Colorado Housing Group Helping 'Influx' Of Renters Trying To Stay Housed

DENVER (CBS4) - The number of Coloradans who need help making rent or finding an affordable place to live is going up. According to Colorado Housing Connects, an organization helping those in need financial assistance, they are seeing a steady increase in the number of calls they receive.

"We are concerned because we are seeing an influx of people," Director Patrick Noonan said.

CBS4 spoke with a woman who asked not to be identified, but says she and her husband have been unable to find an affordable rental and are forced to live out of a hotel.

"This place is $2,350 a month, and it's this room," the woman said.

Her husband is fighting cancer, and she works full time. She says while she doesn't make enough to afford the three months rent most places require up front, she makes too much to qualify for low-income housing.

While they are getting help from different organizations, she says part of the frustration is navigating who to go to.

The other is not being able to put their money toward a more permanent place to live.

"Everywhere that we have gone up to now has been one silly excuse after another," she said.

According to Colorado housing connects she is not alone the week of March 7, they received more than one thousand requests for help.

The highest they have seen in a year Noonan said.

"By and large keeping up with the rent and finding an affordable place to rent are the two biggest challenges we are hearing from folks these days," he said.

He says everyone who calls will talk with a navigator, who can connect them to legal or financial assistance depending on their circumstance.

Noonan says evictions are approaching pre pandemic levels, but they don't have to be. He says they want to ensure no one is forced out of their home.

"There are still millions out there if somebody is still struggling if they are in a hole trying to keep a roof over their head," Noonan said.

For the woman CBS4 spoke with having someone really listen is what she needs most.

"This is a systemic issue that is only going to grow and get bigger if we don't start to fix it. Like yesterday," she said.

HOUSING ASSITANCE RESOURCES: Colorado Housing Connects | Hotline: 1-844-926-6632 | COVID-19 Eviction Defense Project