DENVER — Colorado is processing the first round of applications for its newest grant program aimed at providing temporary rental assistance.
Colorado’s Temporary Rental Assistance Grant Program applies to renters throughout the state who meet the following criteria:
- Have an income at or below 80% of the area median income (AMI) for its geographic area
- Cannot have received a benefit from a rental assistance program in the last 12 months
- Must be past-due on rent
The state will pay up to five months of rent or $10,000, whichever is lower.
The Community Economic Defense Project, La Puente and Neighbor to Neighbor are coming together to help renters with their applications.
“This temporary rental assistance was passed by the state legislature in the special session in November. It must be expended by the end of June, and it's administered by the Division of Local Affairs,” said Sam Gilman, co-founder and co-CEO of the Colorado Economic Defense Project. “We're talking about $30 million, which is a meaningful amount of money. And it also is important to note that about 5,000 people can be served with this money. And also about 5,000 people faced eviction alone in the month of January here in Colorado.”
The latest data from Denver County Court shows 662 eviction filings in the first two weeks of February alone. In January, there were 1,500 filings, the second-highest monthly total in at least five years.
“It's expensive to live in the state. And when people can't pay their rent because their car needed to go into the shop, because they got sick for a week because of COVID, because anything happened in their life, you know, being able to make rent is the cause of eviction. If you can't make rent, within 10 days, your landlord can put a demand on your door, and then that can start the process for somebody facing eviction… which is less than a paycheck period for most people,” Gilman said.
Gilman said the CEDP is planning to help renters before each round of funding.
“We're anticipating a number of rounds throughout the spring, all timed around the same period — so the 15th of the month — and people can go to the same website, cdola.gov. Right now there is a big banner across the top that says, ‘See if I'm eligible for temporary rental assistance.' And people can click on that link and see if they're eligible and then apply for the pre-application,” Gilman said. “People who are facing eviction, have opportunity to receive rental assistance between now and the next round.”
Rodney Edmundson, 56, said he reached out to CEDP for help applying for temporary rental assistance after a series of unfortunate life events.
“It's pretty difficult sometimes… I’m three months behind on my rent,” Edmundson said. “I lost my job. But at the same time, I had a back ailment. In December, my EBT check was stolen."
Edmundson said he is grateful for the help he received from the Colorado Economic Defense Project's Denver office.
“It's not a lot of places that, you know, they really sincerely help… besides a place like this,” Edmundson said.
Edmundson is hopeful he’ll receive temporary assistance and be allowed to stay in his home.
The application process for the first round of applications is closed. The state began processing applications for the first round of assistance at 5 p.m. on Feb. 20. Gilman said the Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) will administer a randomized selection process to distribute funds to applicants.
To learn more about the program, click here.
