Denver's Eviction Crisis
15,953 families faced eviction in Denver in 2025 - 72% above pre-pandemic levels. Scroll to explore where it's happening, who it hurts, and why the safety net is failing.
Annual Denver Eviction Filings
The Surge
Denver eviction filings have nearly doubled since before the pandemic. In 2025, 15,953 families faced eviction - 72% above pre-pandemic levels. The COVID moratorium created a brief reprieve, but when it lifted, filings didn’t just return to normal. They exploded.
Where It Hits Hardest
Evictions are not spread evenly. Green Valley Ranch alone saw 2,100+ filings in 2025 - the largest share of any single zip code. West Colfax, Montbello, Five Points, and Hampden round out the top five. These are communities with the highest percentages of Latino and Black tenants.
What Happens in Court
Colorado’s SB24-064 dashboard now tracks every eviction outcome. The numbers are stark: 62% of cases end with judgment for possession. 28% are default judgments - the tenant never showed up. In 2025, only 104 out of 14,653 defendants (0.7%) even filed an answer. Half of all cases result in a writ of restitution - a court order for the sheriff to physically remove the tenant. And 99.6% of filings are classified as “lease violation,” not non-payment.
The Safety Net Collapses
As eviction filings hit record highs, Denver slashed rental assistance. The budget dropped from $31.3 million in 2024 to $12 million for 2026. The city projects serving 1,500 fewer households. The mayor cites a $200 million projected general fund deficit - but the cost of homelessness far exceeds the cost of prevention.
The Housing Math
Rents are declining. Vacancy is rising. Yet evictions haven’t slowed. Because eviction is not just about rent levels - it’s about the gap between rent and income. 52% of Denver households are renters. Rent has risen 85% since 2010. And Colorado is one of the few states that preempts cities from enacting any rent stabilization. The protection is zero.
Against the National Trend
Most major cities tracked by the Eviction Lab are seeing filing declines. Denver is going the opposite direction - grouped with Austin, Las Vegas, and Phoenix as Western cities trending upward. Colorado’s landlord-friendly policies, low filing fees ($95-$145), and fast eviction timelines (4-5 weeks) make it easy to file and hard to fight.
What You Can Do
Know Your Rights
If you're facing eviction, free legal help is available. Colorado law requires proper notice and court process. You have rights - and representation dramatically improves outcomes.
Talk to Our Rights Assistant →Read the Policy
Our platform includes proposals for rent stabilization, right to counsel, just-cause eviction protections, and emergency rental assistance funding. Colorado's state preemption of rent control must end.
See Eviction Resources →Share This Data
Copy the link to this page and share it. 15,953 eviction filings in a year isn't a housing market - it's a crisis. The data is from public court records. The crisis should be public too.
Data Sources
- Denver County Court / Colorado Judicial Branch.Eviction filing and outcome data via SB24-064 dashboard (2024-2026, data as of 2/6/2026). Includes case outcomes, defendant answer rates, filing reasons, and attorney representation. Annual totals reported by Denverite (Jan 2026), Denver7 (Jan 2025), 9News (Jul 2025).
- Princeton Eviction Lab.Historical eviction data, Denver County (2000-2018). National tracking system comparison (2025).
- Denverite.Rental assistance budget reporting (Sep 2025, Aug 2025). Court outcomes data (Sep 2024). Neighborhood breakdowns.