Eviction moratorium put hit on rental market in Colorado Springs

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO)-- Currently the eviction moratorium put in place by the CDC is set to expire on July 31, leaving thousands of Coloradans vulnerable for eviction.

Since the start of the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Colorado Division of Housing has helped pay out more than 120 million dollars in housing assistance.

"So many people have been impacted by COVID. And there is assistance out there that can provide support," said Alison George the division of housing director for the Department of Local Affairs.

George says it's important to know the many resources still available for people who are struggling to keep up with rent. Gov. Jared Polis also announced on Friday a 30-day period to cure any pending applications for emergency rental assistance.

"You can go online. You can Google 'Colorado rental assistance' and apply online on the state’s websites. There are also some local programs that folks can look at," said George.

Aaron Blazis is a property manager for Premier Real Estate Group and represents more than 300 individual landlords. He says the last year and a half has made the eviction process a lot more challenging. They're avoiding eviction right now and using them as a last resort.

"We did have tenants that were kept in the home a lot longer from the eviction moratorium previously, but when their lease ended, those leases weren’t renewed," said Blazis.

Blazis says the eviction moratorium really put a hit on the rental market in Colorado Springs.

"I just really do feel that one of the unintended consequences of having the eviction moratorium and having some of these things in there is that landlords have decided to leave, which makes less available housing in a growing region. I think everyone is feeling the pinch in that and raising rents and with just lack of housing hoping some of this helps to bring more housing into the area," said Blazis.

If you are a renter that needs to know more about your rights you can visit the Colorado Housing Connect's website.