Denver may revoke cash assistance for migrants

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Migrants enrolled in the Denver Asylum Seekers Program won’t get cash benefits after all.

The council amended a contract with Haven for Hope during the Safety, Housing, Education and Homelessness Committee meeting Wednesday. Instead of Haven of Hope providing migrants with cash assistance on debit cards, it will instead provide “culturally appropriate” food, if the change is approved by the full council.

Denver Newcomer Director Sarah Plastino said city officials decided handing out cash EBT cards “was not the most responsible way of doing the program.” Making the switch from providing cash to providing food is costing the city more money. The contract with Haven of Hope increased by $259,000 to $6,049,292. Plastino explained that curating and delivering food caused the spike.

Katie Smith of the Denver City Attorney's Office told the committee the cash assistance presented legal challenges regarding what are allowable expenditures.

Staff will bring fresh food and non-perishables to the migrants twice per month, according to Plastino. They will receive personal hygiene items once per month, she said.

The council already had approved the cash benefits, so a new contract with Haven of Hope had to be created. The Haven of Hope contract is one of three awarded for the asylum seekers program. The others went to ViVe Wellness and Papagayo.

Council member Stacie Gilmore suggested city staff look into something like a Denver Basic Income Project to provide the migrants with cash assistance. She said food won't help them if they don't have a kitchen to cook in. "This issue is not going away anytime soon."

Vive Wellness, Papagayo contracts

ViVe Wellness will get $7.9 million and Papagayo will receive $2.9 million to provide housing and utility assistance.

ViVe will find housing for 230 households, according to the contract. They will help the tenants maintain their apartments, the contract states. “The goal of these services is to help newcomers with navigating unfamiliar housing and rental norms and a new economic system as well as language barriers or other barriers they may experience as they seek stability in the United States,” according to the contract.

From December 2022 to July 1, 42,392 immigrants, mostly from Venezuela, have passed through the Mile-High City or made Denver their home, according to city officials. The city has spent $72 million on the welcome wagon, according to a news release.