Denver closes final hotel shelter for migrants

DENVER (KDVR) — Over the weekend, Denver closed its final hotel shelter for migrants after working over the past two months to get migrants into apartments or transitional housing.

“Right now at present, there are eight newcomers in the shelter, and yesterday there were zero for the very first time since the response has started,” said Jon Ewing with the city of Denver.

Ewing said the city remains welcoming for all newcomers at the city’s reception center, seven days a week between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

But the numbers have slowed. Ewing said 144 charter buses arrived in Denver in December.

“We’ve had four charter buses arrive in June,” Ewing said.

As of Monday, Ewing said the city has supported 42,392 newcomers at a cost of more than $72 million. He said the transition from rented hotels to apartments and transitional housing for newly arriving migrants comes down to cost.

“At one point it was $90 a person in a hotel per night,” Ewing said. “So if you think of a family of three, you’re talking $270 per night in a hotel.”

He said an example of the cost for an apartment for migrants could be around $1,600 a month.

“The math makes sense pretty quickly,” Ewing said.

A small busload of people arrive at an emergency shelter for migrants from the southern U.S. border set up at a Denver rec center. Dec. 13, 2022. (Pool Photo: Kevin J. Beaty / Denverite)

Denver to keep 2 migrant shelters open

Ewing said the hotels also provided daily meals along with security. He said that migrants living more independently helps with the cost.

“This isn’t over. The migrant crisis isn’t over,” Ewing said. “People are still going to arrive, people are still going to need help.”

The city is keeping two shelters open for migrants: one for families and one for individuals. He said they also continue to provide outreach for those living on the streets, migrants or not, with Mayor Mike Johnston’s All In Mile High initiative to house 2,000 people.

“We’ve moved 1,600 people off the streets into housing, and we’re still looking to hit our goal of 2,000, and we will make it,” Ewing said.

Here is a little more background from the city on the Denver Asylum Seekers Program and Work Authorization:

“In April, Mayor Mike Johnston announced the creation of the Denver Asylum Seekers Program, which provides long-term support and stability to newcomers who do not immediately have access to federal work authorization. The first cohort of roughly 800 individuals is currently in the process of applying for asylum through city-backed clinics. As a requirement of DASP, at least one adult per household is committed to at least 20 hours of weekly job training as part of WorkReady Denver. Classes began in June and will run the next several months.

“Denver has assisted more than 2,300 people with applying for work authorization since February,” the statement continues. “Those interested in volunteering for a clinic may sign-up here. The city sends its appreciation to the many partners assisting with work authorization clinics, including the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Denver Agency for Human Rights & Community Partnerships (HRCP), City Attorney’s Office (CAO), Denver Human Services (DHS), Lutheran Family Services, Catholic Charities, Colorado Lawyers Committee, Justice and Mercy Legal Aid Center (JAMLAC), as well as volunteers from within the city and community.”