Almost 25,000 migrants have arrived in Chicago since last year, prompting an urgent response from city and state governments. The state has injected $160 million, and the city has allocated $150 million from its budget to enhance the resettlement process according to WTTW News.
Migrants have been relying on police stations, airports, emergency rooms, and volunteer medical aid for refuge due to inadequate shelter facilities as reported by the Chicago Sun-Times. To tackle this, Gov. J.B. Pritzker plans to spend $65 million on building a winterized shelter for 2,000 migrants over a six-month period. Also aligning with the city's plans is to limit the migrants' stay in city shelters to 60 days, encouraging movement into more secure residences.
Other than shelter facilities, $30 million has been allocated by state authorities to establish a migrant intake center. This will streamline migrants' processing and assistance upon their arrival in Chicago. The remaining $65 million will aid migrants in applying for work permits, housing assistance, and permanent homes. Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle is also proposing a $100 million earmark in 2024's budget to address this issue as per WTTW News.
Chicago officials are also examining other city models like New York's state-funded initiative which they visited last month, as mentioned by the Chicago Sun-Times. Ties with suburbs such as Oak Park and its migrant care initiative suggest potential for learning and further innovation.
