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Citing Budget Woes, City Will Now Close Kenwood, Midway Shelters It Said It Would Take Over

Chicago, ILLocal News

Chicago officials will close the Kenwood and Midway homeless shelters due to budgetary pressures, reversing earlier plans to take over operations. The Midway shelter will shut down on June 30, while the Kenwood facility will be phased out within six months. Residents will be relocated to other shelters during this transition, as stated by Linsey Maughan of the Department of Family and Support Services. The closures arise from federal budgetary pressures affecting local governments, with Chicago's shelter system already accommodating 7,445 beds. Homelessness in Chicago increased by 207 percent from 2023 to 2024, influenced by soaring housing costs and a rise in migrant arrivals.

The fair market rent for a one-bedroom apartment in the Kenwood area rose significantly from $1,230 in 2020 to $1,840 in 2025. Community leaders, including state Sen. Robert Peters, have criticized the lack of communication from officials about these changes. The need for shelter remains pressing, highlighting the challenges faced by homeless families in the city.

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Eva Gurtovaia celebrated her U.S. citizenship on Wednesday while her husband, Enes Abak, remained detained by immigration agents just a day earlier. Abak, a Kurdish asylum seeker from Turkey, faces challenges due to his pending political asylum application and fears for his safety if returned to his home country. Local supporters rallied to express their concerns over his detention and advocate for his release.