Looking Forward to 2021, Emergency Housing Assistance Program (EHAP) Updates, Point-In-Time, and Housing Counseling.
DOH Updates
JAN. 2021
Happy New Year!
As we say goodbye to 2020 and look forward to the days and months ahead in 2021, we want to first reflect on the great work our partners have done to keep Coloradans safely housed during a turbulent time.
We are awed by the enormous group effort that it took to deliver $35 million in housing assistance on behalf of Colorado residents over the last eight months. 100% of Coronavirus Relief Funds (CRF) allocated to the Colorado Department of Local Affairs, Division of Housing (DOH) for housing assistance were successfully expended prior to December 31, 2020.
Our partnerships included 33 contracted non-profit organizations plus their networks of more than 50 additional organizations located all across the state. These agencies answered calls and emails from people often in dire need, reviewed and approved complex applications, and made payments to landlords on behalf of thousands of households. DOH worked directly with over 750 property owners who applied for assistance on behalf of their tenants. In total, DOH and all of our valued partners provided housing assistance to almost 16,000 Colorado households.
Our deepest gratitude goes to our partner agencies for doing the challenging one-on-one work it took to get housing assistance to those that needed it the most in 2020. Thank you!
Looking Forward to 2021
With Congress’ recent investment of $25 billion through H.R. 133, DOH began planning for federal stimulus funds that will provide rental assistance. Eligible grantees (states, local governments with more than 200,000 residents, and Indian tribes or the tribally designated housing entity of an Indian tribe, as applicable) must provide payment information and an executed copy of the award terms not later than 11:59 p.m. EDT on January 12, 2021. The Colorado State Controller submitted the application on behalf of the State of Colorado, but all other eligible grantees must submit an application prior to the deadline.
DOH and its partners are NOT skipping a beat. Prior to January 1, 2021, more than $500,000 of the newly approved funds through SB20B-002 were expended for emergency housing assistance. With these funds, DOH is continuing to support the five programs created or expanded with the federal Coronavirus Relieve Funds: Property Owner Preservation (POP) program, Emergency Housing Assistance Program (EHAP), Youth Homelessness programs, Left Behind Workers program and the Housing Counseling Assistance Program through Colorado Housing Connects.
DOH is assessing how all of these new funds will align with the state’s current programs and what new programs may be needed to meet Coloradans needs. DOH is also currently reviewing proposals in response to our December RFP for administrative support to ensure the timely expenditure of funds to best serve Coloradans in 2021.
Emergency Housing Assistance Program Updates
DOH is pleased to announce the new online application for the Emergency Housing Assistance Program (EHAP) is open. The application portal went live on Monday, January 4, and in the first week 1,281 applications were received and another 1,397 applications were in progress. Fifteen partner nonprofit organizations are working in the system to assist these households. Simultaneously DOH launched updated program guidelines to coincide with program funding from SB20B-002, including increasing household eligibility to 100% of AMI (from 80% of AMI). Also starting in January applicants are eligible to apply for three months of assistance (including the current month, and the next two future months), in addition to having months in arrears covered.
2020 Point-In-Time Youth Supplemental Report Released - With support from Colorado’s four Continuums of Care, the Colorado Department of Education, McKinney Vento Liaisons, partner agencies, and volunteers, the Advisory Council for Homeless Youth and the Office of Homeless Youth Services released the 2020 Point In Time Youth Supplemental Report. Conducted annually since 2017, the Youth Supplemental Survey is held in conjunction with the federal Point-In-Time and collects information on the life experiences of youth under 25 experiencing homelessness in Colorado. The 2020 Report includes data critical to the design and implementation of programs and strategies focused on preventing and resolving youth homelessness in Colorado.
2021 Point-In-Time Updates – In response to guidance from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, each of Colorado’s four Continuums of Care (CoCs) have developed a unique strategy for how they will address the 2021 Point-In-Time Survey. For more information, please see the link provided or contact the individuals listed below.
Balance of State CoC - Shawn Hayes, Balance of State Continuum of Care Coordinator, Colorado Coalition for the Homeless <shayes@coloradocoalition.org>
Metro Denver Homeless Initiative CoC – Press Release available here.
Northern Colorado CoC - Melanie Woolman, Director of Community Impact, United Way of Weld County <mwoolman@unitedway-weld.org>
Pikes Peak CoC - Evan Caster, Manager of Homeless Initiatives, Community Health Partnership <evan.caster@ppchp.org>
Housing Counseling update
The Division of Housing contracts with Brothers Redevelopment, Inc. to administer the Housing Counseling Assistance Program (HCAP). Through HCAP, Brothers expanded its Colorado Housing Connects website (coloradohousingconnects.org) and has been taking internet inquiries and phone calls since the beginning of September 2020. From September 1 to December 31, 2020 the program fielded almost 6,400 phone and web inquiries along with 39,000 website pageviews. In addition to their direct phone and web contact with Coloradans, Brothers built out a network of 18 housing counseling, foreclosure and eviction prevention agencies and legal aid service providers to whom clients are referred as needed.
The HCAP program will continue and expand in 2021. Outreach in rural areas will expand in 2021 with an increased marketing effort specifically targeted to those communities. The HCAP will also be rolling out eviction prevention and legal aid seminars with its partner housing counseling and legal services agencies. The seminars will start out online with the hope to offer in person outreach as soon as the public health environment will allow.
