Submitted By
Kira Tchang, Assistant Village Manager/HR Director
Reviewed By
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Agenda Item Title
Title
A Resolution Approving a Funding Grant Agreement between Housing Forward and the Village of Oak Park to Fund Emergency Overnight Shelter for Persons Experiencing Homelessness in the Village’s Shelter Program Through SMASS III Funds and Authorizing its Execution.
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Overview
Overview
The Village of Oak Park received $299,000 in grant funds from the Metropolitan Mayor’s Caucus to provide services to asylum seekers and unhoused in the community. Of those funds, $55,000 have been designated to emergency overnight shelter funds to Housing Forward. The Village’s funding is scheduled to end on June 30, 2025.
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Recommendation
Recommendation
Adopt the Resolution.
Background
To date, the Village has received two grants from the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus’ Supporting Municipalities for Asylum Seeker Services (SMASS), and two grants from the Cook County Disaster Response and Recovery Fund (DRRF) for the purpose of supporting asylum-seeking migrants in the community.
Through SMASS I, the Village received a total of $400,000, utilized primarily to operate the Village’s temporary shelter program located at the Carleton Hotel, West Cook YMCA, and Grace Episcopal Church for November and December of 2023. This was supplemented during January and February 2024 with approximately $365,000 provided through the first Cook County DRRF grant.
Through SMASS II, the Village received a grant of over $2 million which was subsequently expensed at approximately $660,000 and utilized primarily for legal services, short-term rental assistance, and administrative costs from March through June 2024. The original SMASS II grant included over $1.3 million in requested funds to operate the Oak Park Family Transitional Shelter (OPFTS) from March 2024 to June 2024. Upon the request of the State of Illinois and Cook County, the OPFTS expenses were submitted to Cook County’s Disaster Relief and Recovery Fund (DRRF) and have been approved for reimbursement of approximately $434,000. Costs were significantly lower than the original $1.3 million request due to the Village’s success with the rental assistance model for asylum seekers.
On March 11, 2024, the Village Board granted the Community of Congregations $200,000 to provide short-term rental assistance to asylum seekers sheltering at Grace Episcopal Church. On that date, the State committed to developing a SFY25 contract with the Village for $200,000 for New Arrival Rental Assistance subject to appropriation as the State had not yet passed a SFY25 budget. On July 24, 2024, staffers with the Illinois Department of Human Services notified the Village that an SMASS III application was required for the previously approved $200,000 in rental assistance. This would also apply to any other funding requests the Village may have for eligible expenses.
Fiscal Impact
The $55,000 in funding is provided through the Supporting Municipalities for Asylum Seeker Services (SMASS) Grant through the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus. Funding is restricted to services to meet the basic needs of asylum seekers and the unhoused. The grant does not have a financial match requirement. The grant term is July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025.
DEI Impact
The grant would provide necessary resources to the Village and its partners to support asylum seekers and the unhoused within the community. An asylum seeker is defined as “an individual who crossed the Mexico/U.S. border on or after August 1, 2022, with the intent to stay permanently, and who does not possess any permanent or interim U.S. legal status (which does not include being in parole status), such as legal permanent residency, a student or work visa, etc.” More importantly, these are families with young children that often travel through deadly conditions by foot to reach the U.S./Mexico Border in search of safety and overall higher quality of life. This opportunity is directly aligned with the Village’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion statement and racial equity goals. Therefore, in order to ensure this value is put into practice, there is a need to secure financial resources to support the migrant/immigrant community.
Alternatives
The Board can choose not to adopt the Resolution.
Previous Board Action
The Board has previously adopted three resolutions approving grant application with the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus for SMASS Round I on September 18, 2023, SMASS Round II funding on January 23, 2024, and SMASS III on July 18, 2024; and authorized an amendment to SMASS Round II application on February 15, 2024.
Citizen Advisory Commission Action
N/A
Anticipated Future Actions/Commitments
N/A
Intergovernmental Cooperation Opportunities
N/A