Chicago to establish first chief of homelessness as number throughout city grows

As the homeless population in Chicago continues to grow, the city is looking to establish a chief homelessness officer to tackle the rising crisis as winter approaches.

Mayor Brandon Johnson signed the executive order earlier this week establishing the position, stating that the person selected for the role would be tasked with providing solutions “for stable, permanent, and affordable housing” for homeless people in Chicago.

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“By establishing a Chief Homelessness Officer for the City of Chicago, we will have a critical point of contact to coordinate efforts and leverage the full force of government to provide shelter for all people,” Johnson said in a statement announcing the role.

About 68,440 Chicago residents are experiencing homelessness, according to city data from this summer. A one-night snapshot shows that 6,139 people experience homelessness on a given day in 2023, with 5,149 living in shelters and 990 residing on the streets or other locations.

The rise in the homeless population is in part due to the influx of immigrants and asylum-seekers who are being bused to Democratic cities from southern border states such as Texas and Arizona in protest of what they say is a lack of attention to the border crisis. On Wednesday, Johnson said during a press conference that 14 buses arrived that day and a total of 22 are expected.

The number of migrants in Chicago has exceeded 15,000, with many living outside on the streets, in police stations, or at the airport — the latter a typical place for homeless people to camp out, as well.

To fight homelessness, Johnson has proposed creating a tiered system for the real estate transfer tax for property sales in Chicago, raising taxes for several and causing dissatisfaction among owners of high-end properties. The transfer tax for properties valued at less than $1 million would drop from 0.75% to 0.60%, but the transfer tax for properties valued between $1 million and $1.5 million would pay a 2% transfer tax, nearly triple the current rate. The transfer tax for properties valued over $1.5 million would pay a 3% transfer rate, nearly four times the current rate.

The revenue earned from the tax hikes, titled the Bring Chicago Home Ordinance, would funnel into a fund to combat homelessness.

To become law, the City Council must vote to approve a binding voter referendum that would appear on the March 2024 primary ballot by Jan. 3. If voters approve the referendum, the City Council would then have to approve an ordinance dedicating the new tax hikes to a special fund to finance homelessness prevention programs.

Johnson argues the plan will lower the real estate tax for nearly 95% of homeowners and increase the tax on more expensive buildings, generating around $100 million in annual revenue to tackle homelessness. However, critics have said the plan will make landlords increase rent on tenants, limit future development, and hurt downtown commercial property owners who have been struggling to fill vacant office spaces since the COVID-19 pandemic.

In handling the displacement of migrants, Johnson’s administration signed a one-year, nearly $30 million contract to retain a private security firm to assist with relocating migrants from police stations and airports to more permanent lodgings. GardaWorld Federal Services and a subsidiary signed a one-year, $29.4 million deal with Chicago on Sept. 12.

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Johnson said Wednesday that he is planning a trip to visit the southern border but did not offer a specific time frame.

“We still have public safety that we have to address,” he said. “We still have the unhoused that we have to address. I still have a budget that I have to address. And I’m doing all of that with a black wife, raising three black children on the west side of the city of Chicago. I am going to the border as soon as possible.”