New shelter for Chicago migrants opens near CPD HQ
City working on moving Wadsworth Elementary School migrants into permanent shelter
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Finding shelter for migrants arriving in Chicago has been a struggle felt all over the city. Now the latest temporary shelter is open right near Chicago Police Headquarters at 35th Street and Michigan Avenue.
An empty health center is being used to house single men. They began moving in just hours after a last-minute, contentious community meeting was held Wednesday night informing the public.
The city said moving fast is necessary because so many migrants continue to arrive daily
"We get notice a day ahead at times, sometimes even less than that, so we have to be ready when they arrive; our teams jump into action to receive them," Deputy Mayor Beatriz Ponce de Leon said.
Ponce de Leon is the city's new deputy mayor of Immigrant, Migrant and Refugee Rights. She said since July 1, a busload of about 50 migrants arrives daily.
"We have over 5,300 staying at our city shelters across Chicago and really spread out across the neighborhoods; there are 947 at police stations," Ponce de Leon said.
The Bronzeville facility is the latest shelter to open. The city was also considering the Taylor Park Field House, but 3rd Ward Alderwoman Pat Dowell was concerned about moving park district programming. Other aldermen have also ruled out park district facilities.
"I will not take in my park districts because I have a community full of young people and seniors who like to use those parks," 20th Ward Alderman Jeanette Taylor said.
While a park district facility is not an option in Taylor's ward, over 600 migrants continue to live at the old Wadsworth Elementary School, where some neighbors say there have been issues, including a fight last Friday.
"Yes, there are some bad apples. That is messing it up for everyone else, and the neighborhood is fed up with it," 20th Ward resident Luis Cardona said.
Taylor said the city is working on moving the Wadsworth migrants into permanent shelter.
"I've been told they are actually not going to put any more migrants in. They are actually transferring people out," she said.
