DENVER — Data from Denver County court shows 12,910 households faced eviction actions in 2023. Advocates say that is the highest number in Denver in 15 years.
The city set aside $29.1 million to help people pay rent in 2024, but some worry Denver will need double that to meet demand.
"Rent continued to go up by significant amounts throughout Colorado. Cost of living went up, so we were as busy as we have ever been," said Melissa Mejia, Head of State and Local Policy for the Community Economic Defense Project.
Her work picked up in 2023, when fewer pandemic dollars were available for rental assistance.
"It was nearly 13,000 evictions for 2023, which is a 15-year high, so we are not talking about some sort of rebound after all of these programs. This is a true crisis," she said.
Of the 12,910 households threatened with eviction last year, Mejia expects two-thirds of the households self-evicted in order to avoid that process.
This record number of filings is one reason why Denver set aside almost $30 million to help people pay rent in 2024. The program reopened applications in a new online portal on Jan. 2. As of Jan. 4, the city has received more than 600 applications. Funds can help with rent payments for up to six months and utilities.
The Department of Housing Stability said not every application will be approved as some people may not meet eligibility criteria. With the $29.1 million allocated, the department expects to be able to serve about 4,000 households.
Meija believes $29.1 million will help about half of the families that need money to prevent an eviction. She estimates to meet the need Denver will need $60 million.
"To really top all of the nonpayment evictions in the city, yes," she said.
So many families faced the threat of eviction last year the city ran out money for rental assistance. For 2024, Mejia expects her work won't slow down.
"We have to make these investments in keeping families stable," she said.
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