When Brittany, a special education paraprofessional, moved back to Colorado Springs from Denver a decade ago, a main driver was the rising cost of living in the Mile High City.<\/p>\n
The 53-year-old, who declined to give her last name, relocated with hopes the move would improve her financial freedom and quality of life.<\/p>\n
While the cost of living was lower in the Springs, wages were, too. And over the years, as the cost of living rose across the state and the nation \u2014 driven by inflation, housing shortages, increased construction costs, a pandemic, rising tax burdens, new tariffs and global conflict \u2014 Brittany and other residents in El Paso County were not immune to the crunch.<\/p>\n
Now having worked full-time for five years as a special education paraprofessional at a local charter school, Brittany is faced with choosing between her career and the city she calls home.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love my job, but I may have to move on from my passion due to the cost of living,\u201d Brittany said.<\/p>\n
She\u2019d envisioned her role as a paraprofessional would be her final career.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s embarrassing, because a person of my age with a full-time job should not be in this position. I don\u2019t go out drinking, I don\u2019t buy extravagant groceries, I don\u2019t have a bunch of expensive clothes or anything. I am at just the bare minimum basic. \u2026 I don\u2019t know how I feel about the whole thing,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Earning roughly $26,000 a year, Brittany\u2019s annual salary is well below El Paso County\u2019s 2025 area median income of $78,800 for a single-person household, according to figures from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.<\/p>\n
Her school does not split pay for all 12 months of the year, so she doesn\u2019t receive a paycheck during breaks or over the summer. Brittany supplements her income with other work, but the job market has been tough, she said. Though she\u2019s submitted an estimated 50-100 job applications \u2014 \u201cI\u2019ve looked at everything,\u201d she emphasized, from positions in hospitality service to child care and in-between \u2014 she hasn\u2019t successfully found additional work in more than a year.<\/p>\n
She also relies on public transportation to get to and from work, which is too far from her home to bike or walk. The lack of mass transit routes and stops near her school requires her to use rideshare services like Uber, costing her an additional $200-$250 each month.<\/p>\n
With monthly rent costing about half of her annual salary, the increasing costs of food and necessities, and with her credit cards maxed out to cover her transportation needs, it\u2019s been difficult to make ends meet, Brittany said. She recently had to move out of her apartment for the second time in six months.<\/p>\n
The first time, she received aid from the state Division of Housing\u2019s Colorado Emergency Rental Assistance Program. It assists qualifying Coloradans who are behind on rent payments and are at risk of being evicted or displaced. It helped Brittany relocate and covered her next deposit and first month\u2019s rent, but she hasn\u2019t received additional housing aid since.<\/p>\n
Finding aid is a challenge itself, Brittany added. Being a single woman with no children, she doesn\u2019t qualify for many available resources. She also \u201cmakes too much money\u201d to qualify for most programs, Brittany said.<\/p>\n
She\u2019s considered moving out of Colorado but wants to remain in the state to be near her family.<\/p>\n
She\u2019s focused on making it through the end of the school year. Brittany plans to stay short-term with a friend but must now figure out how to cover moving costs.<\/p>\n
The stress of trying to make ends meet has taken a mental toll, she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI hide it pretty well, I would say, for the most part. \u2026 But it is hard,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s something that\u2019s in the back of my mind: How am I going to get enough money today to pay my bills?\u201d<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n <\/a>
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n <\/a>
\n
\n
\n
\n <\/a>
\n
\n
\n
\n <\/a>
\n
\n
\n
\n <\/a>
\n
<\/p>\n