CHICAGO – Today, Mayor Brandon Johnson announced the extension of the 60-day policy for individuals and families in the city’s temporary emergency shelter system. All shelter residents originally scheduled to exit shelter from January 16^th through February 29^th will be extended by 60 days from their original exit date. All shelter residents scheduled to exit between March 1^st to March 28^th will be extended by 30 days from their original exit date.

“We are extending the exit date for families due to the delay in fully staffing case management in all City shelters,” said Mayor Johnson. “With this policy extension, we are prioritizing Chicago’s values of compassion and humanity. I have said repeatedly that we are not going to push families into the cold and this policy ensures that families will remain sheltered for the duration of the winter season.”

The City of Chicago has received over 35,000 new arrivals since August 2022. The State of Texas has sent over 600 buses during that period, 500 of which have arrived since Mayor Johnson took office on May 15, 2023. 

The 60-day shelter stay limit was announced in the wake of the State’s announcement of increased investment in resettlement services and case management. Due to the delay in fully staffing case managers at every shelter, shelter stay limits have been extended by 60 days for the 5,673 individuals who were originally scheduled to exit shelter on January 16^th. The new exit date for this group will be 60 days from their original exit date. For the 2,119 residents who were scheduled to exit shelter between March 1^st and March 28^th, their new exit dates will be extended by 30 days from their originally planned exit date. Any new shelter residents will receive a 60-day notice upon entering the shelter system.

While the City’s partnership with the State has resulted in over 15,000 asylum seekers being reunited or resettled, there are still over 14,000 individuals in our shelter system who need additional support to reach self-sufficiency and independence. 

The City’s partnerships with the State, the County, and the faith and philanthropic communities have been vital to the continued success of the New Arrivals Mission. Partners at the State and federal levels have coordinated 17 legal clinics since November, aiding over 2,700 eligible shelter residents in applying for work authorization.  

As the City continues to make improvements to its shelter system, Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) has led the way in expanding public health coordination. CDPH has extended medical screenings to the landing zone, set up vaccine clinics across shelters, and provided additional triage support with medical partners. We continue to work closely with Cook County Health to ensure that all asylum seekers receive the medical care that they need.  

The City’s partnership with the faith community, through Mayor Johnson’s Unity Initiative, has yielded promising results with over 25 percent of residents securing permanent housing. Chicago’s faith community has stepped up to aid new arrivals in response to this humanitarian crisis.  

States and municipalities across the country have struggled to manage this national humanitarian crisis. In Massachusetts, the state government established a statewide limit of 7,500 beds across 100 different cities. Denver has instituted 14-day limits for single individuals and 42-day stays for families, making adjustments for weather. On February 6th, Denver will begin discharging families again after a pause. New York City instituted a 60-day limit for families and a 30-day limit for single individuals on October 16th, and began discharging new arrivals from shelter on January 9th. 

Renegotiated contracts with Favorite Staffing have resulted in a shift to 70 percent regional staffing from the Chicagoland area. The City's goal remains to provide dignified care and basic support services for asylum seekers to aid them on their path to self-sufficiency and independence. 

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