Nonprofit leaders in Summit County said they’ve seen an increase in migrants asking for services this year.

Javier Pineda, a program coordinator for the immigrant advocacy group Mountain Dreamers, said his organization started using intake forms this spring after seeing a “very significant influx” of migrants coming to their door.

Located in the town of Frisco, the nonprofit works with documented and undocumented immigrants who need help navigating systems such as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals renewals, driving tests and legal aid.

Since it began using intake forms near the end of May, the organization has serviced at least 400 migrants, according to Pineda. Many are coming from Honduras, Nicaragua, Colombia and Venezuela in search of work and a place to raise a family, Pineda said.

But unlike what Mountain Dreamers has seen in the past, many recent migrants are arriving in the county without knowing anyone.

“Prior immigration trends or waves in the county have indicated there’s usually a family member or friend in the county,” Pineda said. “But a big chunk of these new arrivals do not have those strong connections.”

Pineda said he’s concerned with migrants’ ability to find housing in the county and said he knows of many families having to live doubled-up in living rooms or single bedrooms.

Carlos Lopez, also a program coordinator for Mountain Dreamers, said that has the potential to lead to “very dangerous living situations” and said the county is in dire need of affordable housing that can accommodate small and large families.

Under Colorado’s Immigrant Tenant Protection Act — passed by state lawmakers in 2020 — it is illegal for landlords to ask for citizenship or immigration information from tenants. This has been a crucial win for migrants who lack a Social Security number, Lopez said. But high rent prices and a lack of supply still create major barriers for individuals and families, he added.

According to Brianne Snow, executive director for the nonprofit Family & Intercultural Resource Center, migrants come to the county for its work opportunities — especially for service and labor jobs.

“Those jobs where you may not have to speak the language fluently in order to get the work done,” Snow said. “We see a lot of people in the restaurant industry and construction.”

Snow’s organization offers a slew of support for housing and health care assistance, child care and mental health services. But the two biggest needs from newcomers have been food and clothing, Snow said.

Since Oct. 1, Snow said 12% of those her organization has seen say they have lived in the county for less than a year and about 30% of those coming for food are doing so for the first time — about 800 people.

While Snow said her organization does not keep data on immigration or citizenship status of her clients, she said many newer residents and first-time people coming for help are migrants.

“Certainly in the last year we have seen an influx in migrants,” Snow said. “When they get here many don’t understand what they’re able to access and so food tends to rise to the top and becomes a top priority.”

Snow said her organization has seen a “steady influx in migrants in the past year,” mostly from Nicaragua and Colombia.

“It’s a huge culture shock,” Snow said, “and there’s huge implications.”