CHICAGO — Plans for a temporary migrant shelter at a building on the city’s South Side have been scrapped after pushback from community members and a local leader.
In a statement released Monday, the Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) said that the city is no longer considering the site at 3951 South Canal Street, in Bridgeport.
“This site was under preliminary consideration and a site visit by various City departments had not been conducted. As part of our standard site vetting process, there were several assessments and physical improvements that would need to happen before a decision was made to move forward,” a DFSS spokesperson said.
Alderwoman Nicole Lee (11th Ward), said the decision to not move forward with the proposal was the result of concerns voiced by her office, the building owners and the community.
“I expect that the City will continue to explore other locations that would be safer and more appropriate for the migrants and community residents of Chicago alike,” Lee said in a Facebook post on Monday.
The initial plan to temporarily house migrants at the site was proposed to the 11th Ward alderwoman by the mayor’s office as a means to replace the city’s downtown Standard Club shelter ahead of the Democratic National Convention on Aug. 19, 2022, which will take place at the United Center.
In a Facebook post shared on Friday evening, Lee detailed several reasons why she opposed the plans for the shelter, which included safety, location and lack of justification.
“We have asked Mayor Johnson that if they are going to move forward with this plan against our fervent opposition, that he and his team pursue a proper community engagement process prior to signing a lease and committing any funds. This must include community meetings with the multiple impacted communities in our ward and surrounding wards, so that constituent questions can be answered and our concerns addressed. These meetings must be conducted in Cantonese, Mandarin, Spanish and English to accommodate constituents in the area,” Lee said in the social media post.
Currently, it is unclear if the city will continue efforts to move migrants from the downtown shelter ahead of the DNC.
