25th District Neighbors, 
Curtis J. Tarver II 

STATE REPRESENTATIVE 25TH DISTRICT 
I apologize for the delay in getting this letter to you. I wanted to make sure that I had a clear understanding of exactly what transpired and is going to occur in the near future with the proposed permanent shelter site located at 4900 S DuSable Lake Shore Drive. 

It has been confirmed that the shelter will close within the next six (6) months. This was a project doomed from the start because of the City of Chicago’s attempt to sneakily convert the temporary shelter to a permanent shelter. The City confirmed that it performed no outreach prior to its decision to convert the temporary shelter to a permanent one. It followed up its lack of outreach with both a lack of humility and lack of willingness to listen to the concerns of the community. 

Make no mistake, this has nothing to do with pressures regarding federal funds as claimed by the City of Chicago. That untruthful statement also minimizes your role in holding all of your elected officials accountable for their respective roles in this failed project. Moreover, it is senseless to claim that federal funds derailed a project that was fully funded with the exact request made by the City of Chicago to the State of Illinois. 

You will remember the entire “mission” was to cost approximately $124,500,000.00. The City of Chicago and the State of Illinois agreed to a $91,500,000.00 inclusion for the Fiscal Year 2026 State of Illinois Budget. That amount was included in the Governor’s introduced budget in February 2025 and passed on May 31, 2025. This is after the State of Illinois spent approximately $22,000,000.00 on the temporary shelter in Fiscal Year 2025. The only funds that are unaccounted for are the City of Chicago’s approximately $33,000,000.00 that was supposed to support this shelter. The State’s fiscal year begins July 1, 2025. It is nonsensical that the City of Chicago place its blame anywhere outside of its administration. 

Let me be clear, no one wants to see people unhoused in our city. We all must commit to being part of the solution when it comes to providing shelter and services to all vulnerable individuals. That has to include all vulnerable individuals and not prioritize or pit “new arrivals” versus others. If the concern is truly to have one shelter system for all - all government officials should find the same billion dollars that we committed during the humanitarian crisis. Instead, the “One Shelter” proposal was for less than one-tenth 
that amount for everyone of all backgrounds. Political expediency and an unwillingness to hear from and partner with the communities affected by these decisions is worsening the problem. 

Thank you to the countless constituents who reached out, attended meetings, and voiced your perspectives. Thank you to all of you who kept our office accountable. Your engagement played an essential role in ensuring that this matter received the level of scrutiny and care it deserves. 

For any solution to be truly sustainable and effective, it must include input from the very communities it touches. This was about making sure the community's voice was heard, respected, and included. There are no winners as long as people remain unhoused. We have work to do. 

Thank you again for your insight and your advocacy. Respectfully, 

Curtis J. Tarver II