DENVER — A large makeshift encampment underneath a Denver bridge will soon be cleared out ahead of dangerously cold temperatures this week, according to the city of Denver.
For the past several weeks, migrant families have lived in tents near W. 48th Avenue and Fox Street, many claiming they ended up there after their time at local shelters ran out.
On Wednesday, city organizations were out at the encampment, giving families notice that they could accept an offer of shelter ahead of the freezing cold temperatures this week.
Denver7 spoke with Jaime Andres Garcia, who said he has been living in a tent underneath the bridge for about a month and a half. He was packing up his things and preparing to move into the city shelter this week.
Garcia said he has been sharing a tent with four others and doing all he can to keep warm over the past few weeks, using things like heaters and propane tanks.
“They want to take us to shelters so we’re not as cold and so we can be better,” he said, in Spanish. “One runs a lot of risk being in this situation.”
According to a spokesperson from Denver Human Services, the city has enough shelter space at the two new congregate shelters that were opened up, where several families from the Zuni encampment relocated after a sweep last week.
Denver Human Services said families will move from the bridge encampment and into the two new shelters over the next few days.
“It will be better to be in a safe site,” Garcia added.
Denver clearing out migrant encampment under bridge ahead of cold temperatures
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