A new State-supported shelter is beginning to serve asylum seekers in Chicago. The location is the site of a former CVS in the Little Village neighborhood. The shelter will be part of the City of Chicago’s existing asylum seeker shelter system and will house approximately 220 people as they transition to independent living. The shelter development is part of Governor JB Pritzker’s investment of an additional $160 million, via the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS), to address the ongoing humanitarian crisis presented by the arrival of over 34,000 asylum seekers from the U.S. southern border. The State saw an uptick of new arrivals over the holidays and created a temporary shelter at a Chicago hotel. Those new arrivals are now transitioning to the shelter in Little Village.

With the cold weather and continued arrival of asylum seekers, the State is committed to partnering with the City of Chicago to take the necessary actions to keep people safe and help them on their path to self-sufficiency. “This new location will offer dignity and respite to asylum seekers who have travelled thousands of miles to find safety,” said Governor JB Pritzker. Available beds at the Little Village shelter will be prioritized for families and individuals with disabilities. The site will offer sleeping spaces as well as meals, hygiene facilities, and wrap-around services. Along with IDHS and its partners, New Life Centers is supporting community-care services including conflict resolution, onsite communications, community engagement, and connection with local resources. “A large part of meeting our new arrivals with dignity involves meeting them where they are at – and that involves a variety of supports. Traveling great distances and overcoming adversity to make it to the U.S. often involves trauma, which can be detrimental to mental and physical well-being,” said Matt DeMateo, Executive Director, New Life Centers of Chicagoland.