Controversial Hyde Park shelter that housed migrants, homeless set to close

CHICAGO (WGN) — After mounting complaints and months of frustration the city has announced plans to close a controversial shelter in Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood.

The shelter, inside the former Lake Shore Hotel at 49th and DuSable Lake Shore Drive, was originally opened to house migrants who became political pawns when they were bussed or flown here from Texas beginning in the summer of 2022.  

The shelter has 764 beds with 366 currently occupied. A city spokesperson said the shelter will close within six months.

“The shelter’s current occupants, mostly families, will be relocated to other shelters best able to meet their needs,” said Chicago Department of Family and Support Services spokesperson Linsey Maughan.   

Nearby residents said they were originally understanding of the shelter space and the noise, loitering and crime complaints that appear to have come along with it. However, when Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration announced early this year that the site was being converted to a more permanent homeless shelter, they began to protest.

“We as a community have felt disregarded and disrespected,” said a representative of the Hyde Park Neighbors Preserving Community organization in March. The group accused the city and state of operating with minimal transparency or community engagement.

Elected officials acknowledge the delicate balance between caring for the homeless and protecting residents and property values.  

“Throughout this process, I have been clear in our need for transparent communication that fully engages the community’s voice while also helping homeless families transition into secure housing,” said State Sen. Robert Peters (D-Chicago).

City officials say the decision to close the shelter was prompted by dollars not demonstrations.

“The decision comes in response to federal budgetary pressures now impacting many areas of state and local government,” Maughan said. 

The city has been closing migrant-specific shelters since last year as the surge in migrants subsided and federal and local funding has dwindled.