We all deserve a place where we can hug our loved ones, cook, bathe, make memories, tuck our children into bed at night, and live without fear – a home.  Currently in Colorado, a stable home is out of reach for people evicted by landlords without reason. As a result, each year, thousands of families facing eviction across our state are launched into a cycle of temporary housing or homelessness.

A recent point-in-time (PIT) Count conducted by the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative found the top self-reported cause of homelessness in Denver is an inability to pay rent. The number two cause is eviction.

The most immediate and devastating consequence of an eviction is a family’s loss of stable housing. Families evicted from their housing are more likely to experience first-time homelessness. As a result, it is harder for them to find or keep a job, and their chances of being institutionalized, incarcerated or visiting the emergency room dramatically increase. Even worse, children in displaced households experience poor health, developmental delays, food insecurity and inadequate care.

Stay up to speed: Sign up for daily opinion in your inbox Monday-Friday

When a family is uprooted through eviction or non-renewal of a lease agreement, they must cover the cost of a security deposit, the first and last month’s rent, and moving expenses. In Colorado, rent alone costs an average of $1,659 a month for a  two-bedroom apartment. In short, forcing families to find stable housing with very little notice can cost a household thousands of dollars. Those families able to quickly come up with the money face a three-to-five-month wait period to be rehoused.

Knowing all of this and continuing to allow thousands of unjust evictions to happen each year is irresponsible and cruel. A For Cause Eviction law would clearly define in state law when and why landlords can evict tenants, ensuring landlords cannot unnecessarily uproot families from their homes and communities through the eviction process. If we want safe and stable housing for everyone in our state, the Colorado state legislature should pass For Cause Eviction legislation during the 2024 legislative session.

For Cause Eviction laws help maintain housing stability and reduce the risk of homelessness. These laws promote fairness and equity in the landlord-tenant relationship. They establish clear rules and criteria landlords must follow when seeking to evict a tenant, ensuring there are valid reasons for an eviction rather than personal bias or retaliation. Our communities thrive when all residents have stable housing, whether they rent or own.

Implementing greater protections for tenants under a For Cause Eviction law maintains the rights of landlords to evict tenants, including in cases where a tenant failed to pay rent. And, with appropriate notice, landlords who want to update a unit or move into a unit would still be able to require tenants to move out after the lease expires.

A For Cause Eviction law will clearly state the reasons for which a landlord can legally evict a tenant. It will make it explicit for landlords and tenants the circumstances under which eviction is allowed and the situations in which it is not. It will also rebalance the power of landlords and tenants after signing a lease agreement.

Colorado legislators who support keeping families in stable housing must pass For Cause Eviction legislation in the upcoming legislative session. It will protect the most vulnerable members of communities across our state from unjust evictions and non-renewals of a lease agreement, keeping more Coloradans housed.

Melissa Mejía is the director of state and local policy for the Community Economic Defense Project, leading and supporting policy change to promote housing and economic justice statewide. Carmen Medrano guides Colorado Homes For All to deliver on its mission of building people power for racial and economic justice.