Up to 120 migrants will be discharged beginning Feb. 5 from Denver shelters for maxing out on their stays, according to a statement from Mayor Mike Johnston’s office.
The City and County of Denver limits family stays in shelters to six weeks, up from a previous 37-day limit. Single people stay in shelters 14 days.
The last time the city discharged migrants from shelters they set up encampments on the streets. Mayor Mike Johnston’s House1000 campaign removed most major encampments from areas downtown. It remains to be seen whether migrants will populate encampments again.
The city has been aggressive about cleaning up migrant encampments. A camp was swept last week and some of its inhabitants moved a short distance away to an industrial area kept from view. The city wasted no time sweeping that encampment of about a dozen tents, too.
Families with children who entered shelter on Oct. 12 or later will begin discharges on Feb. 7. “Discharges will be based on arrival date and occur in rolling fashion, with every family receiving a written notification of their discharge date,” according to the city’s migrant website. “All families with children will have received at least 42 days in shelter, with some families having been provided as long as four months.”