Denver Addresses Rising Immigrant Evictions Amidst Budget Strain.
Denver officials have identified 15 apartment complexes with high concentrations of immigrants facing eviction, highlighting a growing issue as the city grapples with the financial strain of accommodating a surge of people from the U.S.-Mexico border.
Perla Gheiler, Executive Director of Denver Human Rights and Community Partnerships, shared the update with City Council members on Tuesday. Gheiler announced plans to develop a referral process for landlords to direct residents at risk of eviction to available resources.
“There’s a lot of evictions happening,” Gheiler told The Denver Gazette after the meeting. She did not specify the names of the complexes or reasons behind the high eviction rates.
As of mid-July, nearly $500,000 in utility and rental assistance has been provided to 58 households, likely newly arrived immigrants, to prevent their displacement.
Denver Councilwoman Sarah Parady, representing a district with a significant immigrant population, requested Gheiler to privately inform councilmembers of the apartment complexes’ locations.
Jon Ewing, spokesperson for Denver Human Services, estimated that around 4% of the rental and utility assistance recipients are immigrants. Denver Human Services oversees the city’s response to the influx of immigrants, particularly through the “Newcomer Program” which was established to manage the impact of illegal immigration from the U.S.-Mexico border over the past two years.
The issue of immigrant evictions is increasingly prominent in the Denver metro area. Last week, over 50 families were evicted from a complex on Nome Street and Colfax Avenue in Aurora, which had a history of health and safety violations.
The landlord of Aspen Grove Apartments, a 98-unit complex managed by CBZ Management, attributed the poor conditions to the presence of the Venezuelan prison gang Tren de Aragua, claiming it poses a threat to staff and residents. However, Ryan Luby, a spokesperson for the Aurora Police Department, stated that while gang activity has not been ruled out, it is not relevant to the conditions of the housing.
Since December 2022, nearly 43,000 immigrants have received services from Denver. Most are from South and Central America, particularly Venezuela, which has faced economic and political turmoil under President Nicolás Maduro since 2013.
Denver officials initially decided to cover the costs of temporary housing and feeding for immigrants. The latest tally shows that taxpayers have funded $74 million for these efforts. Critics, including some officials from El Paso, Texas, argue that Denver’s policies—such as providing free shelter and transportation to other states—may have attracted more immigrants. Despite this, the city has continued these policies.
A report released on Tuesday also revealed that Denver has purchased nearly 6,000 tickets for buses, planes, and trains for immigrants to relocate elsewhere this year, costing taxpayers $1.7 million.
Tony Anderson, Chief Workforce Development Officer with the Department of Economic Development and Opportunity, updated councilmembers on the “WorkReady” program. This initiative provides job training and certification to address labor shortages in the Denver area. About 80% of participants are pursuing certifications in construction and hospitality.
Since August 8, Denver has assisted over 2,700 immigrants in applying for work authorization. Officials estimate the program could generate up to $14 million in economic impact for the metro area. Participants receive industry-recognized credentials, and work authorization processing can take up to five months. Additionally, they receive six months of rental, food, and utility assistance, along with a computer, cell phone, and bus passes.
The city has not tracked where new immigrants ultimately settle, making it unclear how many of the 42,702 who arrived in Denver have remained. However, ticket data suggests that about half have stayed in the city.
City Council members also discussed the potential for a winter influx similar to previous years. At the peak of the last surge, Denver was sheltering around 5,000 immigrants. Sarah Plastino, Executive Director of the Newcomer Program, does not expect a repeat of that level. She attributed the lower numbers to a June executive order by President Joe Biden that limits new asylum claims when daily border crossings exceed approximately 2,500.
Plastino noted that under 20% of immigrants detained at the southern border have listed Denver as their final destination. The reduction in arrivals is also partly due to the decreased number of buses from Texas, following Governor Greg Abbott’s busing campaign to Democratic-leaning “sanctuary” cities, which began in spring 2022. Abbott has since bussed nearly 120,000 immigrants, including 19,200 to Denver.