Squatters Take Over Vacant Habitat for Humanity Home, Frustrating East Denver Neighbors
A vacant Habitat for Humanity home in Denver’s Elyria-Swansea neighborhood has become a source of growing frustration for residents, who say squatters have moved in and are disrupting the community.
Neighbors told FOX31 that the property, owned by Habitat for Humanity, has been left unoccupied and is now drawing unauthorized occupants. While the organization is known for building and renovating affordable homes, they declined to comment due to an ongoing legal case involving the property.
Nicole Nelson, who lives nearby, said she has seen multiple people living in the house illegally. “There were people in the house; they were vagrants, squatters,” she said. Nelson also reported mail theft and strangers attempting to connect to her home’s Wi-Fi.
Other residents, including Christina Flores, say the situation has led to constant noise, safety concerns, and the loss of property. “It gets scary, it does get scary for everyone,” Flores said. She also described how trash cans often go missing—used by unhoused individuals to collect and haul scrap metal to a nearby recycling center.
Last fall, Nelson reported a fire at the property. She emphasized that her frustration is not with Habitat for Humanity itself—an organization that helped refurbish her own home—but rather with the property being left in limbo while so many are in desperate need of housing.
“It’s too many homeless people out here, people who need housing, to have dilapidated houses that aren’t being used,” Nelson said.
The Denver Police Department advised residents to call if they see trespassing on private property. The city’s Homeless Outreach Team continues to offer resources and assistance to those in need.
