Community weighs in on new migrant shelter in Uptown
CHICAGO (CBS) -- As more migrants arrive in Chicago, the city continues to look for places to house them.
As CBS 2's Marybel González reported Friday night, the latest temporary shelter is set for the Uptown neighborhood – at the building at Marine Drive and Irving Park Road that formerly housed the American Islamic College, and before that, Immaculata High School.
Area residents discussed a plan for the shelter at a meeting Friday evening at a few blocks away at St. Mary of the Lake Catholic Church, at 4220 N. Sheridan Rd. Similar meetings have been held in different parts of the city – where residents expressed both support for and concerns about migrant shelters.
The town hall on the Uptown shelter was very different from those similar meetings – as the main concern among the majority of residents was how they could help make the new building home for the hundreds of migrant families who will be moving in as soon as next week.
At the former American Islamic College, asylum seekers will receive three meals a day, health services, and help with school enrollment.
The temporary shelter is one of the city's 14 currently active ones – and is set to open Friday. The city says it can't come soon enough.
"We're averaging one bus a day now coming in from Texas - not to mention the other means by which people have found their way here," said Matthew Doughtie, manager of emergency management services at the Office of Emergency Management and Communications.
Since August of last year, nearly 11,000 migrants have arrived in Chicago – more than 950 of whom are currently staying at police stations across the city, including the Town Hall (19th) in East Lakeview and the Lincoln (20th) in Budlong Woods.
"The biggest reason we are here tonight is we have to do whatever we can to decompress those police stations," Doughtie said. "They were not designed for this purpose."
"Sometimes, the domestic disturbances come in - and with our migrant population sleeping on the floor, there's worry that there could be injuries," added Chicago Police Deputy Chief Stephen Chung.
Concerns were expressed at the meeting about what was being done to help out the homeless population in the neighborhood.
"How can you justify just bringing in people from someplace else?" said Esther Jones. "Help everybody!"
But the majority of the residents said they are ready to receive the migrants with open arms.
"Just to reiterate — what can we do to help?" one woman said.
"Please, please let our community volunteer," another said. "We want to help."
Ald. Angela Clay (46th) says the city wants to expand the capacity for the new shelter up to 800 migrants by September. The ultimate goal is to resettle everyone into permanent housing.