Eviction’s On The Rise In Colorado

Rising housing and rent is forcing more Coloradans from their homes.

The first thing someone said to me when I told them I was moving to Colorado was "It's really expensive to live there." Yes, it is. It's not as expensive over here on the western slope than on the front range but I was surprised just how little apartment I got for my buck compared to Kansas. The higher rent and house payments are proving to be more than some can handle as eviction rates are on the rise across Colorado.

A recent Princeton University study showed that in 2016 there were on average of about 50 evictions issued every day. That year there were 36,240 eviction filings among Colorados 5,278,906 residents. The average monthly payment or rent was about $1,000 with a property value of nearly $250K. In 2015, the Colorado eviction rate was 1.92%. It's now 2.75%.

What's to be done? Denver and other communities are trying to subsidize some of the housing costs. Other cities are building homeless living facilities. You may recall James McMillan and his "The Rent Is Too Damn High" political platform. About a decade or so ago the Vietnam Veteran ran for mayor, governor, and senator in New York vowing to lower housing costs. He retired a few years back without ever holding political office. And yes, the rents higher now in New York, and Colorado, than ever.

Credit: Fox31