Red Hot Rental Market Squeezing Out Low Income Renters
GLENDALE, Colo (CBS4) - Throughout the Denver metro area rents are rising and vacancy rates are dropping, and that is putting pressure on low income renters.
Jonah Berger pays a little over $900 a month for his one-bedroom apartment in Glendale.
"I'm right up against the level of which I could afford," Berger told CBS4.
His older apartment doesn't have many updates, but it's everything he needs and can afford. Recently Berger was notified that at the end of his lease he has to move out because the building is being renovated and rents are going up.
RELATED: Rental Housing Crunch Hits Mountain Towns
"I can't afford to move twice in the next three months, much less move back in for the right to pay several hundred dollars more in rent. That is not possible for me," he explained.
Berger says he and others like him are getting squeezed out of the market and he held a protest to voice his concern.
"Morally this is not right, this is not right. What you're doing is prioritizing money over people," Berger said.
"The rental market across Colorado is extremely tight," said Alison George, the director of the Colorado Division of Housing.
The Colorado Division of Housing manages 7,000 housing vouchers across the state and has a waiting list of 6,500 families in need of housing help.
"We are frequently getting calls from our voucher recipients who have to move because their landlord will no longer accept the voucher," George told CBS4.
That's what Randi is facing. She's a single mother of three who takes care of her disabled mother. She is currently looking for a house that will accommodate her family, and she's got a nearly $1,700 voucher to help pay for it. She says she's looked at dozens of rentals but can't find a landlord who will take a voucher.
"I went to one yesterday, right around the corner, and in big bold letters, 'No, we're not taking Section 8,' " Randi explained.
She says her situation is getting desperate.
"I'm trying to look for a home for my family. I just don't want to be on the streets," she lamented.
"In the market, traditional housing landlords are not required to take a voucher recipient," George said.
The Division of Housing is doing what it can to help by increasing the voucher value to keep them current with this competitive market. But higher voucher values also means few people get vouchers. The division has to work within the budget they're given.
"We're always trying to do more with less," George said.
LINK: Colorado Housing Search
The Division of Housing also maintains a website that lists affordable apartments and houses around the state. Unfortunately, there is not a lot to choose from. George says the long term answer to easing the housing squeeze is more construction.
"We need more starter homes."
Libby Smith is a Special Projects Producer at CBS4. If you have a story you'd like to tell CBS4 about, call 303-863-TIPS (8477) or visit the News Tips section.
