Chicago suburb to move 160 migrants from two churches to local YMCA and hotel
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The Village of Oak Park has struck a deal to provide short-term housing for 160 migrants.
Some will stay at the West Cook YMCA, while others will stay at the Carleton of Oak Park Hotel.
Up until now, a group of asylum seekers who had previously been living outside a police station on Chicago's West Side had been staying at two local churches.
The move comes after the village board last week approved a measure to offer more support to shelter asylum seekers as the weather gets colder.
More than 100 migrants were taken in on Halloween night by the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, at 611 Randolph St. in Oak Park. Amid unseasonable cold and snow, they were brought to the church on an emergency and temporary basis from the Austin (15th) District Chicago Police station, at 5701 W. Madison St. in the South Austin neighborhood – just three blocks from the boundary with Oak Park.
Another church in Oak Park has taken in about 20 people. Pastors in the village said they need funding to provide portable showers, laundry services and even mental health services for the new arrivals.
On Thursday, the Oak Park Village Board declared an emergency disaster resolution to ensure the migrants can stay longer.
The board voted unanimously to allocate $300,000 in response to the migrant crisis. Much of that will be used to provide language interpreters and medical services to the migrants already there.
Half of those funds will come from the village, the other half from grant money.
As part of the measure, Oak Park police will be providing extra patrolling.
The emergency declaration is temporary. The board will meet again on Dec. 4 to decide what's next.
Meantime, if you want to volunteer to help the migrants, the village says you can sign up on their website.
