The Department of Local Affairs has funding available through the Temporary Rental Assistance Grant for temporary rental assistance for Coloradans who have fallen behind on their rent, meet income limits and other qualifying factors, and are at risk of eviction or displacement.
Please note that funds are only available temporarily and will be disbursed until fully exhausted. We understand that there is more demand than funds available and our top priority is to ensure that we can meet as many Coloradans as possible in an equitable, clear and efficient manner.
Individuals Experiencing Evictions
Individuals who already have a court date for eviction proceedings should first apply for the Colorado Temporary Rental Assistance Grant. Once they have applied, they should contact the CARE Center by calling 1 (303) 838-1200 or 1 (888) 480-0066, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Mountain Time regarding their application and to get more information about immediate support available.
The Colorado Temporary Rental Assistance Grant
The Application Process
Applicants will only be provided assistance for their primary place of residence.
Interested individuals will be asked to complete a pre-application. They will have six days to submit. After this period, there will be a random selection, and selected applicants will be invited to apply for temporary rental assistance.
Pre-application: The Pre-application form will be available starting at 10 am April 15, 2024. The pre-application process will commence on the fifteenth (15) day of each subsequent month as long as funds are available.
Applicants are encouraged to provide a copy of a court summons at this step, if applicable. If applicants are having trouble obtaining this document, they are advised to reach out to their local court.
The timing of pre-application submission does not impact an applicant’s chances of receiving rental assistance in the random selection process.
Submitting a pre-application earlier does not increase the likelihood of receiving rental assistance.
Selection Process: Pre-applications will be entered into a random selection system. Those at most risk of eviction will be prioritized. Applicants selected in the random selection will be invited to proceed with a full application, depending on funds available.
Invitation to Complete Full Application: Selected applicants will receive an email invitation to complete a full application on the online portal, "Neighborly", within seven (7) days. Once the selected applicant receives the invitation, they will have seven (7) days to complete the application. If you do not finish the application on time (within 7 days), your application will be denied.
Eligibility
Funding Eligibility
Awards will be limited to the amount a household needs to be stabilized, and is not intended to provide ongoing rental support.
Awards cannot exceed seven months of rent, or $10,000, whichever is a lesser amount.
Non-Receipt of Prior Assistance
Applicants must not have received a rental assistance benefit from any emergency rental assistance program within the preceding 12 months.
Residency Requirement: Applicants must be residents of Colorado.
Lease: Applicants must hold a valid lease within the state of Colorado
Income Threshold: Applicants' household income should not exceed 80% of the median income for their respective area in Colorado.
Risk of Eviction or Displacement: Eligibility includes being at risk of eviction or displacement due to:
- Falling behind on rental payments.
- Receiving formal demand for rent payment from the landlord, evidenced by:
- An eviction notice.
- Ongoing eviction proceedings.
- Notice of non-payment of rent or a notice to quit.
- Documentation indicating participation in mediation as required by HB 23-1120.
- Receipt of a court summons (Forcible Entry and Detainer).
- Lack of alternative funds to cover rental obligations.
Substantial Life Events: Applicants must have experienced a significant life event that has negatively affected their ability to pay rent. These events may include:
- Healthcare-related events, including mental health issues.
- Loss or reduction of income.
- Bereavement due to a death in the family.
- Need to vacate the residence due to domestic abuse.
- Encounter with substantial unexpected expenses, such as car repairs.
How will I know if I was selected from the random selection?
What if I’m not selected by the random selection?
If I’m not selected for assistance, can I reapply?
Can a landlord apply on behalf of a tenant?
Do I need to disclose my immigration status or demonstrate citizenship?
Which documents do I need to apply?
How much funding am I eligible for?
Is the portal available in other languages?
When will the Department begin accepting applications?
What can I do if I want to apply but the pre-application is no longer open?
Who will be processing my application and payment?
How long will it take to receive a payment?
If I have a question about the status of my application, who can I contact?
I was denied because I didn’t provide adequate documentation. Can I re-apply?
I was approved for rental assistance previously, can I apply again?
Can I get assistance for rent on my mobile home or mobile home lot?
What is rental assistance?
The Department of Local Affairs has funding available for temporary rental assistance for Coloradans who have fallen behind on their rent, meet income limits and other qualifying factors, and are at risk of eviction or displacement.
- If you are behind on your rent, but are not currently being evicted, see below for more information on how to apply for assistance.
- If you are currently experiencing an eviction and have a court summons (Forcible Entry and Detainer), please contact the CARE Center by calling 1 (303) 838-1200 or 1 (888) 480-0066, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Mountain time to get more information about immediate support available. If you are unsure if you have a court summons (Forcible Entry and Detainer), this example may help.
Who is eligible?
Individuals are eligible for temporary rental assistance if they:
- Are residents of Colorado; and
- Have a valid lease in Colorado; and
- Have an income below 80% of the median for their area. You can find out whether your income falls under that level by county here; and
- You are at risk of eviction or displacement, which includes:
- You are behind on your rental payments; and
- You have a document from your landlord demanding rent payment, which could include an eviction notice, a current eviction action, notice of non-payment of rent or a notice to quit, evidence of documentation showing the tenant is currently in process of mediation as required by HB 23-1120, or a court summons (Forcible Entry and Detainer); and
- You do not have another source of funds with which you could pay that rent; and
- You have experienced a substantial life event that negatively impacted your ability to pay rent, which could include:
- A healthcare event, including mental health;
- A loss or decrease in income;
- A death in the family;
- A need to leave your home due to domestic abuse; and/or
- A substantial unexpected expense, such as a car repair; and
- You have not received rental assistance from an emergency rental assistance program within the past 12 months.
Applicants will only be provided assistance for their primary place of residence.
How do I apply?
The Department will be accepting pre-applications from those needing rental assistance on a monthly basis until funding is exhausted. However, the Department anticipates that the demand for assistance will exceed the funds available, and therefore the Department will not be able to serve all eligible Coloradans.
Interested parties will be asked to complete a pre-application available on the DOLA website. A limited number of pre-applicants will be randomly selected and invited to apply for assistance, based on funds available.
Selected applicants will be sent an email inviting them to complete a full application on the online portal within the following seven (7) days. Applicants must complete the application and provide all requested documentation prior to the expiration of the seven (7) days to be considered for assistance.
Interested parties can complete a pre-application available on the DOLA website.
All funding must be spent prior to June 30, 2024. If all funding is not exhausted in the first round of assistance, subsequent random selections will take place. Check our webpage frequently for updates.
How will I know if I was selected from the random selection?
If you are selected, you will be contacted via email and invited to complete an application on the Neighborly portal. Additional instructions will be provided at this time. Note, however, that being selected does not guarantee you will receive assistance. To receive funds, you must still complete a full application before the deadline, submit all required documentation, and be approved once found eligible.
What if I’m not selected by the random selection?
If you are not selected, you will receive an email with other resources/options for assistance.
If I’m not selected for assistance, can I reapply?
If the initiative opens again for pre-applications, you may apply with a new pre-application.
Can a landlord apply on behalf of a tenant?
No, the tenant must apply on their own behalf.
Do I need to disclose my immigration status or demonstrate citizenship?
No, you will not be required to provide any documentation related to citizenship or your immigration status to apply for rental assistance. You will be required to upload some form of ID. See below for the forms of ID that will be accepted.
Which documents do I need to apply?
Pre-Application: When completing the pre-application, you will only need your ID and your court summons for an eviction, if you have one. You do not need the documents listed below at this stage, but it is a good idea to start collecting documentation.
Full application: If you are selected by random selection to receive assistance, you will have seven (7) days to provide the necessary documentation and submit a complete application. The following documents are required to complete your application and be approved for assistance:
- Identification (ID), including:
- Valid driver’s license or identification card issued from any US State or Territory; or
- US military or a military dependent identification card; or
- US Coast Guard Merchant Mariner card; or
- Native American Tribal Document; or
- Document issued by any instrumentality of government (US or foreign), or
- Document issued by an educational institution (US or foreign).
- Lease
- Executed residential lease (signed by both the tenant and the landlord/agent) that names tenant as tenant of property.
- If you do not have a written lease, other documentation may be considered through a waiver process.
- Documents identifying the balance of rent due, including:
- A full ledger of unpaid rent amount, and the respective due date (if available).
- If the tenant is not listed on the lease but is a member of the household or has a sublease, they are still eligible if they can demonstrate at least one payment made to the landlord or named leaseholder for the month immediately when requesting assistance, documents demonstrating the sublease agreement, and a ledger of unpaid rent. Additional documents may be requested.
- Demonstration that the applicant’s income level is at or below 80% of the area median income, which may be documented with:
- 2022 or 2023 Tax Documents
- Current pay stubs
- 2023 W2
- Documents showing your eligibility for another income-restricted program approved within the past 12 months, which may include the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP),Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Old Age Pension (OAP) program, or the Aid to the Needy Disabled (AND).
- The document listed above will ensure the most timely processing of your application. However, if you don't have one of the documents listed above to verify your income you may still submit an application and our providers will work with you to demonstrate eligibility.
- Notice of late rent from landlord, which can include:
- Provision of an eviction notice, notice of non-payment of rent, or notice to quit; or,
- Provision of documentation showing the tenant is currently in process of mediation as required by HB 23-1120; or
- Provision of a current eviction action within 60 days.
- In addition, you will be asked to attest that you:
- Are applying for rent for your primary residence;
- Do not have another source of funds with which you could pay that rent;
- Have experience a substantial life event that caused you to fall behind on your rent; and
- Have not received assistance in the past 12 months (note, this will be verified).
Additional documentation may be requested to confirm your eligibility after your application has been submitted. If you do not submit full documentation, review of your application will be delayed and may be denied.
How much funding am I eligible for?
Awards will be limited to the amount a household needs to be stabilized, and is not intended to provide ongoing rental support. Awards cannot exceed seven months of rent, or $10,000, whichever is a lesser amount.
What expenses do you cover?
Assistance may be used to cover your rental payments on a short term basis, and may also cover associated fees if required to protect you from displacement.
Is the portal available in other languages?
The portal is available in other languages. You can select your preferred language under 'User Options' in 'My Profile'. If you need additional translation assistance to complete an application in Spanish or another language, please contact the CARE Center by calling 1 (303) 838-1200 or 1 (888) 480-0066, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Mountain time.
When will the Department begin accepting pre-applications?
May 15, 2024, at 10:00 AM and will reopen the fifteenth of every month through May 2024 as funds are available. Funds are only available on a temporary basis, until fully exhausted.
What can I do if I want to apply but the pre-application is no longer open?
If the pre-application is no longer open, you will need to wait for the next open cycle to indicate your interest and be submitted for consideration. If selected, you will be invited to submit a complete application. Monitor the Temporary Rental Assistance website to find out when the pre-application will next be open.
If you are currently being evicted, you may be eligible for more immediate support. Please contact the CARE Center by calling 1 (303) 838-1200 or 1 (888) 480-0066, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Mountain time for your assistance options.
Who will be processing my application and payment?
The State of Colorado has partnered with several nonprofit organizations to provide rental assistance. One of those nonprofits will review your application, reach out for additional information if needed, and process your payment. Please respond promptly if you are contacted by representatives from one of our nonprofit partners. If you have questions about the status of your application and who is processing it, please contact the CARE Center by calling 1 (303) 838-1200 or 1 (888) 480-0066, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Mountain time.
How long will it take to receive a payment?
Our nonprofit partners have small teams who are committed to reviewing your application as quickly as possible. We aim to review all complete applications within four weeks after it has been submitted and sent to our nonprofit partners.
Once all application materials have been received and your application has been approved, your landlord can expect to receive a payment within approximately 14 days.
All rental payments are made directly to landlords, not the tenant.
If I have a question about the status of my application, who can I contact?
After you have submitted your application, you should receive a confirmation email with a link to the application portal. You should be able to track the status of your application by logging into this portal.
Once your application is under review, you may be contacted by one of our nonprofit providers to answer additional questions or to provide additional information. If you have been contacted by one of these providers, please work with them directly to complete your application and ask about your application’s status.
If you have further questions, please contact the CARE Center by calling 1 (303) 838-1200 or 1 (888) 480-0066, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Mountain time.
I was denied because I didn’t provide adequate documentation. Can I re-apply?
If the initiative opens again for pre-applications, you may apply with a new pre-application.
I was approved for rental assistance previously, can I apply again?
If you previously received rental assistance and it has been at least 12 months since your last rental payment was covered, you may apply for assistance again, if you meet all the other eligibility requirements.
Can I get assistance for rent on my mobile home or mobile home lot?
If you are a renter, you may apply for assistance to cover your mobile home rent and any associated lot fees, if you meet all the eligibility requirements. If you are a mobile home owner who has fallen behind on mortgage and/or lot fees, you are eligible for mortgage assistance, through the Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program.
How is this rental assistance different from prior rental assistance programs? How is it different from Denver’s program?
Over the past few years, the State and local governments have provided rental assistance through a combination of one-time Federal funding, and State and local funding sources. These programs have different eligibility requirements, and the application process may vary. Currently, the following forms of assistance are available:
- The Temporary Rental Assistance Grant was funded with State funds by SB 23b-1001. Assistance from this initiative is available for households who are behind on rent and at risk of eviction or displacement. The questions in this document primarily address this initiative, but also reference options for those going through eviction, which may include other funding programs.
- The Emergency Rental Assistance (ERAP) Program is funded by the Federal government and is administered by the State. This program is currently reserved for households with a court summons who are in the eviction process.
- Denver’s Temporary Rental and Utility Assistance (TRUA) Program serves Denver residents only. More information can be found on their website.
- Other local governments may have their own rental assistance programs. Please visit your city and/or county’s website to find available local resources.
Is the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) still available for applications?
Yes, the Emergency Rental Assistance (ERAP) Program remains available for households in eviction proceedings (i.e. have a court summons). If you are currently experiencing an eviction and have a court summons (Forcible Entry and Detainer), please contact the CARE Center by calling 1 (303) 838-1200 or 1 (888) 480-0066, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Mountain time.
How can I access Emergency Rental Assistance while the pre-application is closed?
Only individuals currently being evicted are eligible for support through the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP). If you are currently experiencing an eviction and have a court summons (Forcible Entry and Detainer), please contact the CARE Center by calling 1 (303) 838-1200 or 1 (888) 480-0066, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Mountain time.
Are Denver residents eligible for rental assistance from the Department? Should I apply to Denver’s program first? Can I apply to both?
Denver residents are eligible for rental assistance from the Department, if they meet all of the eligibility requirements. However, if you have already applied for assistance through Denver’s TRUA program, you cannot receive assistance from both.
Do you have support for homeowners?
Yes. If you are a homeowner who is behind on their mortgage payments, you may apply for assistance through the Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program (EMAP).