Illinois and Cook County officials announced a partnership Thursday approving approximately $250 million in funding to help the city of Chicago address an influx of migrants, but the city appears to be several steps way from fulfilling its portion of the announced agreement.
Earlier this month, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle met with Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson at City Hall to discuss the need for more funding.
Multiple sources tell NBC Chicago that all three agreed on what it would take to prepare that funding, but the mayor later distanced the city from the agreement.
Pressure has now ratcheted back up after the announcement Thursday about the commitment from Illinois and Cook County officials. According to a press release, the three teams concluded that an estimated $321 million in additional funding would be needed to maintain shelter and services through the end of the year, on top of already existing funding.
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On Thursday, the state committed an additional $182 million in funding to help with intake, sheltering and ultimate preparation for residents to find permanent housing. Cook County will work to commit an additional $70 million in funding as part of the agreement.
That would leave $70 million in funding for the city of Chicago to kick in, but Johnson did not commit to the figure when pressed by reporters following a City Council meeting on Thursday.
“I don’t know where the disagreement really exists here, the commitment to the mission is what we’re all in agreement here,” he said. “There’s a number of matters that need to be worked through.”
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Johnson pushed back on criticism over his stance on the funding.
“I don’t believe anyone in the city of Chicago is questioning my commitment to this mission,” he said.
“Yes they are, because you’re not giving them the $70 million that you promised at the meeting,” a reporter responded.
“Where you at the meeting, so you’re making an assertion that I made a promise, but were you at that meeting,” Johnson fired back.
The governor will ask the Illinois General Assembly to approve the funding in his budget proposal, which will be released next week. Meanwhile, Preckwinkle will seek the $70 million from the county board, leaving the lone uncertainty whether Johnson will seek $70 million from the City Council.
It will not be an easy sell for Preckwinkle and Pritzker to secure the funding, and members of the Chicago City Council expressed some skepticism about the path to approving the city’s share of the funding.
“They’re going to keep coming, it’s going to escalate the closer we get to the DNC,” Ald. Andre Vasquez said. “So it might feel convenient that we don’t want to talk about it, but the reality is if we don’t solve for it, it is going to be worse.”
“The fact that there was an agreement and then an about-face, goes to show we don’t know where we’re getting the money from,” Ald. Anthony Beale added.
