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 submit...
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