800 Immigrants Arrive in Chicago, Seeking a Home

Since the end of August, 12 buses carrying more than 800 immigrants from Venezuela seeking asylum arrived in Chicagoland. Although their arduous trek to a sanctuary city is over, the process of connecting them with the resources they need has just begun. We were contacted by Governor Pritzker’s office and asked to lend our expertise to the creation of Illinois’s response to this situation.

The City of Chicago and several Cook County communities are rallying support through emergency shelters, renting hotel rooms, and creating wish lists for services and donations to better assist our new neighbors. Housing Forward is ready to respond with emergency accommodations and meals, followed by services to connect individuals with housing and employment programs, should we be called upon to do so. The Illinois Department of Human Services has created this resource for those looking to support these efforts: https://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?module=17&item=146055&surveyid=1634