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DENVER, CO - The House today passed legislation sponsored by Representatives Mandy Lindsay and Cecelia Espenoza that would strengthen protections for victims of gender-based violence by improving housing security, expanding access to justice, and keeping Coloradans safe. HB25-1168 passed by a vote of 40-22. “Housing instability is one of the biggest threats to people who experience gender-based violence, with 11 percent of people experiencing homelessness in the Denver Metro Area fleeing domestic violence,” said Rep. Mandy Lindsay, D-Aurora. “Many victims can’t safely leave their abuser, which is why our bill strengthens Colorado’s victim protection laws and establishes new mechanisms to improve a victim’s access to justice and safe housing. Gender-based violence is traumatic, and no one deserves to face long-lasting financial consequences or homelessness as a result.”
“The Violence Against Women Act is near and dear to my heart, and I’m proud to sponsor this legislation to better align Colorado law with these protections to keep victims safe,” said Rep. Cecelia Espenoza, D-Denver. “As a judge, I know how important it is to have strong protections in statute, and this bill is a meaningful change that better allows victims to end their leases early while providing a payment plan to protect landlords and keep victims housed. This bill is a huge win for survivors of gender-based violence to ensure they have the tools they need to build a strong, safe future away from their abuser.”
Currently, a tenant cannot be found guilty of unlawful detention of a residence if the lease violation is caused by domestic violence or domestic abuse if the tenant provides a police report or civil or emergency protection order that demonstrates they were a victim. HB25-1168 would expand victim protections to include victims of unlawful sexual behavior and stalking. The bill also expands eligible documentation to include self-attestation or a letter signed by a qualified third party, reducing hurdles to accessing critical protections.
Additional victim protection expansions include:
Allowing victims who terminate a lease to not be held liable for property damage caused by their abuser during incidents of unlawful sexual behavior, stalking, domestic violence, or domestic abuse,
Ensuring victims can change locks to their rental property on their own as long as they provide a copy of the key to the landlord as soon as reasonably possible, if the victim provides documentation to prove they are a victim-survivor,
Prohibiting a landlord from assigning debt allegedly owed by a tenant who is a victim-survivor to a third-party debt collector unless the landlord provides at least a 90-day notice to the tenant and complies with the requirement to provide the tenant with documentation of the economic damages, and
Requiring tenants to pay no more than one month’s rent after they vacate the residence if the landlord has provided documentation of incurred economic damages as a result of the early termination within 30 days after the termination of the agreement.
To strengthen eviction protections, the bill also requires landlords to offer a repayment plan to victim-survivors alleged of unlawful detention due to late or unpaid rent. The repayment plan would not exceed 12 months from the date the plan was established.
A 2023 report from the Colorado Coalition of the Homeless found that 1,265 Coloradans experiencing homelessness also reported being a victim of domestic violence.