Chicago and other US cities struggle to house asylum-seekers as winter weather hits

CHICAGO — As the first blast of wintry weather hit Chicago, dozens of migrant families without a place to live were moved off snowy city streets and into the basement of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in a nearby suburb. “This is a lack of infrastructure and a lack of planning.” Similar issues could occur as wintry weather closes in on New York, which is struggling to accommodate a growing migrant population, and Denver, which was prompted to loosen its rules on how long migrants are kept in shelter during a recent cold snap. “It’s cold but winter is not here yet.” This week, the city publicized its cold weather efforts, including providing 16 “warming buses” at police stations during overnight hours. New York hasn’t experienced the same issues as Chicago, yet, but that could soon change: Local officials want to suspend a unique legal agreement guaranteeing overnight shelter to those without housing. As New York struggles to accommodate its growing migrant population, Mayor Eric Adams has suggested that new arrivals may soon be forced to sleep in the streets, a “terrible situation” he’s painted as inevitable.