Denver's Growing Migrant Population Strains Resources and Spurs Community Support

The number of Venezuelan migrants arriving in Denver has reached nearly 30,000, overwhelming the city's efforts to provide shelter. Tents now line the streets outside hotels acting as makeshift shelters, with families cooking meals on the sidewalk and relying on donated items. While some families have rooms in the hotels, perishable food is not allowed inside, so they spend their days outside. The city changed its policy to allow families to stay in the hotels indefinitely due to cold weather, but single adults are only allowed a 14-day stay. The goal is for migrants to find stable housing, but there is a shortage of housing and funding. The situation has led to encampments forming in other parts of the city and state, and political tensions have arisen over the arrival of migrants from Texas.