Chicago closes two migrant shelters, reducing available beds to 2,600

CHICAGO (WGN) — As of Tuesday, two more migrant shelters closed in the City of Chicago.

With two additional shelters closed — One on North Ogden Avenue in West Town, the other near the intersection of West 22nd Street and South Halsted Street in the Lower West Side neighborhood — there are now 15 migrant shelters still operating in Chicago, with approximately 2,600 available beds spread amongst them.

“The shelter fulfilled its mission,” said Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th Ward).

The latter of the two shelters hit headlines last year as the place where 5-year-old Jean Carlos Martinez Rivero died of Sepsis. Sigcho-Lopez said there were a lot of people living there at one point in time.

“At one point, we hosted almost 2,600 people there,” Sigcho-Lopez said. “That is not the way to address the issue of unhoused residents across the city.”

A third migrant shelter found in the 4900 block of South DuSable Lake Shore Drive is set to close on Oct. 21. Once shuttered, about 3,000 beds will have been eliminated from use at the city’s migrant shelters.

City officials said they have been working in tandem with Cook County and the State of Illinois to determine the needs of migrants who are already in Chicago and plan for any more expected or unexpected arrivals in the city.

But one massive problem that still exists is Chicago’s homeless population.

According to the Chicago Coalition to end Homelessness (CCH), their latest report in August 2023 estimated around 68,440 people experienced homelessness in the city in 2021. Sigcho-Lopez told WGN News there are at least 80,000 vacant units within the city’s private sector where work could be done to help get roofs over the heads of people who need them.

“There are, at the same time, 80,000 units that are empty,” Sigcho-Lopez said. “So, we are looking into ways we can partner with other levels of government and other private partners so we can make sure we fulfill those vacancies [and] work with the state government to make sure we also resettle people in a more dignified way.”

One measure being considered by the city to improve housing the homeless is the One System Initiative.

According to an April 2024 article from the Chicago Tribune , the One System Initiative will shift a “permanent shelter management to the non-profit workforce,” Illinois Department of Human Services spokesperson Daisy Contreras said in a statement to the Tribune, which would merge integration services for migrants and homeless housing initiatives all under one roof, and cut back on costs incurred from the current migrant shelter management system.

Amid criticism for the current migrant shelter management company, Favorite Healthcare Staffing, the city renewed its contract with Favorite late last October 2023.

At the time of Martinez Rivero’s death, the city had spent about $94 million for Favorite Healthcare’s services — nearly 70% of its allotted budget for migrant arrivals at that point.

It is unclear if the city will renew its contract with Favorite for another year, or whether there has been progress on implementing the One System Initiative into law.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV.