[Pictured: 2 pieces of whole wheat bread wrapped in cellophane that served as breakfast at the DCC Family Shelter over the past 4 days]
After the City’s expressed it’s desire for migrant families to re-enter into the very shelter system that had churned them out and left them back on the streets, both singles and migrant families camping at 39th & Ulster responded with a list of no-money-needed shelter improvements that needed to happen for the shelter to be a better place for them than the encampment. Migrants, HAND advocates, and City Council allies (namely Shontel Lewis, Sarah Parady, and Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez) banned together to work towards realizing a way that these calls for basic human decency could be met. This resulted in a document being published by the City of Denver/ the Mayor’s office in the evening of May 7th, the night before the scheduled sweep, which listed the 14 demands and subsequent City Commitments to address each of them. Initially, families still refused to go because the single migrants were not being offered the same sorts of opportunities. Here are some directly translated quotes from parents from that night as to why they refused shelter for themselves and their families unless the singles in their community would receive support:
- “For the single men it’s always harder for them to enter inside and receive support than for families, and everyone needs it, not just families”
- “When us families are outside, it’s the single men who are the only ones helping us. If we leave and go inside and they’re left outside, they will scatter. Then if we get kicked out again from the shelter, who’s going to help us?”
- “If they kick us out again, let’s say we’re 4 families, we’re going to be 4 families separated and alone in the streets so we need to stay with the families that don’t have kids”
- “Thank God that when we’re united, we don’t have drug addicts, no one goes crazy and gets in fights or does anything crazy, because between the singles and families, we’re united, and we look out for each other so that when somebody comes for one person they have to deal with all of us, more than 20. So we have to stay together.”
Ultimately, after the threat of police harassment grew and the parents were continuously told that taking such a stance would not be in their best interest, some families elected to try the shelters so long as the City’s Commitments would be respected.
Since then, HAND has received numerous reports of mistreatment, poor conditions, and continued broken promises. On May 10th, we got an urgent call from the parents of 8 families that chose to walk out of the shelter in defiance of the lack of accountability and humane treatment (read here for full story – https://housekeysactionnetwork.com/2024/05/10/migrant-families-returning-to-streets-due-to-shelter-conditions-and-lack-of-city-follow-through/). Today, HAND responded to migrants calling urgently from the kitchen where they were being told by All Souls that the outdoor kitchen setup, and thus their right to culturally-appropriate, nutrient-rich diets for themselves and their children, could be taken away following a single incident of the kitchen space being left untidy. Soon after HAND arrived, Vive Wellness Director Yoli Casas did as well, and thus followed an intense conversation where migrants finally had the opportunity to talk to a program director about the many ways in which the shelter was not meeting their needs with HAND present for accountability. The following is a record of the status of these City Commitments with updates from just today following this fruitful conversation. Despite the City’s track record of treatment towards the unhoused, let alone migrants, we continue to hold onto hope that the promises made to these people will be fulfilled and will set a precedent to improve conditions at all shelters, in all programs. The following bulleted points are created directly from migrants’ accounts of events since May 8th.
[For the version published on this site, the “highlighted” color and scoring referred to after the list of commitments have been written in italics next to each commitment. Scoring method and meaning behind each color are described after the list.]
Transgressions of City Shelter Program to Unhoused Migrants, Categorized by Commitment Number:
City Commitment #1: Permitting migrants to cook their own fresh, culturally appropriate meals (orange, score = 0.5)
- Regarding the Kitchen:
- A volunteer working with shelter staff and the City to provide the kitchen intimidated residents by suggesting he would leave and remove “his” kitchen and the “privilege” to cook after a single incident of uncleanliness in the kitchen. This would have been a form of collective punishment after the families stated that a few individuals who had been working late did not clean after themselves, and City workers happened to visit the next day and cite the uncleanliness. Residents were thankful for his support but notably vocal about his need for control.
- They have only been allowed to cook from the hours of 11am to 2pm and 5pm to 8pm. If not all the families get to utilize the cooking space, they are forced to settle for what is provided or go hungry.
- Food not immediately used, such as extra eggs, have been thrown out instead of stored.
- Regarding the Supplemental Food Provided:
- When residents raised concerns about the quality and quantity of food provided, their complaints were often ignored or inadequately addressed. For example, despite multiple complaints about the limited and low-quality food, there was no immediate action taken to rectify the situation.
- Residents mentioned being denied access to water – despite cases of bottled water stacked against the wall at the shelter.
- Residents complained about receiving only bread for four days for breakfast, which was insufficient for proper nutrition. Adults were denied cheese and other food items that were reserved only for children.
- There have been breakouts of diarrhea and illness throughout the shelter which the residents believe to be related to the lack of clean drinking water and the poor food.
- TODAY’S Proposed Program Changes:
- Advocates and volunteers will hold a meeting to discuss food needs and create mutually agreed upon kitchen rules with all residents invited.
- Clear, written, community-approved rules for kitchen cleanliness and maintenance will be posted visibly.
- The kitchen will be provided with a full-sized trash bin in the kitchen so that residents don’t have to take their trash out of the kitchen area once the small bins are full.
- Supplemental ingredients and food items will be collaborated on through other community members and mutual aid organizations.
- Additional coolers with ice will be provided to be able to preserve the ingredients that individuals bring for themselves to cook.
- The food vendor will change, once again, to improve the quality of supplemental food, particularly breakfast, and to provide culturally appropriate food like arepas and café con leche.
City Commitment #2: Shower access without time limits (red, score = 0)
- Residents are still experiencing strict 5-minute shower enforcement.
City Commitment #3: Regular medical professional visits and referrals (green, score = 1)
- These seem to be taking place, with a HAND advocate having witnessed a medical professional visiting with individuals during the first week of their stay.
City Commitment #4: Equal housing support and stable establishment before exiting (orange, score = 0.5)
- Not all families have received equitable housing support. While some have made progress in applying to certain places, and a few even moving out and into their units, others state they’ve received no support whatsoever.
- Additionally, the original demand of the migrants at the encampment was to include supportive services for ALL camp residents – including the single men who help support the families and their children time and time again when the City programs kick them back onto the streets. While singles were offered a week of hotel shelter, and supposed to receive “intensive case management” during that one week, they reported back that a Papagayo representative had met with them once to collect all their personal information without offering any sort of follow-up or next steps. These individuals have been rallying to stay indoors and the community has since supplemented donated funds along with the hundreds of dollars they worked hard to earn so that they could have an additional two weeks of hotel stay, however this is not sustainable over the long run and they still have yet to receive any City support towards a real solution.
City Commitment #5: Clear, just process before exiting, including verbal, written, and final warnings (red, score = 0)
- A serious allegation was made against minors and publicized as truth on a paper document distributed throughout the shelter, but the staff failed to provide evidence to support this claim, nor did they discuss this first with the parents of the minors involved. This lack of evidence and the manner in which the accusation was handled caused distress and confusion among the residents, especially the minors and their mothers.
- Individuals are constantly told verbally that if they don’t behave in alignment with the shelter or outdoor kitchen rules, they could be kicked out or have the kitchen removed. These statements are made without residents having a written copy of the rules and without following a verbal, written, and final warning process. Instead, this causes residents to feel under surveillance and criminalized constantly, always at risk of losing “privileges” like food or shower usage.
- Several women, including minors, in the shelter were harassed for wearing certain clothing, such as a crop top that slightly showed their stomach or shorts. They were told that this was sexually explicit and they had to change. While Vive Wellness suggested that this was always the rule for all shelters, one resident spoke up and said she had been in all sorts of shelters and had never experienced that sort of rule being so heavily enforced. This clothing rule was also being inequitably enforced on some but not others.
City Commitment #6: Connection to employment support and work permit applications (red, score = 0)
- Residents have not received any sort of employment support while at the shelter.
- TODAY’S Proposed Program Changes:
- Up until now, residents have been told that, to qualify for housing assistance, they must have an Employment Verification Letter from an official, licensed organization that verifies stable income above a certain amount. Since they have not received support in seeking job opportunities, let alone obtaining work permits, this has been a near impossible task for those who are not legally allowed to work and must find creative means of supporting themselves, often through connections with understanding community members.
- As of today, they were told by Vive Wellness that those who help with housing support will work on finding ways to continue to offer that support without the necessity of a formal letter.
- Additionally, it was discussed that some form of employment assistance will arrive during these last few weeks in the shelter to be sure that they can have autonomy and sustain rent payments after the assistance of 1-3 months runs out – an amount quickly dwindling since the City has refused to allocate additional funds.
City Commitment #7: Consultations with free immigration lawyers and ongoing legal support (red, score = 0)
- Residents have not received any sort of legal support with their immigration cases, let alone a consultation with an immigration lawyer, while in-shelter.
City Commitment #8: Privacy for families/individuals within the shelter (red, score = 0)
- Despite the commitments stating that they would be working on providing some sort of privacy, residents are still sheltering in a large gymnasium on mats on the floor that are spaced closely together and offer no sort of privacy to shelter residents.
- TODAY’S Proposed Program Changes:
- Some, but not all, residents were offered the opportunity to relocate to other non-congregate shelters. These select residents, ever steadfast in their commitment to supporting one another, refused to accept this move and have the community they have built together be split up and scattered across the City in different locations.
- Therefore, Vive Wellness said the community would not have to be separated for the duration of their stay in the family shelter, and they will work on improving conditions there for all.
City Commitment #9: No verbal, physical, or mental abuse from staff, including heavy police presence (red, score = 0)
- Armed security and police are still on-site, 24-7. Residents reported having to try to fall asleep with these authoritarian figures physically hovering over them to check if they truly were asleep. Lights are kept on at all hours to watch them, even at night. They are still wanded down by metal detectors every time they enter the building. Security does not speak Spanish, which can result in further escalation of situations when they cannot understand what is being said.
- Residents reported that staff often responded with sarcasm when they made requests or raised concerns. For example, when one resident politely asked for help with obtaining food, the staff responded sarcastically, diminishing the resident’s genuine need for assistance.
- Staff were reported to have laughed at residents during conversations, showing a lack of respect for their concerns.
- One resident reported being addressed disrespectfully by a staff member who used an offensive term (“bicho”) when speaking to them. This term is considered highly disrespectful in the resident’s culture, further highlighting the staff’s lack of cultural sensitivity.
- When residents raised concerns about the quality and quantity of food provided, their complaints were often ignored or inadequately addressed. For example, despite multiple complaints about the limited and low-quality food, there was no immediate action taken to rectify the situation.
- Instances were reported where staff members showed unprofessional conduct, such as rolling their eyes, making dismissive gestures, or speaking in a condescending tone. This behavior contributed to the residents feeling belittled and unvalued.
- Residents mentioned feeling discriminated against by staff members, who seemed to show favoritism or bias in their interactions. This discrimination was felt particularly in the distribution of food and other resources, where some residents were unfairly prioritized over others.
- Residents who spoke at City Council Public Comment reported being treated differently upon their return. For example, there were complaints that the staff started to treat them more harshly, possibly as a form of retaliation for speaking out. This differential treatment included more stringent enforcement of rules and a generally more dismissive attitude towards their concerns and needs.
- Parents have been made highly uncomfortable by shelter staff chastising their children, going so far as to yell at them, to take away their toys, or insist that a mother take her children outside the shelter because their playing was annoying to the staff person.
City Commitment #10: Transportation for all children to and from their schools (orange, score = 0.5)
- A resident reported that when they asked for help to attend their child’s graduation, the staff member responded rudely, stating that the city does not take care of such requests and that residents must handle it themselves.
City Commitment #11: No separating families (green, score = 1)
- Families have been allowed to stay together, including extended family members who help support their relatives through work or childcare. The City has done a good job adjusting to the culturally-relevant, non-nuclear family structure.
City Commitment #12: Meeting with the Mayor and those involved in the Newcomer program (red, score = 0)
- There have been no offers for residents to have meetings with Newcomer Program leadership to discuss program defects and newcomer needs. Instead, there have been some spontaneous visits by program leaders like Sarah Plastino, Jon Ewing, and Yoli Cases who were merely responding to crisis situations when families threatened to leave the shelter and return to the streets due to the extreme lack of alignment between these written City Commitments and actual shelter policies and practices.
- TODAY’S Proposed Program Changes:
- Vive Wellness has said that they will work to create a mutually inclusive document regarding program policies that includes direct feedback from residents that they will review and agree with before signing. While this is a step in the right direction in terms of having mutually agreed upon documents and not forcing individuals to sign things they do not agree with in order to stay in shelter, it is unclear if they will host meetings to detail these concerns or if this document will be based on this one rushed conversation that happened during the day while some were at work.
City Commitment #13: Storage of belongings at DCC (green, score = 1)
- Residents have been allowed to have their documents stored with them while sheltering.
City Commitment #14: Provide a document with commitments and a hotline for reporting mistreatment (red, score = 0)
- The phone number provided to report mistreatment leads to a voicemail machine without anyone to talk to and the message is only in English, not Spanish, making it inaccessible to those who don’t speak English. There does not appear to be any guarantee, or even just process transparency, to suggest that voicemails left at this number lead to a timely process being followed to address reported concerns.
- Residents reported that their complaints were not taken seriously or followed up on appropriately within the shelter. For instance, serious allegations like the one involving minors were not investigated thoroughly or respectfully, and instead put the minors and their parents at greater risk.
- Staff were accused of inconsistently enforcing rules, which led to confusion and frustration among residents. For example, while some residents were reprimanded for minor infractions, others seemed to get away with similar actions without any consequences. One of the factors in this favoritism was how vocal individuals were about their conditions.
- This document, which states that it “serves as the City’s commitment” to address each of the above concerns, was published and provided to the encampment residents without ever having been reviewed by shelter staff, who knew nothing about it until an advocate showed it to them a few days after the sweep. The lack of regard for the fact that the City is able to publish a document and make certain commitments without being accountable for their completion is a serious concern, rendering the written word of a City document useless. Instead, the document was weaponized to manipulate individuals into accepting less-than acceptable shelter conditions in order to get them indoors, despite costing them aspects of their autonomy, dignity, freedom, privacy, and overall well-being.
The highlighted color assigned to each of the City Commitments illustrates which ones have been completed (in green), which ones have been attempted (in orange), and which have seen no notable improvement (in red). If we were to grade the City in its adherence to its own document by assigning green commitments the number 1, orange commitments the number 0.5, and red commitments a 0, and then calculate the average across all 14 areas of concern, we would have 4.5 out of 14 – a completion rate of 32%. This percentage can be viewed as an Honesty Score, showing the percentage of the document which the City successfully complied with. Our hope is that, in these final few weeks of shelter, we can report improvements and responsiveness to these concerns such that the City’s written word isn’t totally worthless… Or at least, not 68% worthless.
While migrants have continued to speak out about these and other infractions and transgressions against them, they have repeatedly been dismissed as being unable to reach such conclusions themselves, or having others speak for them. This racist and belittling narrative is reiterated not only in the shelter by shelter staff, but also by City officials, City partner agencies, and even the media. Today was a clear example of how migrants took a stance and demanded to be heard, calling advocates to bear witness and facilitate accountability for the mistreatment they are experiencing at the hands of those who are meant to be supporting them. As long as they continue to call, we will continue to fight for their beyond reasonable demands for autonomy, basic human dignity, and equitable treatment.
¡Adelante por la dignidad y la vivienda para TODOS!
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