Denver City Council to consider almost $11 million in spending on immigration services

The Denver City Council on Monday will consider spending $10.7 million in contract approvals that will serve immigrants enrolled in the city’s asylum seeker program, helping them find housing and pay their utilities.

Last month, Denver kicked off its work force training program which is designed to help immigrants — many of whom crossed the southern border illegally — who have applied for, but not yet received asylum, find legal work in the city.

Vive Wellness, one of the two service providers, previously won a $1.3 million contract in May. It will receive $7.8 million more if approved by the council on Monday. The other, Papagayo, is set to receive $2.9 million.

These contracts come after Denver Mayor Mike Johnston committed to housing, sheltering and providing transportation to tens of thousands of immigrants, many from Venezuela, as they were bussed into the city from the southern border. In April, the city imposed a hiring freeze and cut $90 million from its approved 2024 budget in order to fund its response to the crisis.

As of July 1, the latest update, the city has spent $72 million and assisted over 42,000 immigrants. Of the 42,000, the city says it has helped 2,300 with work authorization applications since February and has about 800 enrolled in the workforce training program.

Here’s a summary of other actions appearing before the council:

Contracts and Resolutions:

24-0877: Approves a master purchase order with Fonroche Lighting America Inc. for $5 million to purchase solar lighting for various trails and parks, citywide.

24-0784: Approves a grant agreement with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for $14.1 million and an end date of 6-30-2025 to provide programs for Denver’s Head Start and Early Head Start delegate agencies, citywide.

24-0880 and 24-0881: Approves two grant agreements, worth $7 million and $17.4 million, with the Colorado Department of Local Affairs to assist with the acquisition of the Denver Navigation Center which offers integrated services for the homeless people with complex needs and long lengths of homelessness, in Council District 8.

24-0901 and 24-0902: Approves a contract with Papagayo for $2.9 million and Vive Wellness for $7.8 million, to provide housing navigation, and rental and utilities assistance for newcomers enrolled to participate in the Denver Asylum Seeker Program citywide.

Bills:

24-0907: Submits to a vote on the qualified and registered electors of the City and County of Denver, a proposed amendment to the Charter of the City and County of Denver to provide for binding arbitration in the event of an impasse between parties in firefighter collective bargaining negotiations and removing references to advisory fact-finding.

24-0882: Approves a revenue agreement with Colorado Department of Public Safety, Division of Criminal Justice for $8,212,671.40 and through 9-30-2025 for the 2024-2025 Community Correction program to administer residential and non-residential services for individuals returning from incarceration to the City and County of Denver, citywide.

24-0813: A bill for an ordinance amending Chapter 20 to authorize the Auditor to issue investigatory subpoenas to city contractors for internal audits.

24-0850: Approves a cooperation agreement with the Denver Urban Renewal Authority for the Evans School Property Tax Increment Area and Sales Tax Increment Area to establish, among other matters, the parameters for tax increment financing with incremental property and sales taxes.

Public Hearings:

24-0851: Approves the Evans School Urban Redevelopment Plan authorizing the creation of an Urban Redevelopment Area and property tax and sales tax increment areas.