Denver Mayor Mike Johnston announced a proposal to transfer the department’s responsibility for caring for migrants arriving in Denver to the city’s Refugee Affairs Division, saying the administration no longer considers the influx of people from the border a crisis. suggested that.
Johnston announced the move in a news release late Friday outlining $7.3 million worth of budget changes in response to a Denver City Council budget hearing.
The mayor’s proposal would move the city’s newcomer program, its efforts and funding from the Denver Department of Human Services to the Office of Human Rights, Community Partnerships, Immigration and Refugee Affairs.
In his proposal, Johnston said he plans to submit the proposed ordinance to the City Council in 2025, which is enough time to “adjust existing grants and transfer resources and staff to the new agency.” .
“As the influx of new immigrants slows, we plan to strengthen our long-term, sustainable strategy by transitioning the New Entry Program,” Johnston said in a letter to city council members. ” he said.
According to Denver’s immigration dashboard, 42,991 immigrants, most of whom entered the country illegally at the southern border, have been served in Colorado’s most populous city.
John Ewing, a former spokesman for Denver Human Services and current spokesperson for Johnston, told the Denver Gazette that he believes the transition was by design.
“Now that we’re out of the emergency response phase, it makes a lot of sense,” he said.
The city’s daily intake of immigrants peaked on January 11, with 5,212 people admitted to the city’s newcomer program. The immigration dashboard puts the number at 281, but city officials stopped updating that dashboard as of Oct. 10.
Ewing said the program on refugee issues “reflects our desire to house the city’s professionals and programs that support Denver’s immigrant and refugee populations, with a particular focus on newcomer integration.” ” he said. Future versions of the City’s Newcomer Program will continue the City’s transition from emergency response to long-term, sustainable efforts. ”
Since December 2022, the crisis has cost the city of Denver about $76 million in taxpayer dollars, at one point straining city coffers and forcing officials to freeze hiring and reduce hours at the Department of Transportation in an effort to cut costs. He even skipped planting flowers. .
Ewing said the city plans to cut spending on immigration from $90 million in 2024 to $12.5 million in 2025.
“This transition is occurring in the context of reduced demand for new protection services over the past few months,” he said.
In his letter to the council, Mr Johnston added: “After dealing with an unprecedented influx of nearly 43,000 new arrivals over the past two years, responsibility for the newcomer program is transitioning. With more people per capita than any other city in the country, the outlook for 2025 is quite grim. different.”
WorkReady Denver Program
In a letter to the City Council, Johnston advocated for the continuation of the city’s WorkReady program despite the decline in immigrant arrivals.
The program aims to provide work and life skills to immigrants and build a “talent pipeline into professions facing severe labor shortages,” Johnston said.
Ewing said about 325 immigrants are currently participating in the WorkReady program for asylum seekers.
Already, $3 million has been proposed for the WorkReady program in 2025, Ewing said, adding that “now the city will be able to be more flexible” as the influx of immigrants slows.
“This program has been very successful,” Ewing said. “We are currently considering what a second version of the program will look like.”
WorkReady Denver is a job skills program. The program is approximately six months long and allows you to earn certifications in a variety of industries, including healthcare, hospitality, construction, and early childhood education.
The goal of the program is to provide immigrants with jobs that pay at least $20 an hour, which city officials say will generate $14 million in new wages.
Increase in rental assistance
During last year’s budget hearings, rent assistance for low-income renters seemed like a back-and-forth tennis game between the City Council and Johnston.
Monday’s letter also included Johnston adding $3 million to the $20 million originally proposed for the Temporary Rent and Utility Assistance Program (TRUA), which is intended to help renters below 80% of the area median income line. The desire to add dollars was detailed.
Last year, the City Council was able to persuade Johnston to raise $29.1 million in TRUA funding. That’s about $17 million more than what Johnston proposed last year.
And once again, rent subsidies will be discussed again in the 2024 budget hearings.
“Keeping people in their homes despite rising rents is a priority that my administration and City Council share,” Johnston said. “We are working with our nonprofit housing partners to carefully manage TRUA resources for households vulnerable to eviction and homelessness.”
In a letter sent to City Council members on Friday, the mayor outlined areas in which he was willing to compromise with council members after they requested a $29.1 million change earlier this month.
During budget hearings, the Denver City Council requested $5 million more than Johnston proposed.
It was one of 22 appeals the City Council requested from Johnston in its budget amendment letter earlier this month.
Ewing estimated in August that about 4% of people receiving rent and utility assistance from the city are immigrants.
Among other recommendations in the letter, Johnston asks the City Council to increase support for city construction-related projects for small businesses by $1.1 million, increase investment in youth programs by $1.5 million, and increase funding for the Safe Routes to School program by $1 million. Asking for more dollars.
“As we navigate one of the toughest budgets in a decade and significant reductions in federal funding, we are committed to working together to achieve a balanced budget that protects the critical city services that residents deserve,” Johnston said in a statement. I will do my best to.”
