Denver Pays to Make Migrants Feel at Home
Denver new mayor is taking significant steps to ensure efficient and effective management of services for migrants arriving in the city. The city recently closed the bidding process for contracts to oversee these services and will soon begin interviewing potential vendors.
According to Denver Human Services Chief Operating Officer Mimi Scheuermann, the process has been transparent and fair. In fact, Scheuermann shared details during an emergency response working group meeting hosted by Denver City Council, highlighting the efforts of her department in overseeing the city's migrant response.
However, this process has not been without challenges. In the summer, the previous administration under Mayor Hancock faced criticism for their decision to award a $40 million contract to Virginia-based GardaWorld Federal Services. This controversial decision was met with questions about the company's reputation, leading the administration to abandon the plan.
Learning from past mistakes, Council President Jamie Torres has assured citizens that there will likely be multiple vendors providing services, instead of a single company handling all resources. While no details were shared about potential vendors or contract costs, Scheuermann has stated that the contracts will likely be presented to the council for consideration by the end of the year.
The city has already spent $28 million to provide services for more than 24,400 migrants who have arrived since last December.
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As the numbers continue to rise, Denver says it has taken proactive steps to ensure that the influx of migrants is properly managed. In fact, Scheuermann's office has already hired over 200 staff to work at the shelters.
These measures have proven to be necessary, as Denver currently shelters nearly 3,000 migrants a day, the highest number since the arrivals began. This significant increase has been largely attributed to the buses sent by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's office.