30% increase in GoFundMe eviction fundraisers in Colorado: "I don't have any other option"
More and more Coloradans are turning to friends, relatives, and even strangers to help pay for their rent. GoFundMe says there has been a 30% increase in eviction fundraisers in Colorado compared to pre-pandemic levels.
Cindy Lopez, a single Denver mom, said she had no other choice but to find a place to stay in August. She was down on her luck with nowhere to go.
"Our only option was a shelter," said Lopez. "We have one room, with four bunkbeds and a TV."
She now stays at a shelter in one room with her eight children, ages two to 14. It's a situation she never thought she'd be in.
"It's not the best place to keep kids, to grow kids. It's a very hard impact," said Lopez.
For Tami, an Adams County resident who wanted to remain anonymous, ongoing health issues piled up.
"Over the last four-and-a-half years, I have been under general anesthesia 32 times, and I got to the point where I just can't do it financially," said Tami.
She has a type of cancer where she keeps growing tumors, leaving her unable to work at times.
"Earlier this summer, my health prevented me from working at all," said Tami.
As a single woman, without much family support, Tami had a conversation with a friend.
"I had no idea how I was going to pay rent or any of my bills at that time, and she suggested that we do a GoFundMe," said Tami.
As a last resort, Lopez also took it upon herself to start her GoFundMe.
"It was hard, but I didn't have any other option. To expose your problems, to open your heart to say what you're going through, it's not easy," said Lopez.
The two are, among many others, turning to others' kindness to help them stay afloat. GoFundMe says there has also been nearly a 50% increase in eviction fundraisers nationwide compared to pre-pandemic levels. There has also been an increase in nationwide fundraisers since last month.
They're different stories, but similar situations that GoFundMe says reflect the nation's housing crisis, fueled by inflation, the end of pandemic funds, and rent hikes across the country.
"My rent in that five years has gone up almost $600," said Tami.
"We cannot find a place we can afford," said Lopez. "The rent is extremely high."
The cost of owning a home in the country is also the highest it's ever been. According to CBS News, the income needed to comfortably afford a house is up 80% since 2020.
Americans must earn more than $106,000 in order to comfortably afford a typical home. It's a big increase from the $59,000 annual household income that put home ownership within reach for families four years ago.
With the help of the online fundraising platform, Tami and Lopez both got enough support to pay for about a month's worth of bills and necessities. However, Tami is now facing eviction for paying October's rent late and has to go to court.
"Obviously I'm trying to figure that out, but I don't know. I also don't know where my health is going to be," said Tami, who also added her contracted job will end in December.
Meanwhile, Lopez is required to leave the shelter in January. Her hope is that she can find somewhere else to live comfortably with her eight children.
"I want to give my kids a new life, to restart, I just need a push," said Lopez.
More Coloradans are also turning to Colorado's Emergency Rental Assistance funding, which helps people who've fallen behind on their rent and are at risk of eviction.
Since launching in 2020, Colorado's Department of Local Affairs has provided emergency rental assistance for more than 49,000 households, which is more than two Ball Arenas at full capacity. The state says there is more demand than funds available.
Every month, the Department of Local Affairs opens pre-applications for emergency rental assistance. The next window for the pre-applications will open on Monday, Nov. 18, and run through Nov. 20.