Chicago city leaders were confronted with opposition to a proposed plan to shelter migrants at a former high school in the South Shore neighborhood, with dozens gathering for a raucous meeting Thursday night.
Those leaders had difficulty getting a word in during the loud gathering, with residents largely expressing their concerns about the plan to house migrants at the former South Shore High School building in the 7600 block of South Constance Avenue.
“I am outraged,” one resident said. “I am outraged, and I don’t understand why our community was chosen.”
Residents say they are sympathetic to the plight that the migrants have gone through, often being bussed out of areas of Texas and Florida after they fled to the United States to escape horrifying conditions in their home countries, but they also are concerned about public safety if the proposed plan moves forward.
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“I don’t hate anyone,” one resident said. “I just want to feel safe.”
Others said they wanted to ensure resources for those experiencing homelessness in their communities.
“I think that it would be fair….and that you can also provide their beds, showers, meals and housing,” a resident said.
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City officials say that shelters are being stretched to their breaking point, with some migrants being housed inside of police stations.
They envision using the former high school not as a shelter per se, but as a respite center, giving migrants a place to shower and receive hot meals. The city is also considering a phased approach, officials said, helping 250 migrants and eventually moving that number up to 500.
Ald. Michelle Harris attended the meeting, and said she is committed to helping protect the interests of her constituents.
“While this is an emergency for the city of Chicago, it is not an emergency for the residents of South Shore,” she said.
The city says that the situation remains fluid, and that they have not reached a final decision on whether to use the facility.
City officials have been coping with decisions on where to house migrants since Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered migrants to be bussed to northern states, including Illinois and Colorado. More than 8,000 have been bussed northward, according to Block Club Chicago.
Texas officials said they intended to resume the program this week, something that Mayor Lori Lightfoot was harshly critical of.
During that time, officials have moved to use former school buildings as shelters, inciting community anger when they announced they would designate the former Wadsworth Elementary School in Woodlawn as a shelter.
