We Helped Stabilize Nearly 14,000 Coloradans Through State Rental Assistance Funding This Year!
At the beginning of the month, Colorado’s Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) announced that the $30 million in rental assistance funding available through the Temporary Rental Assistance Grant program had been delivered to all eligible households selected through the state’s random selection process.
This has been a true team effort. We’re incredibly proud of the work that CEDP, Brothers Redevelopment Inc., La Puente Home, Neighbor to Neighbor, and Total Concept completed to administer these funds. We also appreciate DOLA’s steady leadership and willingness to adapt state government processes to get funds out in a matter of months. We’re especially grateful for the steady leadership of Maria De Cambra, Alison George, Melissa Nereson, and Maria Stein.
The TRAG program proved that DOLA and its non-profit partners successfully built responsive homelessness prevention infrastructure during the pandemic. Four years ago, there was almost no rental assistance. According to DOLA numbers, since 2021, 47,000 Colorado households (more than 110,000 people) have benefited from emergency rental assistance. In four short months, CEDP and the other non-profits scaled up. In the first half of 2024, nonprofits nearly tripled the state’s capacity from the end of last year, distributing more than $30 million to 6,000 households (serving approximately 14,000 people).
TRAG SUCCESS
We worked alongside several other nonprofit partners and DOLA to quickly and efficiently get these funds to Colorado households in need of rental assistance. This program was the result of a historically significant investment into rental assistance across Colorado, and we’re immensely proud of our collective efforts with DOLA and our non-profit partners. Together, we’ve worked to show that government and nonprofits can move quickly and effectively to prevent homelessness and stabilize thousands of households across Colorado – and here at CEDP, we remain committed to assisting Coloradans in need.
We’re honored to have worked with so many renters facing eviction and do everything we could to help keep Colorado families housed. Here are just a couple of the testimonials from the Coloradans we served through TRAG:
“My son and I will not be evicted and I have the opportunity to land on my feet from being laid off of my occupation. So thankful for the second chance, and it means so much more than I can state that I'm allowed to have a second chance again, means so much thank you for this resource. Being able to receive help means the world."
“When I was in need and finally asked for help, thinking it was too late to save my living situation, I reached out, and a thousand helping hands pulled me out of a situation that would make ‘one more chance’ no chance at all. I realize, and I know they already do, that the help I needed extended far beyond just where am I going to live. Eviction has consequences that last way longer than a lease agreement. It means that is the last one you'll have for a long time. The stress, the money, not knowing, sometimes not even caring at all what happens to me. With those helping hands I could stop spinning my wheels and catch my breath. Open my eyes and see that it's not over. There is a reason to keep on keeping on.”
DRIVERS OF PROGRAM SUCCESS
A number of factors contributed to the success of this program across government and nonprofits. The program built on a rental assistance program that has been recognized by the White House, think tanks, and the media as a “fast lane” for eviction prevention and included the following core features:
Weekly statewide coordination led by DOLA alongside cash advances
Statewide outreach and in-person service at offices, courthouses, and community centers
Availability of our statewide call center to triage urgent eviction cases
Integration with legal aid to ensure stabilization in complex cases
Overnight and hand-delivered payments ensuring on-time arrival of funds arrive on time to prevent an eviction
Rapid hiring and training to staff the program to hit goals within four months
THE WORK CONTINUES
While TRAG was a success for the people who received funding, we are adjusting to a new reality with fewer resources. We continue to work with the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA), the City of Denver, and other partners across the state to keep Coloradans in their homes. While we understand the need exceeds the funding available, we are committed to getting rental assistance to Colorado households quickly and efficiently so they receive the support they need.
If you or someone you know is facing eviction and has a court date, there may be help available. Reach out to the CARE Center at 303-838-1200 for assistance.
IN THE NEWS
KOAA published a story about the wrap-up of TRAG, noting that, in total, the TRAG program served nearly 4,000 households.