The International Institute is inviting migrants who are homeless in Chicago to relocate to St. Louis through the organization's Latino Outreach Program.
Announced during Hispanic Heritage Month, the goal is to make St. Louis a city for Latino migrants to move to permanently. The Institute would provide up to six months of housing, language support and other resources to those migrants. This is an effort funded by a private benefactor and federal grants. There are only 12 beds that are currently available.
Karlos Ramirez is the Vice President of the Latino Outreach Program. He said the goal of the Institute is to boost the St. Louis dwindling population and its workforce.
"We know that a lot of Hispanics and people in general hear about St. Louis and that we have jobs available. And we're hoping to be able to recruit other Hispanic-Americans or other Americans in general to move to St. Louis," Ramirez told KMOX.
Ramirez believes this is an opportunity for Chicago to have a win, St. Louis to have a win, and hopefully people in a humanitarian crisis can win as well.
"Our two mayors will eventually come together and meet," Ramirez said. "And I know they are both supporting the programs in their own respective cities to help make this be a successful venture."
The International Institute of St. Louis is the community's immigrant service and information hub. The program works to connect new arrivals with services and resources while engaging with the foreign-born and the wider community to build more inclusivity in the city.