Denver will restore rec center hours after revamping migrant strategy

Denver is overhauling its approach to serving migrants in a major shift announced Wednesday — along with revised budget impact projections that will allow the city to roll back some cuts, including reduced hours at city recreation centers, in coming months. Mayor Mike Johnston said the city would discontinue the costly practice of sheltering newly … Read more

Denver’s Roads to Recovery initiative prioritizes treatment over jail

For Aly Garrett, the safe haven provided by Tribe Recovery Homes is a source of inspiration and, she hopes, salvation. The 34-year-old is on probation for charges related to fentanyl use. Her addiction started four years ago while she was in an abusive relationship and dealing with trauma that stemmed from her mother’s use of … Read more

Number of migrants in Denver shelters dips below 1,000

The number of migrants staying in Denver shelters dipped below 1,000 for the first time in six months this week, leading city officials to consolidate hotel shelters amid a period of respite. Sarah Plastino, Denver’s recently hired newcomer program manager, called the dip in numbers a “turning point for the city” during a lull in … Read more

Kamala Harris touts progress in Denver, promises to fight on abortion

Vice President Kamala Harris told supporters in Denver on Tuesday that she would fight to ban “assault” weapons, raise the federal minimum wage and protect abortion rights if she and President Joe Biden win reelection in November. “In memory of Columbine, Aurora, Uvalde and Club Q, we continue — and we all continue — to … Read more

U.S. Rep. Yadira Caraveo unveils migrant bills that would help Denver

U.S. Rep. Yadira Caraveo of Colorado unveiled a package of migrant-related bills in the House Thursday that aim to break a partisan logjam on immigration reform and would assist cities like Denver that have shouldered unforeseen costs. The congresswoman, who represents Colorado’s most heavily Latino congressional district, said her aim is to help interior cities … Read more

Denver police conduct is at center of city’s spiking lawsuit bills

All things considered, Lindsay Minter feels lucky. Lindsay Minter in Aurora on Aug. 19, 2020. (Photo by Eli Imadali/Special to The Denver Post) She only needed to have a tooth pulled after she was hit in the face with a projectile from a rubber ball grenade flung in her direction by an unidentified Denver police … Read more

Denver will cut DMV, recreation center hours to pay for migrant crisis

Some Denver Motor Vehicle offices will close for a week at a time, recreation centers will reduce their hours and the parks department will slash spring recreational programming by 25% to help offset the fast-rising costs of sheltering migrants in the city. Efforts to trim city spending will be visible in other small ways. too. … Read more

Pressure from Denver migrant crisis shows up in City Council funding bills

The Denver City Council on Monday approved a $25 million agreement with a company that provides hotel rooms for migrants who have arrived in the city from the southern border. Most of that money — around $17.5 million — has already been spent, according to the city’s Department of Finance. The agreement modified an existing … Read more

Denver council bans homeless sweeps in freezing weather; mayor veto possible

A month after coming together to unanimously approve the final contracts that supported Mayor Mike Johnston’s House 1,000 initiative, a divided Denver City Council dug in its heels on Monday on a bill that — for now at least — will prohibit some city agencies from clearing homeless encampments during freezing weather. The measure, which … Read more

Aurora City Council approves purchase of Crowne Plaza Hotel property for homeless navigation campus

The city of Aurora plans to buy the Crowne Plaza Hotel and turn it into a “regional navigation center” that provides temporary housing and services for people who are homeless. Aurora City Council members approved the purchase Monday night 7-3 for the 255-room hotel and convention center at 15500 E. 40th Ave. near the airport … Read more