Homelessness in Chicago Surges Amid Influx of Migrants into Shelters
Homelessness in Chicago has surged significantly as the sanctuary city struggles to accommodate an overwhelming number of migrants seeking shelter.
Recent data released by the city shows that there were over 18,800 homeless individuals on a single night last January, marking an increase of more than 6,100 compared to the same day a year prior, according to a report by Fox News.
More than 13,600 of the homeless were classified as “sheltered new arrivals” and over 14,000 were “unsheltered new arrivals.” “Non-new arrivals” increased from 970 to 1,422, and those in shelter increased from 2,973 to 3,523.
The spike in homelessness coincides with the arrival of numerous migrants who have taken up space in shelters and established encampments on the streets.
“Since August 2022, Chicago has welcomed over 40,000 New Arrivals arriving from the southern border, many of whom have needed shelter and services,” the city stated. “The largest increase in this year’s Shelter Count was due to the continued influx of New Arrivals to Chicago in 2023.”
Maura McCauley, managing deputy commissioner for the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services, commented to the Chicago Sun-Times, “We were anticipating this increase, but we also, at the same time, increased our shelter capacity more than five times.”
“If we hadn’t done that, we really think that we would have seen a really unprecedented and tragic increase in our unsheltered population,” she added.
In response to the crisis, the Chicago City Council recently approved an additional $70 million to address the situation, an amount to be added on top of the $150 million already allocated for migrant care in the city budget. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has also called on the federal government for more funding and expedited work permits for migrants seeking asylum.
