Chicago’s Mayor Brandon Johnson confirmed that there will be no delay in enforcing the city’s 60-day shelter stay limit for migrants, set to commence on March 16th.
Ronnie Reese, the Communications Director, has affirmed that the March 16th date remains unchanged for the initial group of migrants to transition out of the city’s shelter system.
The decision affects an unknown number of migrants, with estimates suggesting that as many as 5,617 individuals could be required to leave the shelters in March alone, following a decrease in shelter populations from over 14,000 at January’s end to more than 11,000 this week.
The Johnson administration has delayed the implementation of the 60-day stay policy twice before.
The most recent postponement occurred at the end of January due to severe winter conditions and increasing opposition from 16 members of the Chicago City Council, who drafted a letter urging the city to repeal the policy.
The administration’s stance comes amid concerns about the shelter system’s capacity and the financial implications of the city’s migrant support efforts.
This policy, inspired by similar measures in places like New York City, aims to facilitate the transition of migrants into more permanent housing amidst scrutiny over the substantial costs involved in shelter operations and criticism regarding the limited issuance of work permits.
The financial aspect has also drawn attention, with large funds allocated to staffing and shelter operations. This includes $126 million paid to Favorite Healthcare Staffing and $31 million to Equitable Social Solutions.
During its peak, Chicago’s 28 shelters accommodated over 14,000 migrants, with approximately half of them, or 7,500 individuals, ineligible for state-funded rental assistance.
As per city data from late January, only 1,000 work permits had been issued.
The state of Illinois has contributed approximately $45 million to support migrant resettlement efforts, in addition to funding out-migration services.
