Jefferson County Emergency Rental Assistance Program
The following cities are eligible:
Lakewood, CO
Arvada, CO
Edgewater, CO
Golden, CO
Littleton, CO
Westminster, CO
Wheat Ridge, CO
COVID-19 Emergency Assistance
During the time of a national emergency, assistance is offered for payments such as rent, mortgage, and utility bills. The solutions that are presented below offer varying degrees of assistance depending on the circumstances of a household, taking into account the regulations and restrictions that apply to programs as well as finances.
Emergency Rental Assistance in Lakewood, CO (ERA)
*** Due to a lack of available funding, Jefferson County is unable to process additional applications. We recognize that this is a challenging time for your family. We highly recommend that you apply for the State Emergency Rental Assistance Program, which is currently taking applications. ***
FAQs and more details about the state portal
Only tenants qualify for this service. Mortgage assistance is offered on the Mortgage Assistance website.
Cannot make your rent payments due to financial hardships brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic? Under the ERA program, rent, utilities, deposit assistance, and internet connection may be covered (only available for renters). All applicants must fulfill income qualifying limits and provide evidence of a COVID-19-related loss of income.
You might be qualified for the following:
- Help with past-due rent and/or utility payments (where applicable).
- People who are currently making mortgage payments are not eligible for assistance from the ERA program for their utilities or their mortgage. Help with mortgage payments can be found on the page labeled “Mortgage Assistance.”
- Assistance has been provided to cover the rent for the next three months.
Eligibility:
To qualify, a household must demonstrate that it satisfies all of the following requirements:
- You must either be obligated to pay rent on a residential residence located within Jefferson County (for example, as a result of a lease arrangement, rental agreement, or something similar) or you must be looking to rent a residential house located within the County.
- As a direct or indirect result of the COVID-19 epidemic, one or more members of the household have qualified for unemployment benefits, had their household income reduced, suffered major costs, or faced other forms of financial hardship. Additionally, one or more members of the household have faced other forms of financial difficulty.
- Be homeless, or one or more members of the household can demonstrate signs that they are at risk of becoming homeless or experiencing housing instability (such as falling behind on rent or utility payments); and
- The income of the household is equal to or less than 80 percent of the area median income, often known as the AMI (defined below).
|
Number of People in Household
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
|
Maximum Income (80% AMI)
|
$55,950
|
$63,950
|
$71,950
|
$79,900
|
$86,300
|
$92,700
|
$99,100
|
$105,500
|
Application Procedure:
It is not possible for Jefferson County to process any additional applications at this time due to the limited amount of funds that are still available. We are aware that this is a very difficult moment for you and your family. We strongly suggest that you submit an application to participate in the Colorado State Emergency Rental Assistance Program as they are presently accepting submissions.
Submitting an Application
Start a brand new application by logging into the state’s website.
To submit your application to the State Portal, click here.
Next Steps
Simply clicking this link will get you started on a brand new application through the State Portal.
Recertification
To enter your login information for the Jefferson County website, click here.
All of the applications that may be accessed using the links above function most effectively when run in Google Chrome.
On the application, you will be asked questions pertaining to your income as well as your address, contact information, landlord contact information, information about your lease and utilities, and other topics. About the application, you will be asked for information on everyone living in your household (name, birth date, Social Security Number, etc.). The following items are required to be submitted by applicants:
- Each adult in the family who is 18 years of age or older is needed to have photo identification.
- Documentation of income, in the form of either tax returns for the year 2020 filed by all individuals residing in the home or bank statements for the most recent two months All adults are required to produce documentation to verify their income.
- There is evidence of the influence of COVID.
- A lease that is active and has been signed (if seeking rent assistance)
- Holding one or more utility bills (if seeking utility assistance)
Submit a help request if you have any questions or need assistance completing the application.
Partners
These partners in Jefferson County offer the same ERA applications and assistance. It’s possible that participants in the program won’t have access to any other forms of assistance to cover the same costs.
Foothills Housing for the Regional Community
The Center for Responsible Leadership
The Army of the Salvation (Salvation Army)
Prioritization
Applicants whose household income is less than fifty percent of the area median income and who have had one or more household members unemployed for at least ninety days will be given preference. This preference will be granted to applicants who meet both of these criteria. There is additional information available in the Jeffco ERA Policies and Procedures document (PDF).
Originally from Toronto, Canada, Denise Madison, age 34, is an expert in housing policy and rental assistance. Denise earned her Master’s in Public Administration from McGill University, focusing her thesis on the effectiveness of rental assistance programs in major Canadian cities. After graduation, she worked with the Canadian government before transitioning to a consulting role in the United States, aiding in the enhancement of federal housing policies and programs. Denise is known for her practical workshops and seminars aimed at landlords and tenants, fostering better understanding and compliance with housing laws. When not at work, Denise cherishes time with her husband and their three young children, exploring the outdoors and teaching them about the importance of community involvement.