Illinois provides $9,000 in rental assistance to migrants seeking temporary housing

CHICAGO - We are learning more about the migrant situation in Chicago.

FOX 32 spoke to Cristina Pacione-Zayas, the city's first deputy chief of staff, who provided insight into how the crisis is impacting the city and state financially.

This week, 41 buses have arrived in Chicago, bringing the total number of migrants in shelters to 11,000, with 4,000 still sleeping on police station floors and staying at airports.

Notably, 30% of migrants in Chicago are children, with the majority of them attending Chicago Public Schools.

Currently, the state is funding temporary housing, including rented apartments and homes for migrants. The state is providing up to $9,000 in rental assistance over a 6-month period, which includes assistance with moving in and a starter kit to furnish the apartment.

"That rent lasts for six months and ideally people would have started their legal process, secured legal work authorization and be able to sustain that apartment. And so the cost, or I guess the payment toward the landlord is based on market rate, it's based on the configuration of the parament – how many rooms, where it's located – all those things. And so it varies from place to place," said Ald. Pacione-Zayas.

The number of asylum seekers currently utilizing the rental assistance is unclear. 

The city has allocated $4 million to assist migrants in obtaining temporary housing, with the state contributing an additional $38 million. At present, 30 to 40 case management workers from Catholic Charities are actively working to secure temporary housing for thousands of migrants, with efforts underway to hire more.