Chicago's migrant crisis coverup: Mayor Brandon Johnson REFUSES to admit how much city is paying for its 27 shelters - as report shows almost $1MILLION A WEEK is being spent on just THREE hotels
By Stephen M. Lepore For Dailymail.Com
21:27 EDT 26 Mar 2024 , updated 0
The Windy City has struggled to care for more than 34,000 asylum-seekers bussed in from the border
Chicago has refused to reveal where all of the funds are going or how much various out-of-state companies are profiting
Mayor Brandon Johnson refused to directly answer questions about the funding
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has been criticized for refusing to be completely transparent on where hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars have gotten to the city's homeless shelters amid a migrant crisis.
The Windy City has struggled to care for more than 34,000 asylum-seekers bussed in from the border by Texas Governor Greg Abbott over the past 18 months. (MA has a 134,000 illegals)
It has spent $300 million on the crisis and has been fighting with the state of Illinois about where to build more shelters and is currently fighting a measles outbreak at one of the shelters.
The state attempted to quell fears on how taxpayer money would be spent on the crisis by launching a page on the state comptroller's website that would track it.
However, the city has refused to reveal where all of the funds are going, with the Democrat Johnson being evasive when questioned by the press.
The city has only provided full transparency on funding for a third of the city's 27 shelters.
However, the ones that they did are getting as much as $344,000 a week in taxpayer cash, which is the price tag for The Inn in Chicago. It has 1,500 beds. That would make out to $17 million over the course of a year.
Other shelters like the site in the city's Pilsen neighborhood are getting $280,000 a week, with the Ogden shelter getting $150,000 a week. These shelters are servicing 2,000 and 1,000 migrants,respectively and pocketing millions over the last three months.
The Pilsen shelter is notable for an outbreak of measles that is now at 14 cases, with the city forced to mandate vaccinations, according to WTTW.
What's caused even more outrage is the city allegedly hiding where those funds are going by using out-of-state private companies to staff the shelters, NBC Chicago reported.
City records indicate that $206 million has gone to Favorite Health Care standing, a Kansas-based company whose high cost has angered Chicago officials.
A Kentucky-based company called Equitable Social Solutions has received $45 million to identify where shelters are located. (Call to dig) WTH
Alderman Andre Vasquez, the chairman of the city council's migrant committee,is angry that the city won't reveal what those companies have made in profits.
'I think it's a bit more translucent than transparent. You get some information but not the full picture,' Vazquez said.
None of the companies or landlords involved have commented on the situation.
'So I think something that we've been looking at is how to really get more mandated reporting from the government as they're making decisions, because our constituents are asking us those very questions,' Vazquez added.
At least one landlord offered his building as a shelter and was set to meet with city officials before they were told not to come on their way to the meeting.
But when pressed on providing further transparency, Johnson dodged the question.
'Thank you for that question,' Johnson said. 'Again, we are meeting you right where you are.'
DailyMail.com has reached out to Mayor Johnson's office for comment.
The number of asylum seekers in city shelters appears to be falling after peaking at 15,000 in December, when officials warned that the system had 'reached capacity…'
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13242245/Chicagos-migrant-crisis-coverup-Mayor-Brandon-Johnson-REFUSES-admit-city-paying-27-shelters-report-shows-BILLION-WEEK-spent-just-THREE-hotels.html