Breaking: Boulder County housing voucher lottery opens Wednesday

Boulder County renters can soon apply for one day only to be entered into a lottery for housing assistance vouchers.

The Boulder County Housing and Human Services department will accept applications for up to 100 additional housing assistance vouchers at 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The applications will be accepted online for one day only, after which a lottery will be conducted to select a list of applicants to determine eligibility and award vouchers.

Applications will be taken for both Housing Choice, also known as Section 8, and “mainstream” vouchers, which help community members afford housing in the the neighborhoods of their choice within Boulder and Broomfield counties.

Housing Choice Voucher applicants must earn 50% or less of the Area Median Income for Boulder County, including those on a fixed income. The 50% AMI is $43,900 for a household of one and $62,700 for a household of four.

To qualify for a mainstream voucher, the household must contain someone aged 18-61 with a documented disability and earn less than 50% of the AMI.

Voucher recipients have the assistance for as long as they need it if they continue to qualify for the program.

“As emergency rental assistance and other public health emergency supports wind down in the community, we are fortunate to be able to offer this permanent housing help for households in need,” said Kelly Gonzalez, housing assistance programs manager with Boulder County Housing and Human Services, in a release. “We expect to issue up to 100 vouchers over the course of the next year from these applications, and while this won’t solve our housing affordability crisis, it will help move 100 households toward stability.”

Homes rented through the voucher program are required to meet certain standards, including fair market rent, minimum number of bedrooms, overall quality and health and safety. Tenants pay no more than 40% of their gross household income toward rent and utilities and the remainder of rent is covered by the voucher.

The housing authority will prioritize assistance to households that have seniors, individuals with disabilities and/or children.

Once the application process closes Feb. 8, applicants will be assigned a number and notified by mail. Application numbers selected in the lottery will be posted online at www.boco.org/hcv and applicants will be placed on a waitlist to be contacted for eligibility screening.

“We encourage everyone to apply for a housing assistance voucher, even if you’re not sure if you qualify,” Gonzalez said. “We will conduct an eligibility screening if your lottery number is selected.”

Learn more about the Housing Choice Voucher program at www.boco.org/hcv.