(WBBM NEWSRADIO) – Gov. JB Pritzker says state government remains willing to fund new city-run migrant shelters in Chicago but is waiting for guidance from Mayor Johnson’s administration.
Pritzker and Johnson both participated Thursday in an announcement about funding for an anti-violence initiative. But they didn't sit together or speak with reporters at the same time.
Both said their administrations talk daily about the migrant crisis. But the city has put a hold on opening any new shelters.
Pritzker said his administration has been working with the Archdiocese of Chicago to open at least one site on church-owned property. He said the state remains willing to pay for another shelter run by the city and the money has been set aside.
About $65 million the state would have spent on a tent base camp is available. The property was blocked for health and environmental reasons.
Johnson has suggested new shelters don’t have to be within the city’s borders, but few communities have stepped forward to host new arrivals being sent here from the U.S. Southern Border.
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