LOCAL STORY PAYING THE PRICE Renters facing eviction must self-advocate to receive help BY GILES CLASEN AND ROBERT DAVIS ALLEN BOE LIVES FOR THE SIMPLE THINGS IN LIFE. He gets joy from volunteering and serving others. He enjoys a smoke. He likes getting takeout now and again. And he loved his old apartment. The apartment wasn’t much to speak of, but it was Boe’s. He kept it clean and spent a lot of time watching TV. Most importantly, Boe could afford the apartment on his Social Security income. Boe had $250 left of his Social Security each month after paying his rent and his phone bill – his most significant monthly expenses. He also had food stamps. “I could live a good life on $250 a month after my bills were paid,” Boe said. On October 20, 2020, Boe found a note taped to his door from Cornerstone, an apartment management company, saying he had less than two months to vacate the apartment he loved. The building had been sold and would be undergoing construction before it was reopened to new renters. Cornerstone was hired by the new owner to manage the building moving forward. Boe didn’t have a backup plan or significant savings. He was never able to save much for retirement. After receiving the notice that his lease wouldn’t be renewed, Boe looked for a new apartment. Realizing he couldn’t afford much in the Denver area, Boe wasn’t sure what his next step would be, but he was coming to the realization that he was likely to be homeless. Luckily, Boe walked by the Safe Outdoor Space in Capitol Hill as volunteers were working on it. The Safe Outdoor Space’s campsite is a legally sanctioned, temporary encampment for individuals experiencing homelessness. It is managed by Colorado Village Collaborative and located in the parking lot of Denver Community Church. Boe utilized his background in construction and volunteered to help build the shelter. This ensured that Boe was able to live in the encampment when he moved out of his apartment. After moving into the camp, Boe realized the space serves a much bigger purpose to the unhoused community. “I don’t think people understand what it is like to be homeless,” Boe said. “Everyone else looks at you like you’re worthless. But I want to see them try it. It takes a lot of work to get through a day. Just getting the things you need, getting around, getting to appointments, trying to find food, trying to find housing – it takes work to be homeless.” Boe also acknowledged the role community plays for those experiencing homelessness. “Everybody is in this together. We need to help each other. Sometimes, just a pat on the back means everything to these people.” At 65-years-old, Boe still has the energy to work a regular job, but it’s been difficult to find someone to give him the opportunity. After fracturing his leg on a job site several years ago, Boe was forced into retirement. He’s been collecting disability and Social Security benefits ever since and hopes to find rental assistance to afford an apartment in Denver. A PRICE TO PAY Before being evicted, Boe lived at the Cornerstone Apartments at 1317 N. Pearl St. in Denver’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. For their part, Cornerstone offered to refund residents one month of rent plus their security deposit for the inconvenience. Shannon MacKenzie, deputy director of the Colorado CREDIT: GILES CLASEN Poverty Law Project, described Boe’s case as heartbreaking because it represents a loophole that landlords exploit in the eviction moratoria put in place due to COVID-19. The moratoria, issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Congress via the CARES Act, protected approximately 6 DENVER VOICE May 2021
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