The city of Denver has been facing what it calls a migrant crisis for more than a year. Now, as The Colorado Sun reports, the city is asking the federal government for extra help.
Editor Lance Benzel with The Colorado Sun told KUNC members of the state's congressional delegation are getting involved in efforts to secure more funding.
“Colorado's two senators and five Democratic U.S. representatives are demanding that the federal government step up and help...put roofs over the heads of these migrants,” Benzel said.
This request comes as the number of migrants staying in the city keeps rising. Nearly 36,000 migrants have arrived in the past year.
“In December (2023) alone, 144 buses dropped off migrants in the city at the pace of about 100 to 200 people per day,” Benzel said. “Denver Mayor Mike Johnston says that the city has received more migrants per capita than any other city in the country.”
So how are all those migrants being housed right now?
Benzel said Denver has already spent $34 million setting up emergency shelters, including renting rooms in hotels throughout the city. The Colorado Sun reports the number of migrants staying in hotels and sleeping on sidewalks surpassed 4,400 in the first week of 2024, the highest it's been in the past year.
“Unfortunately there just aren't enough hotel rooms or resources to keep migrants in hotels indefinitely,” he told KUNC. “Single migrants can stay in the hotels for just 14 days, and after that, many of them have moved into tents on city sidewalks.”
A tent camp outside the Quality Inn at Speer Boulevard and Zuni Street has grown to span multiple blocks and include hundreds of people. The city is planning to bus people from the camp to alternate shelters.
“One of those shelters is in a city building and another is at a church,” Benzel said. “But even here, the time (limit) in shelters is limited to 30 days.”
As far as long-term plans, Benzel told KUNC the Denver City Council has set aside $330,000 for rental assistance.
“That's not going to come close to housing everyone, but it will help,” he said. “The city has helped 300 people fill out rental applications so far, and 95 have found apartments.”
Under this plan, migrants who have jobs can get the first month of their rent for free. People currently seeking work can apply for up to three months of rent.
Migrants in Denver who need help with housing and other needs can find out more on the city’s website.
