Gustavo Navarrete Hernández spends his working days installing insulation in Denver’s luxury homes before catching a bus back to his modest apartment off South Federal Boulevard, where he and his family face have faced eviction after falling behind on rent.

His three youngest children sleep huddled for warmth in the living room surrounded by space heaters after an ongoing battle with their landlord to fix a broken heater.

“I have worked on the nicest apartments, and it makes me sad that I cannot afford one,” Navarrete Hernández said. “I work hard, and I haven’t done anything wrong.”

Navarrete Hernández, his pregnant wife and their children sought refuge in Denver a decade ago, fleeing a homeless shelter in the Bay Area where they had lived when unable to keep up with increasing rent. They were headed to Florida, where they have family, but stopped in Denver so Navarrete Hernández could earn enough money for the rest of the journey. They never left.

Now, the family of six is once again staring down the possibility of life on the streets as they frantically search for housing after being evicted from a Denver apartment for the second time in 10 years. “I feel bad because I know other people are in this situation,”  the 37-year-old said.

Avarette Hernandez is representative of the rising number of Denverites facing eviction as rent and home prices have exploded. Even some residents making a decent living told The Denver Post they’re living paycheck to paycheck trying to keep up with housing costs. Still others who have the means to make it work in Denver say they’re packing it up and moving elsewhere because the amount they’re paying to live here doesn’t feel worth it anymore.

— Full story via Elizabeth Hernandez, The Denver Post

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