New Life Centers: New Vecinos

In August 2022, buses with asylum seekers started arriving in Chicago from the southern U.S. border, creating a high demand for meeting emergency needs like food, health care, and housing. At last count, more than 47,000 new arrivals have come to Chicago to seek safety and stability.
New Life Centers has been one of many organizations working with the city to address this crisis. In May 2023, it launched New Vecinos (“New Neighbors”) to help new arrivals resettle after they secure housing. The program assists individuals and families with moving, furniture acquisition, food and supplies, and connections to community agencies.
New Life Centers was funded under the Trust’s Sustainable Solutions for Housing Stability, a new grant program that supports organizations providing housing stability and addressing the underlying causes of homelessness in Chicago and Cook County. In 2024, 26 organizations received more than $3.75 million in grantmaking.