Migrants to move out of Western Motor Inn Motel with many not knowing what’s next
By Jasmine Arenas
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DENVER, Colorado (KCNC) — Hundreds of migrants staying at the Western Motor Inn motel that turned into a shelter have no clue what is next for them.
The motel off I-70 and Vasquez Boulevard was sold and migrants are being told they have to leave before the weekend is over.
Many of them are people who already timed out of Denver’s capacity shelters or were never at a shelter.
For at least five months, Yong Prince has been cooking breakfast, lunch and sometimes dinner for those staying at her motel.
This weekend will be the last time she will be cooking for some of the people at the motel.
By Monday, the motel needs to be vacant and hundreds of migrants who have been staying at this motel must leave and find new shelter.
“I don’t know (if they are packing), I am still feeding them, that’s my job. So, they can eat and make sure they have food in their stomach,” said Prince.
Although Prince wishes she could do more for the migrants at her motel.
Tears rolled down her face as she reminisced. She is sad to know people like Alexandra Ledezma, a single mother of three who she has grown close with, will have to leave soon with nowhere to go.
Ledezma allowed CBS News Colorado into the room where she and her kids have been staying for the past three months.
“We’re still packing as you can see,” said Ledezma.
A bunch of suitcases filled with belongings were stacked together in the corner of the room with less than 48 hours to figure out where she would go next. She continues to hold onto her faith.
“I fear having to sleep in these streets because if it was just me, I can do it, but with my kids… it would be hard,” said Ledezma.
If she has to, it wouldn’t be the first time.
Last year, she said she slept with her kids outside of a Walmart in freezing temps for a couple of days, before stumbling upon this motel.
Prince adds that she would like to lease another property with her own money to help families like Ledezma’s soon.
But the reality is many will have nowhere to go.
Asuncion says she donated $45,000 to help Yong Prince shelter some families, but expenses have quickly outnumbered donations.
“It’s a human issue and we shouldn’t have people in the streets, Prince has come out of pocket every month probably $50 to $100,000 every month, this is not sustainable for anybody. We can’t do it alone,” said Asuncion.
Most of the families have to leave the property by Monday but Prince, who is the current owner, told CBS News Colorado that she hopes she can at least keep a couple families until Feb. 28. That’s when she will have to leave the property.
According to the Denver Department of Human Services spokesperson Jon Ewing, the city of Denver is not involved with this property or the transaction, but nonprofits are working to help some families find shelter.
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