Eviction help and rehousing assistance in Jefferson County Colorado.
There are almost 20 non-profits and government affiliated agencies that provide homeless prevention programs in Jefferson County Colorado. The organizations offer everything from eviction help to free foreclosure counseling as well as rapid rehousing. The assistance is very limited, but there may be grants to help tenants with a pay or quit notice or the coordination of legal support in the city of Golden. Other resources are also arranged.
All of the the programs from organizations such as the Action Center or Jefferson Center for Mental Health are intended to help people from becoming homeless. Or if that can't be prevented, then resources will try to place them into a new apartment as quickly as possible, and this is where rapid rehousing starts up. No person is guaranteed to receive this service, and in fact it is very limited.
Eviction prevention programs for tenants
There are two goals of the agencies. The first is to provide emergency eviction help to tenants with a pay or quit notice, and this may include grants to pay rental or utility bill arrears or water costs. There is also legal aid given to deal with issues ranging from evictions for unpaid housing costs to other, non-monetary issues such as a noise disturbance.
When in a crisis, the administering agency will want to be sure that the crisis is one time only and short term in notice. If a family has an eviction notice but has no ability to get back on track in the near future, or if their income will not cover their future rent or utility bills, then they will need to be rehoused.
Jefferson County Colorado organizations offer provide pro-active assistance before a family even falls behind. This is the preferred approach, so as soon as a resident thinks they may not be able to pay their rent, they should seek help. There are also resources focused on single parent housing issues or assistance for seniors. So check with an agency before a pay or quit notice has even been issued.
In these cases, the eviction help includes everything from budgeting to case management. There are non-profits in the Golden area including Family Tree or STRDIE that will meet with the struggling family, understand their hardship, and arrange the support they need. The process is holistic in that it addresses homelessness from many different approaches.
Assistance focused on homeowners in Jefferson County
When foreclosure is imminent, there is help from agencies such as Colorado Housing Assistance Corporation. The availability of government grants is limited, and this tends to be for rent expenses to stop an eviction. Homeowners in Jefferson County are more likely to receive counseling or home loan modifications.
When a lender has issued a foreclosure notice to the family, this is when they should seek help from a non-profit. A specialist will review the notice as well as financial status of the borrower. Based on this process, everything from mortgage modifications to resources such as HARP may be issued in an effort to prevent homelessness from occurring.
Find help to be rehoused
This is a multi-step process. The goal is to get a family that has been evicted or that lost their home to a foreclosure back into a new apartment as soon as possible. But it may be a multiple-step process, which includes everything from shelter to free motel vouchers and then, at the end housing search and placement assistance.
Before any of this can be done, the applicant needs to be more stable. Whatever caused them to be homeless in the first place needs to have been resolved. This is critical to success, otherwise the Jefferson County client will just find themselves in the same jam again in the future. So rapid rehousing may not only include such things as a free motel from social services or the Mile High United Way, but it also includes credit counseling and job placement to stop future evictions.
Some financial help is also available as part of rehousing. There may be government grants to pay for security or utility deposits, first month's rent, and moving costs. If needed, legal assistance is available from Golden Colorado and regional firms including Archdiocesan Housing, and they can review a new lease agreement to ensure it meets all rules and regulations.
More information on HPRP
The apply for foreclosure or eviction help, many income and other conditions apply. In general, applicants need to earn 70% or less of the median income for Jefferson County families. They also need to have a stability plan in place. More information is at 1-866-760-6489.
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