Eviction Bill Designed To Help Renters Amid Highest Eviction Rates In U.S.

DENVER (CBS4)- A new bill being presented to state lawmakers aims to give renters a fighting chance before they're evicted from their homes. Wednesday's hearing drew a large crowd.

Colorado has among the highest eviction rates in the country. Roughly 45,000 evictions are filed every year in Colorado and in most cases the tenants go to court with no legal representation.

The bill creates a fund to help nonprofits that provide legal aid for low income tenants.

"These are folks that are missing payments by a couple of days because there were fees at school or a car payment or a health payment and then losing their home puts them into a complete financial crisis that impacts the entire family," said Sen. Faith Winter, a Democrat representing Westminster.

The Colorado Coalition for the Homeless conducted a study that found less than one percent of tenants in eviction proceedings have an attorney while 90 percent of landlords do.