Thanks to a groundbreaking eviction recovery program in the 4th Judicial District, online resources are now available statewide to assist tenants facing eviction.
Launched as a pilot program with grant funding from the National Center for State Courts in November 2023, the 4th Judicial District’s Division CARE (Court-Assisted Recovery from Eviction) program has developed robust community partnerships as well as streamlined, easy-to-access tools to reduce docket congestion, increase clarity in eviction pleadings and strengthen public confidence in the judicial process.
Andrea Paprzycki, a magistrate in the 4th Judicial District, said she created Division CARE to help the courts partner with all the El Paso County agencies that support residents facing housing instability. Through this program, the court developed a coordinated model with more than 60 community agencies, tools to support those facing eviction, and a manual for other Colorado judicial districts interested in replicating the program.
“There is no other program like this in the country,” said Paprzycki. “Prior to the program, El Paso County residents facing eviction had to sort through dozens of community resources on their own. Division CARE emerged as a way for tenants to avoid eviction and create housing stability in El Paso County.”
The program provides support before eviction through direct connection with vetted, targeted, stabilizing resources. While funding ended in August, Division CARE will continue in El Paso County through community partnerships and new online tools, some that can be used by anyone in Colorado. These tools simplify filings, connect tenants to financial and legal assistance, reduce time in court, and provide targeted recovery resources, streamlining the experience for all parties involved in eviction cases.
These free resources are available online:
• A bilingual eviction advisement video provides tenants facing eviction with important information in English and Spanish. An eviction summons now includes a link and QR code to the video on the Colorado Judicial Department website.
• A free automated tenant answer tool streamlines eviction claims for tenants. The online tool was developed with Staci Pratt, a professor at the University of Colorado School of Law.
From November 2023 to August 2026, the program assisted 5,550 people in housing crisis, connected 20 percent to emergency rent assistance, and resolved 15 percent of filed evictions before trial was set.
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