Denver City Council member Kevin Flynn asked the city’s homelessness czar questions Wednesday that got to the root of what everyone’s been wondering: Will migrants rebuild street encampments that the city worked so hard to clear under the House1000 program?
“It’s obviously a real challenge and something I think about a lot,” said Cole Chandler the city’s senior director for homelessness resolution, during the Safety, Housing, Education and Homelessness Committee meeting. “If inflow continues and we can’t serve people who are coming to our community in an effective way they are going to end up in encampments on the street. If we can’t prevent new encampments from popping up, we’re going to be in a very tough situation.”
Chandler said the city is working hard to make sure migrants exiting hotel shelters don’t end up back on the streets. On a more macro level, Mayor Mike Johnston has been lobbying Washington, D.C. officials to make applying for work permits easier for migrants. The city also has been buying migrants bussed here tickets for onward travel, spending about $300 per ticket, according to city officials. “Denver is cold and not a safe place to be living outdoors,” Chandler said.