DENVER — Denver is among the cities most impacted by the arrival of migrants crossing the Southwestern border in the last two years. More than 40,000 have arrived, many on buses chartered by the governor of Texas. Denver provided shelter for thousands and other forms of help. That's been expensive, and exhausting, and now the city has scaled its efforts back.
When Rosbely Sira Linarez, her husband and newborn arrived here last year from Venezuela they got help from the state to move into an apartment.
"They gave me a month's help plus the deposit," she said, in Spanish.
They found a place. That lasted about 10 months. Her husband lost a job, they fell behind on rent and then were evicted.
"I was there until they kicked me out," Linarez said.
Now they live in one of dozens of tents clustered under a north Denver street bridge, but not for too long. Police recently found this encampment and told residents they have to leave. Like Linarez, most here are newly arrived Venezuelan immigrants.
"Lately everything has become complicated for us," Linarez says.
Since 2023 more than 8,000 people in Denver received help with housing, through a state fund that's still available. But in March, the city started phasing out its short-term sheltering assistance. The problem for Linarez, and most migrants in Denver, is getting authorization to work so they can pay for their own housing.