Submitted By
Village President Vicki Scaman, through Lisa Shelley, Deputy Village Manager
Agenda Item Title
Title
A Resolution Approving an Amendment to the Funding Grant Agreement with the Oak Park-River Forest Community of Congregations to Provide an Additional $100,000 in Village General Funds to the Community of Congregations to Provide Short-Term Rental Assistance for Asylum Seekers for a New Total of $250,000 and Authorizing its Execution
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Overview
Overview
Per the Village Board’s Protocols, President Scaman has added this agenda item for an Amendment to the Funding Grant Agreement with the Oak Park-River Forest Community of Congregations to provide an additional $100,000 to support short-term rental assistance for asylum seekers for a new total of $250,000. This funding is apart from the $300,000 in grant funds for short-term rental assistance from the state-funded SMASS Grant Round II awarded by the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus on February 2, 2024.
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Anticipated Actions/Commitments
Recommendation
N/A
Report
Per the Village Board’s Protocols, President Scaman has added this agenda item for an Amendment to the Funding Grant Agreement with the Oak Park-River Forest Community of Congregations to provide an additional $100,000 in funding for short-term rental assistance for asylum seekers for a new total of $250,000. This amount would be in addition to the $300,000 in grant funds for short-term rental assistance from the state-funded SMASS Grant Round II awarded by the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus on February 2, 2024.
The Community of Congregations has organized certain members to search for short-term rentals due to the closing of the village-managed shelters. These short-term rentals are the result of Village funding, grant funding the Village secured through the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, and private funds secured by the Oak Park-River Forest Community of Congregations. In order to obtain the remaining leases for the individuals at Grace Episcopal Church an additional $200,000 dollars is required. There is also a deadline of March 15, 2024, by which the individuals at Grace Episcopal Church need to be relocated due to that shelter closing.
The Oak Park-River Forest Community of Congregations is expected to raise an additional $100,000 by Monday, March 11, 2024, with private donations and is asking that the Village of Oak Park match the private donations with an additional $100,000 in order to ensure that all of the individuals at Grace Episcopal Church have leases and avoid going to the City of Chicago’s landing zone next Friday, March 15, 2024. Grace Episcopal Church’s shelter is closing next Friday, March 15, 2024. The other two Village shelter sites, the Carleton Hotel and the West Cook YMCA closed on February 24, 2024.
On February 2, 2024, the Village received a grant funded by the State of Illinois in the amount of $1.944 million. A portion of the grant funds in the amount of $300,000 is dedicated to support short-term rental assistance. On February 20, 2024, the Village Board approved $150,000 to the Community of Congregations to provide short-term rental assistance for asylum seekers.
DEI Impact
The short-term rental assistance programs will provide the asylum seekers with additional time for resettlement.
Alternatives
The Village Board could delay action and seek additional information; however, this could result in the individuals located at Grace Episcopal Church to be directed to relocate to the City of Chicago on Friday, March 15, 2024.