New data shows Chicago has seen a surge in the number of homeless people in the city over the past year, blamed on a continued influx of migrants into the haven city.
The city, which will host the Democratic National Convention in August, released a snapshot of the Windy City’s homeless population. 18,836 homeless on a January night, up from 6,139 on the same day a year ago.
The point-in-time count estimates the number of people in shelters, temporary housing, encampments and other “unsheltered” locations. The estimate speaks to the pressure the migrant crisis is putting on the city.
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Migrants receive food outside a migrant landing site during a winter storm in Chicago on January 12, 2024. (Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images)
“Since August 2022, Chicago has received more than 40,000 new arrivals from the southern border, many of whom are in need of shelter and services,” the report said.
“The largest increase in shelter numbers this year will be due to the continued influx of new arrivals to Chicago in 2023.”
Of the 18,838 people considered homeless, 13,679 were classified as “sheltered newcomers” and 1,422 as “unsheltered newcomers.” The number of unsheltered “non-newcomers” increased from 970 to 1,422, and the number in shelters increased from 2,973 to 3,523.
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City officials said pressures, including the end of pandemic-era assistance from federal and state governments, would have been worse without the increased shelter capacity.
“We expected this increase, but at the same time we increased our shelter capacity by more than five-fold,” Maura McCauley, deputy director of the Chicago Department of Family and Supportive Services, told the Chicago Sun-Times. “I truly believe that if we hadn’t done that, we would have seen an unprecedented and tragic increase in the unsheltered population.”
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The figures show that the crisis on the southern border and a surge in migrants, exacerbated by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s decision to bus migrants to sanctuary cities to relieve pressure on the overwhelmed state, are putting considerable pressure on the city.
Fox previously reported that Chicago police arrested more than 1,000 Venezuelan nationals in the first three months of 2024.
Meanwhile, the City Council recently voted 30-18 to approve Mayor Brandon Johnson’s supplemental budget request for $70 million to address the crisis.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson attends the inauguration ceremony at Credit Union 1 Arena on May 15, 2023 in Chicago. (Jamie Kelter-Davis/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The money comes on top of $150 million already budgeted for migrant care, a move that has drawn significant backlash from residents, who say the money should be spent on U.S. citizens, not illegal immigrants.
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Mayor Johnson, along with other Democratic mayors, is calling for more action from the federal government. They are calling for $5 billion in aid and faster work authorization for asylum seekers.
The Biden administration has called on Congress to try to fix a “broken” immigration system, but Republicans argue the crisis stems from Biden-era policies and a pull from “sanctuary” cities like Chicago that provide services and shelter to undocumented immigrants.
