Chicago is undergoing significant changes to its shelter system, as it shifts away from a migrant-only shelter setup to merge with the traditional homeless shelter system. The city is closing its migrant 'landing zone' and reducing its hours of operation, with plans to shut it down completely by the end of 2024 due to a decrease in migrant arrivals.
At its peak, Chicago housed around 14,900 migrants, but that number has dropped to approximately 5,000. To accommodate this shift, the city is adding 3,800 beds to its existing homeless services system, totaling 6,800 beds under the new One System Initiative (OSI). This initiative aims to streamline operations and reduce the high costs associated with operating migrant shelters.
