Colorado Legal Services updates Westminster on landlord‑tenant legal aid; city IGA pays about $31,000 over two years

Colorado Legal Services Executive Director Matt Baca briefed the Westminster City Council study session on March 3 on the nonprofit’s statewide civil legal aid work and the local intergovernmental agreement that helps fund higher‑level landlord‑tenant services for Westminster residents.

Baca told councilors the organization represents low‑income Coloradans in noncriminal matters including eviction defense, warranty‑of‑habitability claims, family law for survivors of domestic violence and other civil legal needs. “For every dollar invested in Colorado Legal Services, there’s a benefit to the community to the tune of 6 dollars and 19 cents,” Baca said, citing the organization’s third‑party social‑return analysis.

Why it matters: Westminster’s contribution pays for more intensive legal representation and social‑work supports that aim to prevent evictions and stabilize households. Councilors asked about program scale, client eligibility and how the nonprofit connects tenants to emergency rental assistance and other services.

Details from the presentation: Colorado Legal Services operates a Denver‑area office and runs a clinic in the Adams County courthouse that handles many of the region’s landlord‑tenant matters. Baca said roughly half of the nonprofit’s caseload statewide is housing‑related and that the Adams County IGA pool allocates funds across participating jurisdictions so providers can offer more comprehensive eviction prevention services.

Baca gave Westminster‑specific figures from the IGA multi‑jurisdiction program: Westminster’s allocated amount in the current IGA was about $31,000 over the two‑year life of that agreement; through the pooled program, the nonprofit reported it had served about 51 Westminster households (roughly 100 people) in the IGA period cited, including about 40 children. He also described program services: direct representation in eviction cases, a social‑worker component that connects tenants to community resources (including Emergency Rental Assistance when eligible), and litigation under Colorado’s warranty‑of‑habitability law in severe cases. Baca noted a recent successful warranty‑of‑habitability case in Greeley in which the court ordered repairs to a broken elevator in a senior building.

Council questions and follow‑up: Councilors asked how Westminster compares to other municipalities that fund legal aid, whether rental assistance is provided directly (Baca clarified Colorado Legal Services does not produce ERAP dollars but helps clients access that aid), and how client income limits are applied (he said primary eligibility is up to 125% of the federal poverty guideline, with some exceptions that can extend to 200% for seniors through certain grants). Several councilors requested the city continue outreach so residents and front‑line city staff know how to refer people to Colorado Legal Services.

Next steps: City staff said they would circulate the memo describing the terminated MOU with the local foundation (discussed earlier in the meeting) and would return to council with follow‑up options; Baca encouraged councilors to refer constituents through coloradalegalservices.org or by phone. He also said the IGA had been renewed for the coming year under the same general structure.

Ending: Councilors thanked the presenter and asked staff to continue connecting callers and constituents to the nonprofit’s clinics and intake process so Westminster residents can get eviction prevention help and other civil legal services.