DENVER — State officials are allocating nearly $20 million in federal funding to help Coloradans with rental assistance amid the COVID-19 crisis, Gov. Jared Polis announced on Friday.
Polis and the Department of Local Affairs announced the Property Owner Preservation Program, a result of House Bill 1410 for COVID-19-related housing assistance. The funding comes from the federal CARES act to help those with financial hardships related to COVID-19.
“This has been an incredibly challenging time for many Coloradans," Polis said in a news release. “This fund will help Coloradans who have been financially impacted by the pandemic and need rent assistance. This pandemic is far from over, and we will continue working to do everything we can to help provide some relief to those who have been significantly impacted."
The program funds will be used for rental assistance, mortgage assistance and guidance on how to access other housing services in Colorado.
Coloradans, including both renters and landlords, can visit the Department of Local Affairs website for more information on how to get assistance through the program.
Colorado’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 10.5% in June – an increase of three-tenths of a percentage point from May’s rate of 10.2%. According to the June household and business surveys, Colorado added 55,000 nonfarm payroll jobs in June, and the number of people employed in Colorado increased by 80,100. April’s unemployment rate was 12.2% in Colorado.