Denver, Colorado is on track to break its eviction record, with more than 9,000 eviction lawsuits filed this year.
The Denver Post reported a 32% increase in eviction filings compared to the same period last year. The city’s Department of Housing Stability projects over 15,000 filings by the end of 2024. That projected number will be about 20% higher than the previous record set in 2023.
Across the state of Colorado, the number of eviction filings has also increased by 10% compared to the same period last year; as of August 5, there were already over 25,000 filings.
“Housing prices in Colorado are very, very high, and (many) people don’t make enough money to comfortably pay their rent,” Zach Neumann, co-founder and executive director of the Community Economic Defense Project, told the Denver Post. “That means that a single $500 emergency — a flat tire, an unexpected medical bill — means someone suddenly has to make either a difficult decision or not be able to pay their rent at all.”
The number of evictions is increasing overall in Colorado. (AdobeStock)
Rising rents are pushing record numbers of Americans toward housing crisis and requiring legislative action
In November 2023, Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed a bill allocating $30 million for rental assistance, but by June the money was completely spent after benefiting about 8,000 people.
The state is expected to provide additional funding for rental subsidies and possibly make the program permanent, but there are doubts about how the program will be properly administered.
“I think what’s so devastating and so hard about this moment is that it’s become such a big problem that you have to ask yourself whether the state budget can actually cover every single eviction,” Neumann told the Denver Post. “Do we have the budget, do we have the financial bandwidth?”
In a comment to Fox News Digital, Neumann called for greater government efforts to combat rising rental costs.
“Unaffordable rents set by large landowners have left working families unable to afford basic housing. As the state works to create more affordable housing, we must fight for fair practices that ensure all Coloradans have access to a safe and stable home,” Neumann said.
Denver is likely to see a record number of evictions by the end of the year. (Fox News Digital/Lisa Bennatan)
While some acknowledged that the program helped people who faced eviction earlier this year, others said legislative action beyond simply providing rental assistance would be more helpful.
“Given our volatile economy, the recent federal jobs report, rising inflation, and increased reliance on credit due to the inability to keep up with costs, it’s no surprise that these challenges are reflected in the dynamics of the housing market. Despite these pressures, rents have remained flat,” Destiny Bossert, government affairs manager for the Colorado Apartment Association, told Fox News Digital.
“Instead of focusing solely on the number of evictions, we should be pushing our lawmakers to fight inflation, create more jobs and make life more affordable. This can be done by reducing red tape and eliminating costly government programs that provide no real benefit to the public.”
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Organizations in Colorado called on lawmakers to focus on lowering rents. (iStock)
According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, Colorado is the eighth most expensive state for affordable housing. The market rent value of a one-bedroom apartment is about $1,600 per month. According to the Coalition, a worker making $14 per hour minimum wage would have to work 85 hours per week to afford that.
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