Submitted By
Ahmad M. Zayyad, Deputy Village Manager / Interim Director of Development Customer Services
Reviewed By
LKS
Agenda Item Title
Title
A Resolution Authorizing the Submission of a Grant Application to the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus for Supporting Municipalities for Asylum Seeker Services (SMASS) in Partnership with the Illinois Department of Human Services with a Requested Funding Amount of $7,500,000
End
Overview
Overview
Staff is requesting the Village Board adopt a Resolution authorizing the submission of a grant application to the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus for $7,500,000 in requested funding to provide for the distribution and management of aid for new arrivals via the Supporting Municipalities for Asylum Seeker Services (SMASS), in partnership with the Illinois Department of Human Services.
End
Recommendation
Recommendation
Adopt the Resolution.
Background
This grant would provide funding to support asylum seeker’s access to shelter & transitional housing, food, wrap around services, legal assistance, and health & wellness. The Village of Oak Park staff would work with established community partners to coordinate the services outlined below to ensure asylum seekers have access to available resources.
For the purpose of this grant application, 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 permanent residency, a student or work visa, etc.”
Shelter & Transitional Housing:
o Safe and stable temporary housing options for asylum seekers, including emergency shelter and transitional housing [Note-funds can be used towards shelter operating expenses and/or minor capital repairs necessary to make shelters operational]
o Short-term rental assistance
o Case management services to secure more permanent housing
Food:
o Healthy and nutritious food options. [Note-funds can be used for direct provision of food services and/or to obtain cold storage units (e.g., refrigerators) to increase availability of fresh produce and protein]
Wrap-around Services:
o Coordinated case management services and connections to support increased self-sufficiency, including addressing urgent client needs, non-legal immigration support and referrals, early childhood education and school enrollment, ESL and adult education, informational workshops, interpretations and translations services, transportation, and health and wellness services, etc.
o Assistance in screening for eligibility and applying for eligible public benefits
Legal Assistance:
o Provide legal training, workshops, services, and/or representation
o Services to help asylum seekers navigate the complex legal processes related to their asylum applications and other legal needs
Health & Wellness:
o Access to physical, behavioral, and/or mental health care, and crisis services to address the trauma and stress often experienced by asylum seekers
Village Staff will submit a grant proposal on Friday, September 15, 2023 as required by the Funding Application just recently distributed by the Metropolitan Mayor’s Caucus. The application request of $7,500,000 to support the activities described above. If the resolution is not approved, staff will withdraw the application. If the Board adopts the Resolution and the Metropolitan Mayor’s Caucus approves the application, the Village will need to enter into an agreement with Metropolitan Mayor’s Caucus that would come before the Board for approval in Fall 2023.
Fiscal Impact
Funding is restricted to services meeting the basic needs of asylum seekers and cannot be used for indirect support, administrative services, or overhead costs. The grant does not have a financial match requirement. However, as stated previously, the cost of in-house staff to administer the grant cannot be re-cooped. The grant term is July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2024. Pre-award allowable expenses can be retroactive to July 1, 2023. Also, the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus can choose not to fund the grant application or they could choose to fund only a portion of the Village’s request.
DEI Impact
This grant would provide the necessary resources to better equip Oak Park and its partners in supporting asylum seekers. 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.” But more importantly, these are families often comprised of young children, that travel often by foot, through deadly conditions to reach the U.S/Mexico Border in search of safety and overall higher quality of life. This opportunity is directly aligned with Oak Park’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
Staff could search for other financial resources to support asylum seekers.
Previous Board Action
N/A
Citizen Advisory Commission Action
N/A
Anticipated Future Actions/Commitments
N/A
Intergovernmental Cooperation Opportunities
N/A