Bedrooms Are For People: I had to move away

By Olivia Cecil. Also published as a letter to the editor in the Daily Camera on October 7, 2021.

I just moved away from Boulder after six years because it’s become so unaffordable to live here. I love the community, and I love where I used to live, but the current occupancy law in the city (no more than three unrelated people for most areas) forces young working people out. At 27, I’ve been working out of college for four years now, and I want to share a home with friends. Unfortunately, the City of Boulder has decided for me that living with friends isn’t an option. I don’t have family around, and I’m not married, so my options for living with people are limited.

I lived with four roommates in a five-bedroom house in South Boulder, but when the city threatened to evict us during the pandemic, I couldn’t feel comfortable in my community anymore. The inspector came to our house, claiming that there were too many cars parked on the street. He said that frequent visitors to our house could legally be considered tenants per the city code and therefore we could be considered over-occupied because of that. It felt like he was looking for a reason to evict us.

Forcing renters to live illegally takes away the comfort that comes with having a place to live. I started to feel so nervous around our incredibly friendly neighbors because I knew any one of them could report us to the city and then we wouldn’t be able to live there anymore. No one in Boulder should have to feel that way.

Please vote yes on Ballot Question 300, Bedrooms Are For People.

Olivia Cecil