We fought again and confirmed the world simply how welcoming we might be,” Johnson stated at a press briefing, per WTTW.
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Individuals stroll outdoors a migrant shelter on the Decrease West Facet on March 11, 2024, in Chicago. (Individuals stroll outdoors a migrant shelter on the Decrease West Facet on March 11, 2024, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune/Tribune Information Service by way of Getty Photos))
“The efforts on the Texas border by Republican Governor Greg Abbott had been meant to destabilize welcoming cities like Chicago, however the metropolis responded with neighborhood care in welcoming practically 50,000 new arrivals,” the press launch states. “The Johnson Administration is pleased with the Metropolis companies, neighborhood companions and authorities entities who efficiently responded to an unprecedented humanitarian disaster.”
Chicago has obtained greater than 50,000 migrants all through the present disaster, a lot of them households, in keeping with CBS.
With town nonetheless housing practically 5,000 folks in its migrant shelters, considerations are being raised that there won’t be sufficient beds for migrants as soon as the brand new system is in place and the sharp Chicago winter bites. However migrants who get right into a homeless shelter will now not face evictions.
Johnson had tried to lift $100 million by climbing taxes on properties price greater than $1 million in his “Deliver Chicago Dwelling” poll measure, which in the end failed.
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Greater than 1,000 immigrants crossing the Rio Grande in Eagle Move, Texas, final yr. Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott bused 1000’s of migrants to the Windy Metropolis to take care of the disaster. (John Moore/Getty Photos)
The disaster has to date value Chicago taxpayers practically $200 million for the reason that disaster started and town is going through a $982.4 million shortfall in 2025, in keeping with WTTW.
“As an alternative, we are able to solely encumber what our finances permits,” Johnson stated, per WTTV. “However think about the rise in our capability if Deliver Chicago Dwelling had handed.”
“May this result in folks on the road? Look, I’ll be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge the monetary straits that we’re experiencing proper now and the affect that that’s going to have on this mission,” Johnson stated.
Michael Dorgan is a author for Fox Information Digital and Fox Enterprise.
You may ship tricks to [email protected] and comply with him on Twitter @M_Dorgan.
