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The city has budgeted more than $200 million this year to provide services for people like David who are experiencing homelessness, with much of that money coming from federal pandemic relief aid.
But what the city’s homelessness support system has actually spent so far tells a different story.
Though the city continues to expel people experiencing homelessness from its airports, underpasses and L cars, it has spent at most only 15% out of one of the largest pots of federal money it was given for programs to help people experiencing homelessness get into housing faster, according to the city.
The clock is ticking for the city.
Municipalities that received pandemic recovery funds must create a plan to use them by the end of 2024 and spend the funds for that plan by the end of 2026, according to the Chicago Recovery Plan. Other federal dollars the city received have a deadline of 2030. The city’s recovery plan devotes $117 million to a range of homelessness support services. […]
In total, the city has budgeted about $52 million in American Rescue Plan Act-related funds for programs to support people experiencing homelessness, but as of the city’s most recent federal report they’ve spent nearly 15% from that pot of federal money, records show.
As a result of the city’s spending, an Illinois Answers Project investigation found that some of its initiatives are off to slow starts or haven’t begun.
• The city’s Rapid Rehousing Program has the largest budget with more than $27.3 million designated for quickly getting Chicagoans into housing. The city has spent $7.4 million — a little more than 27% of the money for a program expected to run 2 ½ years, according to the city’s second quarter report just released to the feds.
• The $12 million Stabilization Housing pilot program was created to help people with complex mental health or substance abuse problems who cycle through jails, emergency rooms and the city’s shelter system. The city has not released any funding for this program yet. City Council members recently voted to approve a $2.9 million purchase of a motel that will be part of the program.
• The $8.2 million Re-entry Workforce Development Program looks to help those facing employment barriers, focusing on people returning from incarceration, people with limited English skills and those experiencing homelessness. City officials initially told the feds they’ve spent $543,315 — or about 7% of the money. But in response to questions from Illinois Answers they said that number was in error and put that spending figure at $157,626 — or about 2% — as of Aug. 1.
• The Rapid Rehousing Services of Gender-Based Violence Survivors, which includes domestic violence survivors, aims to find homes for those people. The program was budgeted to cost more than $4.6 million over 2 ½ years, but it had spent $396,377, according to the city’s most recent federal report. Officials said that figure reflects spending through the end of the second quarter, but as of Aug. 1 the city says it has spent a bit more — $440,691.The city also created a nearly $5 million program to help formerly incarcerated people at risk of homelessness or returning to the criminal justice system, and another, $500,000 shelter initiative, the second quarter report shows.
When asked about the city’s spending pace, the Department of Family and Support Services said it had to hire new staff to develop and oversee several programs as well as choose a delegate agency to provide direct services.
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Aug 10, 23 @ 9:45 am
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It’s fear. Fear of making a big mistake, fear of upsetting NIMBY constituents, fear of the responsibility to make decisions. And I’d say as well, being Chicago, part of the delay is likely trying to game the system to the advantage of insiders as well as to reward friends and deny a taste to rivals.
Comment by Give Us Barabbas Thursday, Aug 10, 23 @ 10:01 am
===And I’d say as well, being Chicago, part of the delay is likely trying to game===
Maybe, but there’s also a whole lot of fittin’ to get ready in city government.
Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Aug 10, 23 @ 10:05 am
And that’s likely due in part to management style and the siloing of functions and decision making. Flattening the org chart could help with this, but that involves trust and dedication. My experience of government management is that those two things have not been encouraged, because sharing power to make and execute decisions is hard for narcissistic people.
Comment by Give Us Barabbas Thursday, Aug 10, 23 @ 11:17 am
Infuriating but not surprising. There are easily a half dozen beat down motels near the one the City Council just approved purchasing for $2.9M. At a bare minimum why not buy two sites for that pilot housing project and get some economies of service scale?
Even if the pilot project fails (hopefully not) you can liquidate the motels for redevelopment later. The most inexcusable of slow rolls.
Comment by ChicagoBars Thursday, Aug 10, 23 @ 11:36 am
I wonder under the category of housing, how much could have gone to dealing with the migrant housing issue along with the more traditional homeless population? I kind of remember the previous and current administration stating they had no money.
Comment by levivotedforjudy Thursday, Aug 10, 23 @ 2:56 pm
Maybe it’s me, but if that much federal money is available, then some cities are going to use it to reduce homelessness for their people. It is a shame Chicago didn’t tap into more of the available federal funds.
Comment by H-W Thursday, Aug 10, 23 @ 5:18 pm
Let someone with a military background lead this process or get input from the Army Corps of Engineers. They are efficient project managers.
Comment by Valerie F. Leonard Thursday, Aug 10, 23 @ 9:10 pm
This story gives me heart palpitations. I would suggest giving every single direct service worker who works with the homeless a $20K raise. Not the grants person or the policy coordinator, but the direct service people. There is such a workforce shortage. This will bring many up from about $37-$40k/year to $60k. Watch the workforce issue decrease.
Comment by The Young Gov Friday, Aug 11, 23 @ 12:27 am