The Supreme Court’s decision on Aug. 26 to vacate an extension of the federal moratorium on evictions for nonpayment of rent, is prompting local governments to stress programs aimed at helping residents to cover their rent and stay in their homes.
Support in Boulder County and Longmont range from rental, utility and other financial assistance to landlord-tenant mediation and eviction prevention services, legal help and more, according to a Wednesday news release from Boulder County Housing and Human Services.
In some cases, tenants have seen missed rental payments accumulate due to COVID-19 impacts and many are also facing mounting utility bills. Emergency funding available now can help cover those costs, the news release states. Details, including eligibility information, are available at www.boco.org/emerg-rent-assistance.
Boulder County residents can call the bilingual Boulder County Housing Helpline at 303-441-1206 or email [email protected] or [email protected]. An advisor will be in touch as soon as possible, the news release states.
“COVID-19 has hit so many families and individuals with overwhelming challenges,” said Boulder County Commissioner Marta Loachamin in the news release. “We believe all people should have access to safe and stable housing, and since there are many resources in place right now to help people, we and our partners want our neighbors to reach out for financial assistance and services.”
In Longmont, the city of Longmont Mediation Services connects both housing providers and tenants with information regarding the landlord/tenant relationship, and can help residents in east Boulder County including Longmont, Lafayette, Erie, Niwot, Hygiene, Lyons and Allenspark access mediation with their housing provider, referrals to the Housing Helpline and other community resources, the news release states.
Information about services and resources is available at https://bit.ly/mediation-services.
“Tenants who are behind in their rent or utility bills or who need help communicating with their landlord, please contact Mediation Services at 303-651-8444,” said Karen Roney, Longmont Community Services Director in the news release. “Our work is housing retention; our goal is housing stability.”
Along with Boulder County and the cities of Longmont and Boulder, the Family Resource Network also includes non-profit groups Outreach United Resource (OUR) Center in Longmont, Sister Carmen Community Center in Lafayette, and Emergency Family Assistance Association (EFFA) in Boulder, the news release states.
All of those organizations can provide help with rent and utility assistance, housing and food, financial and other assistance throughout the community and are an experienced resource to help households navigate the safety net, the news release states.
“People come to us with thousands of dollars in rent and utilities they are unable to pay because of COVID-19,” said OUR Center Executive Director Marc Cowell in the news release. “We are fortunate to live in a community where people strongly believe everyone should have the chance to thrive, and this is reflected in our work together across the Family Resource Network to get the right help to people where and when they need it.”
