Alderman says he didn't get enough notice on plan to house migrants at Greektown hostel
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Residents in another Chicago neighborhood say they have been caught off guard as the city plans to move almost 200 migrants into a Greektown hostel.
As CBS 2 Political Investigator Dana Kozlov reported Monday, it seems to be a recurring problem - leaving some to wonder whether city leaders have a plan.
Some city council members are frustrated, including Ald. Bill Conway (34th) – who wanted to make sure the transition of the Parthenon Guest House, 310 S. Halsted St., into a shelter was done safely and securely.
"I was disappointed by the lack of notice and lack of detail," Conway said.
Conway was talking about a call from Mayor Brandon Johnson's office late last week – telling him the Parthenon Guest House would become a shelter for 196 asylum seekers this Friday.
"I did ask that the people come from the 12th District police station, which is overrun with people. That was denied," Conway said. "But they didn't tell me where the people are going to come from."
Called a humanitarian crisis by Conway and most of Chicago's elected officials, thousands of migrants have been arriving in Chicago for a year – many of them bused from Texas.
Housing the migrants continues to be a priority – but it is also putting a strain on city resources and facilities. Many police stations, like the Near West (12th) District station at 1412 S. Blue Island Ave., are packed.
"The current situation is not sustainable. Clearly, this patchwork approach of wait for a bus to show up and then try and find them a place – as I got a little more than one week's notice, that is not sustainable," Conway said.
Kozlov asked Mayor Brandon Johnson about this a couple of weeks ago.
Kozlov: "Is this just in perpetuity – we're just going to have to figure out how to handle it here? Or what specifically is the city doing differently now than maybe even a couple weeks ago in terms of formulating a very specific plan – and can taxpayers pay for it?"
Johnson: "Well, as you know, this is a dynamic that we are experiencing all over the country. We have to continue – and I will do this – collaborating with county government, state government, and pushing the federal government."
It's also expensive. A CBS 2 public records request found Chicago has spent $110 million on migrant issues this past year.
And the 2024 budget season is just around the corner.
"It was in '23 an unexpected expense, but it is not an unexpected expense in 2024," Conway said.
The Greektown hostel was used as a shelter for asylum seekers last October through February – and someone with the hostel says they were wonderful guests, and everything went smoothly.
Still, the alderman plans to host a community meeting about the issue on Wednesday.