Mayor Brandon Johnson Merges Shelter Programs, Closes Migrant ‘Landing Zone’ in Chicago
New Shelter Intake Center Opened on Lower West Side
Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration closed the city’s landing zone for newly arrived asylum seekers slightly ahead of schedule, announcing Friday a new shelter intake center on the Lower West Side open to anyone experiencing homelessness.
Background on the Migrant ‘Landing Zone’
The landing zone, located at 800 S. Desplaines St. in the West Loop, was established by former Mayor Lori Lightfoot in 2022 in response to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott busing thousands of asylum seekers to Chicago and other liberal-leaning cities.
New Shelter Intake Center
The city opened a new intake center at 2241 S. Halsted St. that will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week with capacity for 200 beds and available for single adults, said Maura McCauley, first deputy commissioner of the Department of Family and Support Services.
A recently opened homeless intake center occupies an old warehouse located at 2241 S. Halsted St. in the Pilsen neighborhood.
Merge of Shelter Systems
The closure of the landing zone is part of a plan to merge two shelter systems for the unhoused. The city will stop creating a daily census of the migrant population as it moves toward a merged system, said Harley Jones, who is helping coordinate the city’s response to migrants.
The city plans to close a shelter at 1310 N. Elston Ave., which housed about 135 single men and women, by the end of the month. Two shelters serving migrants, at 4900 S. DuSable Lake Shore Dr. and 7353 S. Cicero Ave., are operated by the state and will become part of the merged system.
Improvements to Shelters
The city is working on better training and is moving away from hiring contractors and instead working with local social service agencies to manage the spaces moving forward, McCauley said.
The merger of shelter systems comes as the city’s department overseeing them loses its leader, Brandie Knazze, the commissioner for the department who recently announced her resignation. The changes also come weeks before Donald Trump starts a second term as president, with the president-elect promising to ramp up deportations of immigrants.
Q: What is the purpose of the new shelter intake center?
A: The new shelter intake center is designed to provide a centralized location for individuals experiencing homelessness to receive support and services.
Q: What is the capacity of the new shelter intake center?
A: The new shelter intake center has a capacity for 200 beds and is available for single adults.
Q: What is the plan for the merged shelter system?
A: The city plans to merge its two shelter systems, providing a more streamlined and efficient approach to supporting individuals experiencing homelessness.
Q: How will the city respond to federal agents requesting assistance with deportation raids?
A: The city is working on guidance for all departments and agencies to ensure that they know what to do in the case of any federal agents coming and requesting assistance with deportation raids.
