CITY HALL — City Council is set to vote on spending another $70 million in city funds for migrant services — just five months after Mayor Brandon Johnson’s 2024 budget allocated $150 million for new arrivals this year.
The Committee on Budget and Government Operations voted 20-8 Monday in favor of the appropriation, which comes after the state of Illinois and Cook County pledged $250 million this year for shelter, health care and other services for migrants coming to Chicago and Illinois.
That initial announcement followed a “long-term planning exercise” conducted this winter by state, county and city officials which determined local governments needed another $321 million to maintain shelters and services in 2024, according to a news release in February.
That announcement did not include any funding commitment from the city of Chicago, which had allocated the $150 million in its 2024 budget in the fall. News reports at the time suggested Johnson had initially committed to asking the City Council for the additional $70 million before backing away from that promise.
Two months later, Johnson’s administration is now asking alderpeople to approve that very sum, which will come from the city’s “assigned fund balance reserve” from 2022. Those are surplus funds that were “set aside in case additional resources were needed to support the new arrivals mission,” city budget Director Annette Guzman told alderpeople Monday.
The full City Council could vote on the proposal as soon as Wednesday.
The latest funding increase comes as the number of asylum seekers living in city-run shelters has dropped significantly this winter and spring — although it’s widely expected more migrants will arrive in Chicago this summer ahead of the Democratic National Convention.
As of this week, 9,173 asylum seekers are living across 18 city shelters, down from almost 12,000 at the end of February and almost 15,000 at the end of December, according to city data. The city has also closed 10 shelters since the beginning of the year, including several that had been in Park District field houses.
Under the latest funding arrangement, the state is pledging $182 million as part of Gov. JB Pritzker’s proposed budget for the 2025 fiscal year, according to a February news release. Cook County, which has been handling health care costs for migrants, will contribute up to $70 million.
Guzman said the city funds, on top of an additional $48 million in state and federal dollars approved by the committee on Monday, are a big step toward creating one unified, streamlined shelter system for all unhoused people, instead of the separate systems for migrants and everyone else.
“This funding request is based on a rigorous analysis of arrival patterns over the past two years, ensuring that the city will be prepared should there be any sudden increases in new arrivals sent by Texas Governor Greg Abbott,” according to a statement from the Mayor’s Office last week.
“This funding enables the city to provide greater coordination, collaboration, and resources dedicated to the Mission, and continue investments toward building a unified shelter system to provide care and support for anyone experiencing homelessness, both new arrivals and other Chicagoans in need.”
The added funding comes six months after numerous alderpeople — critics and allies of Johnson — questioned whether the city’s initial $150 million would be enough for all of 2024.
Alderpeople were again divided on Monday over the latest spending ask, with several worried lifelong Chicagoans were being left out while asylum seekers get more support.
Ald. Chris Taliaferro (29th) cited the lingering fallout from last summer’s West Side flooding as one example of how he believes migrants have been prioritized over longtime residents.
Almost a year later, West Siders are still dealing with water damage and high repair costs.
“The reason I can’t support this measure today is because we have forgotten about the residents that live here, to the tune of those that experienced millions of dollars in damage in their homes last year,” he said. “I understand caring for others; we have to do that, as well. But as a blended family in this big city, you have to take care of those that are living here, as well.”
Supporters of the proposal argued if the money is not approved, migrants could end up back living in police stations, parks and on the street.
“If we no longer had shelters operating, any at all, it’s not like the people that are in them are going to disappear into thin air. We would see them on our viaducts, on our streets, in tents on the street, begging for everything else,” said Ald. Andre Vasquez (40th), the council’s immigration committee chair.
“I think it’s irresponsible to not vote for the $70 million, potentially, because of how much worse things can get.”
Vasquez also said Monday he believes the state of Illinois had committed to providing additional resources for migrants in Chicago since its initial funding announcement was made in February, something Guzman confirmed but offered few details on.
“The state was going to be closing their one shelter that they currently have, with no understanding if they were going to bring any additional beds online,” Guzman said. “And so now, in addition to the shelter that they had set up, they’re opening up one on the South Side of Chicago by May and then additional beds, up to 2,000 additional beds, by the end of spring.”
Pritzker spokesperson Alex Gough said in an email he did not have any additional details to share “at this time. But we have committed to helping the city open more shelter capacity and we remain committed to those plans.”
Ald. Nicole Lee (11th), whose ward includes Chinatown and Bridgeport, questioned the city’s budget and finance team at length about the money and how it was being allocated.
Lee said she would ultimately support the proposal, but she urged Johnson’s administration to be more transparent with alderpeople and the public about new spending for migrant services.
“I think that I speak for a lot of my colleagues in that the transparency has a lot of room for improvement,” she said. “If we’re going to be asked to approve this kind of supplemental funding, we absolutely on behalf of our constituents have to have transparency around how these funds are being spent and the difference that it’s making.”
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