CEDP February Newsletter
Legislative Progress, Assisting Coloradans With Rental Assistance Applications, Mobile Homeowner Legal Assistance, Upcoming Community Events, and more!
The month is almost over, and it’s time for CEDP’s February newsletter! Read on for some of the highlights of the month. If you’re short on time, here’s an overview:
Bills we’re supporting have made progress at the state legislature! This includes our booting and algorithmic price-fixing bills passing their House committees, and the Worker Protection Act passing the Senate.
In February, we assisted Coloradans with pre-applications for Colorado and Denver County rental assistance in person and over phone, text, and chat. Application windows will open again in March — see below for more information.
We welcomed new staff to the CEDP team in February and continue to grow. Check out our website to see open positions and apply!
Our Mobile Home Program at our law firm, CED Law, provides free legal assistance to qualified mobile homeowners. Learn more about the program below and contact us with any questions.
We’ll be at numerous community events in March. See the full list of events below if you’re interested in attending.
CEDP Supported Legislation Continued to Make Progress at the Colorado General Assembly
Car Booting Bill Passes House Committee
One of our priority bills, HB25-1117, which would put regulations in place to keep predatory car booting companies in check, was heard before the House Transportation, Housing, & Local Government Committee. The bill passed out of committee on a vote of 8-5!
CEDP’s Zach Neumann testified in support of the legislation alongside community partners, legislators, and Coloradans affected by these predatory booting practices. As Zach shared, "the moment someone sees a boot on their wheel, everything stops — unless they can immediately pay a $160 fee. For many families, that’s the difference between paying rent, keeping the lights on, or putting food on the table. No one should have to choose between their car and basic necessities. It’s time for oversight and accountability."
Algorithmic Price Fixing Bill Passes House Committee
In addition to HB25-1117 making it out of committee, HB25-1004 passed the House Business Affairs and Labor Committee on a vote of 7-5! CED Law’s Rebecca Cohn provided testimony in support of the bill, saying that while the legislature has taken historic steps to combat the housing affordability crisis in the past several years, “none of these efforts will make housing more affordable if corporate landlords are permitted to coordinate prices and set artificial price floors in our rental markets.” She further highlighted that “at its core, this bill is about protecting fair competition, preserving market integrity, and ensuring that working families are not priced out of their homes due to coordinated price gouging.”
CED Law Provides Testimony Supporting SB25-020 and Opposing HB25-1092
CED Law’s Kelly Reeves and Sasha Benov provided testimony at hearings for two bills this month.
Kelly spoke in support of SB25-020, which will provide further safeguards for the enforcement of current tenant and landlord laws. As Kelly shared during her testimony, “we need meaningful public enforcement that ensures tenant protections are not just written into law but actively upheld. We need enforcement mechanisms that understand and center the interests of tenants actively harmed by these conditions.” SB25-025 “is about justice for tenants, accountability for landlords, and the basic principle that everyone deserves to live in a home that is safe and dignified.”
Sasha spoke in opposition to HB25-1092, which would make rent increases by landlords reasonable, by law, if the increase was reported as in view of fair market rent. As Sasha explained in her testimony, HB25-1092 “would gut existing protections by stating that a rent increase is automatically deemed not discriminatory, retaliatory, or unconscionable if a landlord provides any evidence that it aligns with fair market rent…This will dismantle tenant protections and pave the way for bad faith evictions.”
Worker Protection Act Passes Senate
SB25-005, which will modernize Colorado’s labor laws and even the playing field between workers and employers, passed out of the Senate! We’re excited to continue supporting this bill as it now makes its way through to the Colorado House.
CEDP Staff Assisted With State Rental Assistance Applications
State and Denver rental assistance applications continue to open for a limited window each month. In February, our team assisted applicants in person at our office and over phone, text, and chat through our CARE Center. We helped an unprecedented amount of Coloradans who contacted us for assistance, including 236 calls in a single hour on February 18th when the TRUA (Denver’s Temporary Rental and Utilities Assistance) pre-application opened.
In March, the pre-application process will be similar. There are two programs available, one through the state of Colorado, and the other through Denver. Windows to apply open each month. Here are the upcoming dates for March:
Colorado Emergency Rental Assistance (CERA)
The application window is typically open for three days each month.
Visit the CERA website for more details and the link to the pre-application once it is available.
Denver Temporary Rental and Utility Assistance (TRUA)
The application for TRUA opens on a specific day every month.
The next date the application will open is March 18th from 11 a.m. MT - 5 p.m. MT.
Visit the TRUA website for more details and the application link once it is available.
If you have questions about the process, need help applying, or need further assistance, contact the CARE Center.
We Welcomed New Team Members to CEDP and Continue to Grow
This month, CEDP welcomed numerous new members to the organization! We had one of our biggest cohorts of new staff participate in new hire orientation on February 11th, and snapped a picture of the new group (see below). The new staff on the 11th were not the only people to join the CEDP team this month, though, and we’re so grateful to have such talented individuals join us in our work.
If you’re interested in joining CEDP, we’re still hiring for numerous positions. Check out our website for more information and the link to apply. Open roles include:
Bilingual Service Coordinator
Homeowner Affirmative Litigation Supervising Attorney
Homeowner Defense Supervising Attorney
Litigation Supervising Attorney — Real Estate
Supervising Attorney — Homeowner Defense
Temporary Eviction Diversion Program Supervisor
Temporary Housing Advocate
Temporary Supervisor of Housing Intake and Navigation Services
Bilingual Licensed Therapist
Licensed Therapist
Temporary Case Manager
Housing Coordinator
Resources for Mobile Homeowners
Do you own a mobile home or have a rent-to-own contract? Did you know that we have resources for mobile homeowners? Our team provides free legal assistance to qualified mobile homeowners. Learn more and contact us for assistance below:
Upcoming Community Events
Know Your Tenant Rights. Part 1: Renting Housing 101
When: March 10th at 6:00 p.m.
Where: Arapahoe Libraries, Eloise May Branch (1471 S. Parker Rd. Denver CO 80231)
Know Your Tenant Rights. Part 2: Navigating Troubles with Rented Housing
When: March 17th at 6:00 p.m.
Where: Arapahoe Libraries, Eloise May Branch (1471 S. Parker Rd. Denver CO 80231)
CU Civil Practice Clinic Career Panel
When: March 19th at 3:00 p.m.
Where: Wolf Law Building at CU Boulder (2450 Kittredge Loop Dr, Boulder, CO 80309)
EC3 Legal Clinic
When: March 19th at 6:00 p.m.
Where: East Colfax Community Collective (1195 Newport St, Denver, CO 80220)
Know Your Tenant Rights. Part 1: Renting Housing 101
When: March 31st at 6:00 p.m.
Where: Arapahoe Libraries, Sheridan Branch (3425 W. Oxford Ave. Denver CO 80236)
Get Help
The Community Economic Defense Project provides rental assistance, legal assistance/representation, and resource navigation for clients facing eviction, housing insecurity, and other types of economic hardship. If you need assistance, please visit our website to get help.