Chicago to merge migrant shelters with state homeless system.

Major Changes to Chicago’s New Arrivals Mission Ahead of Winter

On Monday, Mayor Brandon Johnson announced significant modifications to Chicago’s New Arrivals mission as winter approaches. The initiative, which supports migrants and homeless individuals, will transition to a more strategic approach in the new year.

“We are shifting from a large-scale crisis response to a more cost-effective, equitable strategy that addresses homelessness for everyone in need,” Johnson stated. He emphasized the creation of a “one-shelter initiative” designed to assist anyone experiencing homelessness, whether newly arrived or long-term residents facing difficulties.

In recent months, the influx of asylum seekers to Chicago has slowed. Starting January 1, 2025, the city will implement a “One System Initiative” to tackle homelessness comprehensively. Over the past two years, nearly 50,000 asylum seekers have arrived in Chicago, prompting this shift from an emergency response to a longer-term strategy for addressing homelessness.

Beginning November 1, resources for new arrivals will be significantly restricted, and extensions for individuals currently in shelters will be discontinued.

By January 1, the city will maintain 6,800 shelter beds available to anyone facing homelessness, eliminating the previous exit policy. However, it remains unclear how the city will determine eligibility for these shelter beds. Mayor Johnson acknowledged that the city will still fall over 4,000 beds short of meeting the needs of all those experiencing homelessness.

“This budget reflects what we can do at this moment, and I’ve committed to investing in our people,” he noted. The phase-out of the New Arrivals operation is set for the end of 2024, with the first phase of transitioning to the One System Initiative beginning in 2025.

This new approach is driven by a decline in asylum seeker arrivals, financial constraints, and the goal of treating all individuals experiencing homelessness equitably, without distinct categories of need. Currently, the city is providing support to 5,000 migrants across 13 shelters, with an overall shelter capacity of 8,000 beds for all unhoused individuals.

According to Alderman Andre Vasquez, chair of the committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights, around 1,200 people may find themselves without shelter as a result of these changes, raising concerns about accommodating their needs. He suggested that this could deter asylum seekers from coming to Chicago.

Starting January 1, individuals experiencing homelessness will need to call 311, and shelter placements will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. There will no longer be an exit policy, allowing individuals to remain in the system without a set departure date, according to Commissioner Brandie Knazze of Family and Support Services.

However, some mutual aid groups have expressed concerns that relying solely on 311 may leave new arrivals without adequate support. Annie Gomberg, a volunteer with Migrant Mutual Aid, stated, “We need to build trust in 311, as the system is currently inadequate for addressing the needs of the unhoused in Chicago.”

While Gomberg supports the mayor’s one-shelter system for its equitable nature, she highlighted that migrants and Chicago’s existing homeless population have vastly different requirements. “Our existing homeless population has diverse needs that require specific social services, which may not align with those of newly arriving migrants,” she said.

This year, the city allocated $150 million for migrant care, but the mayor has not disclosed next year’s budget figures. A clearer picture will emerge with Johnson’s budget release on October 30. Faced with a significant deficit, Johnson intends to request substantial support from the City Council to finance the new plan.

Johnson also criticized the business community for undermining his Bring Chicago Home initiative, which aimed to generate $100 million for homelessness solutions. “Unfortunately, those scare tactics have left us in this situation, forcing us to do everything within our means,” he commented.

Key Changes to Chicago’s Migrant Program Include:

Elimination of 30-day shelter extensions based on Public Benefit enrollment for current and new entrants in the New Arrivals shelter system.
Limiting first-time shelter placements at the Landing Zone to families and individuals who have been in the country for 30 days or less.
Adjusting Landing Zone hours to match state intake center hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. starting November 1, 2024.
Closing the Landing Zone and the state of Illinois intake center by December 31, 2024.
Implementing a shelter decompression schedule to meet the target of 2,100 city-funded beds by the end of 2024.
NEWS DESK
PRESS UPDATE