Colorado’s sole statewide housing helpline — Colorado Housing Connects (1-844-926-6632) — reported its highest number of inquiries during the week of March 7 in more than a year.

During the week of March 7, Colorado Housing Connects received 1,159 calls and web-based inquires. The 1,159 inquires is the most Colorado Housing Connects has reported since Feb. 5, 2021, when it received 1,179 inquires over a one-week span.

Colorado Housing Connects specializes in preventing evictions by connecting Coloradans to local rental assistance resources, wherever they live, thereby encouraging long-term sustainable solutions. Among the resources the housing helpline can connect renters to include legal assistance, financial assistance and more.

Eviction filings have been on the rise since May 2021. In February, 3,175 eviction cases were filed throughout Colorado, according to data from the state and the City of Denver.

“It’s chilling to think that our call volume has been surging. In many ways, it feels like we’ve been turning a corner on the pandemic — but the families we hear from and the number of people experiencing an eviction filing each month suggest otherwise,” said Colorado Housing Connects Program Director Patrick Noonan. “The concerning part of this trend is that there are still millions of dollars out there to keep families housed and to make landlords whole. We need to work together to tamp down the threat of increasing housing instability and homelessness.”

Brothers Redevelopment, the housing nonprofit organization that operates Colorado Housing Connects, administers funds for a variety of rental assistance programs including Denver’s Temporary Rental and Utility Assistance Program, and the statewide Emergency Rental Assistance Program.

Renters facing eviction are encouraged to contact Colorado Housing Connects, pay as much as they can toward their rent, proactively communicate with their landlord and apply for rental assistance.

Inquires can be submitted to the housing helpline by visiting coloradohousingconnects.org or by calling 1-844-926-6632.

As the Omicron coronavirus variant continues to rage throughout the country — affecting some resident’s livelihoods — Coloradans in crisis are once again turning to nonprofit Brothers Redevelopment’s housing helpline, Colorado Housing Connects (1-844-926-6632), for support.

During the week of Jan. 10, Colorado Housing Connects reported 998 calls and website inquires. That is the highest number of inquiries the housing helpline has reported since August 2021 when the federal eviction moratorium was lifted.

State data shows that landlords filed 2,634 eviction cases in December. Colorado Housing Connects Program Director Patrick Noonan said it feels like the eviction landscape for renters is entering a new phase.

“Over the last few months, COVID-19 transmission rates have spiked while the eviction moratorium and some safety net programs ended. Hearing from more renters facing the prospect of eviction, it is crucial to reach out for help immediately so tenants keep a roof over their head, especially given the threat of Omicron and cold winter months,” said Noonan.

Colorado Housing Connects has proven to be a reliable resource throughout the pandemic as more than 74,000 inquiries have been submitted to the housing helpline since March 2020. The housing helpline assists landlords, renters and homeowners by connecting residents to local resources like rental/mortgage assistance, legal assistance, HUD-approved housing counselors and more.

Residents who are behind on rent are encouraged to contact Colorado Housing Connects, apply for rental assistance, pay as much as they can toward their rent and to communicate with their landlord.

Denver County residents seeking rental assistance through the City of Denver’s Temporary Rental and Utility Assistance Program should call Colorado Housing Connects to speak to a housing navigator to determine their eligibility and start the process. Those who live outside of Denver County can apply for the Colorado Emergency Rental Assistance Program at https://cdola.colorado.gov/rental-mortgage-assistance.