Sanctuary City Landlords Get a Call from Local Officials Strapped for Cash

Denver landlords are getting the call that no property owner wants to get.

Now that the sanctuary city is housing fewer illegal immigrants in shelters, the local government is looking to private property owners to rent out to the migrants.

Officials are sharing that thousands have been exiting shelters, according to Fox 31.

“We’re at below 1,800 right now, which is the first time that number’s been that low since September,” said Jon Ewing, with Denver Human Services.

Just in January, nearly 4,500 illegals were occupying shelters within the city.

But while the number of migrants in shelters is decreasing, the number of migrants within Denver is not.

“We put out a feeler to all the landlords we have connections with,” Ewing said. “Basically said, listen, we’re going to have some newcomers who are going to need housing.”

He shared there is a $2,000 rent cap for landlords to charge the migrants. “Nonprofits already have connected folks with all kinds of housing, all over Denver,” he said.

While this may seem like a feel-good story, with migrants getting out of shelters and moving into homes, it’s far less peachy than the city is spinning it.

As the number of migrants in shelters decreases, so does the number of shelters as the city works to decrease the immense deficit in the budget, according to Denver 7.

Mayor Mike Johnston claims that the city will save roughly $60 million from closing four shelters down, the first of which closed its doors on Tuesday.

“That means the $180 million deficit that we were facing is now closer to $120 million. That still leaves us $120 million of cuts to make,” he stated during a news conference. “So that means we still have work to do.”

Migrants have so far cost the city upwards of $59 million, putting a sizable dent in the city’s wallet.

So the reality of the situation is the city is trying to save money by throwing migrants into rented homes, therefore holding no further financial responsibility, and moving the burden elsewhere.

Additionally, the cap put on rent means that landlords who step up and rent to migrants may not be making the amount of money that their property is worth so that the city can save money.

According to RentCafe, the average rental price in the city is just shy of $1,979, meaning that either half of the properties won’t be available to migrants, or landlords will be shorted.

If the city of Denver wants to push so strongly to keep illegals within the city, that responsibility falls onto the city.

Asking the residents who have already had to pay the taxes funding illegals to pony up additional money and resources to house them is a disaster.

Leaders in sanctuary cities seem to constantly be stuck between the idea they need to help these people and the reality that they can’t without placing a heavy burden on taxpayers.

Unfortunately, it seems once again they’ve chosen illegals over their own citizens.

This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.