* From the City of Chicago…

First, in partnership with the State of Illinois, the City is increasing personnel at the landing zone to help new arrivals reunite with their friends, family or verified sponsors. For many new arrivals, Chicago is not the final destination. By aiding new arrivals at the point of arrival, the City can save space in the shelter system for those individuals and families who plan to stay in Chicago.

Second, the City is regulating “rogue buses” which cause unnecessary logistical obstacles for intake and put the lives of new arrivals in danger – particularly as the temperatures drop. New regulatory tools will allow the City to cite and fine bus companies that disregard curfews, landing zone locations and loading/unloading protocols.

The bus companies are making so much money off those trips that they may not care about tickets, but we’ll see.

* The city explains its new 60-day exit notice policy for shelters…

Finally, the City will implement a limited stay policy along with additional supports from the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS). For individuals and families currently in City shelters, the City will be issuing 60-day exit notices in waves based on their arrival date to shelter.

• New arrivals who entered shelter in 2022 will receive a 60-day notice beginning 11/17/2023 [today]. Approximately 50 people will receive notices in this group.

• New arrivals who entered shelter between 1/1/2023 - 7/31/2023 will begin receiving 60-day notices on 12/4/2023. Approximately 3,000 people currently in shelter arrived in this timeframe.

• New arrivals who entered shelter between 7/31/2023 - 11/16/2023 will begin receiving 60-day notices on 2/1/2024. Approximately 8,800 people currently in shelter arrived in this timeframe.

• All new arrivals to shelter on or after 11/17/2023 will receive a 60-day notice upon intake.

* From the FAQ…

Will residents be eligible for an extension if they have not made other arrangements by the end of their 60-day stay?

• Under extenuating circumstances individuals may be granted temporary extensions. This includes medical crises or extreme cold weather.
• Individuals with a signed lease with a move-in date after the end of their 60-day period may receive an extension until their move-in date.

If individuals are not eligible for an extension, what happens if someone doesn’t have somewhere to go at the end of their 60-day stay?

If other arrangements have not been made and the resident is not eligible for an extension at the end of their 60-day stay, they may return to the landing zone and request a new shelter placement.

If someone is in the housing process, are they eligible for an extension?

Residents should make every effort to apply for rental assistance during their 60-day period. In order to apply for rental assistance, a lease must be secured. If a lease is secured and the rental assistance application has been submitted prior to the end of their 60-day stay, an extension may be granted through their move-in date (i.e., start of the lease, including utilities being established).

What type of help will new arrivals receive to support their resettlement?

Rental assistance

• Our goal is to leverage all resources to assist with resettlement efforts.
• Rental assistance may be available to eligible households:
o Shelter residents who arrived to shelter on or prior to November 16, 2023, will maintain eligibility to apply for rental assistance.
o Shelter residents who arrived to shelter on or after November 17, 2023, will not be eligible for rental assistance.

• All new arrivals will remain eligible for the following resources: IDHS public benefits via Victims of Trafficking, Torture, or other serious Crimes (VTTC), a health home via Cook County Health, assistance with school enrollment at Chicago Public Schools, and other resources and supports available through the Illinois Welcoming Center network: https://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=146538

* Kirstin Chernawsky, the Associate Secretary of Early Childhood, Family & Community at the Department of Human Services, explained the new, shortened rental assistance program yesterday…

The Asylum Seeker Emergency Rental Assistance Program, previously was a three-month with the option to renew for an additional three months for up to a total of six months. In shortening it to three months, there’s two main priorities.

The first is that we currently have enough funds left in that program to reach everyone that is currently in shelter. So the folks that are in shelter that have been demonstrating that they are working towards finding independent housing will have access to that program.

This allows us to tell all new arrivals, there is no more emergency rental assistance available, so that folks who are choosing to come to Chicago understand what it is that they are coming into.

For the individuals that will be going from the up to six months to the up to three months, they will continue to have a variety of wraparound supports available to them while they are living in independent housing that will allow them to maintain that housing. Through case management, through the Illinois coalition of Immigrant and Refugee Rights, through the ongoing Illinois welcoming center program through partnerships they’re making with New Life and the supplies New Life is providing them so that they are set up to succeed in that independent housing.

We feel that this shift from six to three months will still allow folks to continue along their journeys to independence.

Chernawsky said the new program starts today. The clock starts ticking when migrants arrive in shelters. So, if they’re at O’Hare, that doesn’t count toward the three months.

* Matt DeMateo, the CEO of New Life Centers, spoke at yesterday’s Pritzker press conference announcing the state’s new migrant initiative. New Life Centers, he said, has helped resettle 1,500 families (5,400 individuals) since May of this year…

I’m hopeful for the future because the systems we are building now will create the pathways to care for all of the unhoused in Chicago. Let me say that again. I’m hopeful for the future because the systems we are building now will create the pathways to care for all of the unhoused in Chicago. It’s not either/or. It’s both/and. And not just a token statement, but truly building the systems of care that will change our city going forward to build a strong safety net for our city’s most vulnerable populations and strengthen the partnership with government resources and community based leadership.

Sounds good, but I’ll believe it when I see it.

* More from Isabel…

* Crain’s | Pritzker raps Johnson migrant response while unveiling $160M in state aid: The $160 million will be provided in three buckets: $30 million to create a “large intake and welcome center” at an undisclosed location, $65 million to help Chicago establish a tent base camp to provide shelter for up to 2,000 people at a time and another $65 million to help coordinate the resettlement of migrants, including rental assistance.

* Tribune | State pouring $160 million more for Chicago asylum-seeker relief efforts as winter approaches: The state will start cutting off a rental assistance program for new arrivals who aren’t already in the city’s shelter system and will begin looking to help asylum-seekers relocate to other parts of the country, while the city this week said it is implementing a 60-day limit for migrant stays at city shelters.

* AP | Illinois earmarks $160 million to keep migrants warm in Chicago as winter approaches: Illinois has already spent or committed more than $638 million to address the humanitarian asylum seeker crisis, officials said. The additional funds will come from the Illinois Department of Human Services. Chicago is in charge of housing new arrivals and has also spent hundreds of millions of dollars trying to accommodate them.

* ABC Chicago | Governor JB Pritzker outlines plans for migrant intake center, funds for shelter: Cook County is expected to announce plans for a new $90 million fund to help migrants, with $70 million going to healthcare and another $20 million going to suburbs willing to help in the migrant crisis.

* WGN | Gov. Pritzker announces $160M in funding for migrant emergency response: As part of the plan, the governor aims to submit at least 11,000 work permit applications. It’s an effort already underway through workshops with legal aid providers and pro-Bono attorneys.

* WTTW | Gov. J.B. Pritzker Announces Plan to Spend Additional $160M to Care for Migrants as Winter Looms: “We’re stepping in here to try to help and accelerate this process,” Pritzker said. “It isn’t moving fast enough. That’s why you are still seeing people on the street. We just can’t have people on the street. We can not have people freezing on the streets of Chicago as we head into very cold weather.”

* CBS Chicago | Gov. Pritzker: City has not moved fast enough to provide more shelter for migrants: “The city’s been operating its own methodology process, right? And it hasn’t moved fast enough,” Pritzker said. “So we’ve done a complete data analysis of everything that’s happened really for the last 14 months to determine exactly where the bottlenecks are, and so we’re bringing our resources in to try to flatten out those bottlenecks, make sure that people are moving through faster, and make sure that the city is building shelters faster.”

* ABC Chicago | Mayor Brandon Johnson expected to provide details on migrant plans: Mayor Brandon Johnson is expected Friday to release more details about his migrant policy. This comes after Governor JB Pritzker pledged more money to help deal with the crisis with more arrivals expected. Earlier this week, Johnson announced “We are addressing the anxiety and fear that people have, whether you are a taxpayer or whether you are someone who is seeking asylum in the city of Chicago,” Johnson said.