Chicago grapples with housing crisis as record number of migrants arrive in the city

CHICAGO - A record number of 36 buses, filled with asylum seekers, has arrived in Chicago since Saturday, with more than 15,000 new arrivals in the past year.

City leaders say the number one priority is getting migrants out of police stations where they're sleeping.

Right now, the largest housing effort is a $29 million plan to establish tent base camps ahead of the winter. Governor JB Pritzker, however, says he has concerns that unused buildings aren't being utilized first.

"With a lack of existing buildings, to put people in, i know the city has looked at this as one of its options, but I don't think this is the only option," Pritzker said.

"Which I said, ‘oh boy, Mr. Governor, have you looked at all the options available?’ It's easy to stand a thousand feet away and say, ‘hey, has the mayor looked underneath that stone, and have you looked underneath that stone?’ When you are not looking under any stones at all," said Alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, 35th Ward.

The state has paid $328 million to address the migrant crisis. Pritzker is asking communities outside of Chicago to help house and provide services, saying grants are available.

In Chicago, three shelters in the West Loop area opened over the past few weeks, and a warehouse in Pilsen will soon open as a shelter.

More details on the Pilsen site will be discussed at a community meeting at 6 p.m. Monday at Benito Juarez Community Academy, located at 2150 South Laflin Street.