Emily Capetillo covers housing challenges in Denver, Colorado for KOA radio, a news, talk and sports station. A first-generation college graduate, she recently earned her degree at the University of North Texas. As a podcast intern at KERA, the NPR affiliate based in Dallas and serving North Texas, Capetillo wrote and narrated for “Consider This.” She is a native of South Texas, and got her start in journalism in college when she covered local news in Denton, Texas, including stories about affordable housing, decriminalization of marijuana, nonprofits and COVID-19. In her spare time, Capetillo enjoys cooking, taking care of her plants and journaling.
Beat: Housing challenges in Denver
Rapid population growth has put phenomenal pressure on housing and the economy, and it's common to see a Tesla zooming past a homeless encampment. Many homes are packed with unrelated people sharing space, blocks from million dollar houses. This beat digs deep, looking at those struggling to keep up and whether they can ever get ahead in the current environment, and tackles housing, education, transportation, jobs and opportunity.