Rent and Utility Assistance

Rental Assistance

Tenants who have been unable to pay rent due to financial hardship caused directly or indirectly by COVID-19 may be eligible for rental assistance. The Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) can help cover rent as far back as April 2020. Help can include past due, current, and two additional months of rent up to a maximum of 15 months of assistance. If you are in need of eviction legal assistance, visit this page and scroll down to "Resources for Denver Residents Facing Foreclosure & Eviction". 

 Immigration status is not a requirement for the Emergency Rental Assistance Program and emergency rental assistance is not weighed in a public charge determination. Landlord/Property Owner participation is not required in order for a tenant to receive assistance. Households currently supported with a housing voucher are eligible, however, the program may only pay for the tenant portion of the rent for households with housing vouchers.

If your request for assistance is denied, you may be eligible to appeal the decision.

 

Have more questions? Check out the Frequently Asked Questions below. 

 

See if You Qualify

You may qualify for the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) if:

  • The tenant was unable to pay the property rent or mobile home lot rent and can self-certify that one or more individuals in the household qualifies for unemployment or has experienced a reduction in household income, incurred significant costs, or experienced a financial hardship due directly or indirectly to COVID-19.
  • The tenant's household income is at or below the maximum income listed here (80% Area Median Income.) 
  • You (property owner and/or tenant) have not already received rental assistance that covered the tenant's rent for the months requested.
  • You complete the application for assistance and provide all of the needed documentation.
  • Other qualifications and documentation required will be explained by the agency you work with to access the funds.

Read the ERAP Program Guidelines(PDF, 262KB) (also available in Spanish(PDF, 286KB)).

Apply Online

 You can apply for emergency rental assistance online through the State of Colorado Department of Local Affairs.

Colorado is committed to accessibility for all applicants.  If you require this material in an alternate format, please call us at 1-888-480-0066.

Applications can be completed in English, Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Marathi, Nepali, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Swahili, or Vietnamese.  To select your preferred language, click on the person icon (upper righthand corner) then "My Profile", then "Preferred Language."

 

Apply Online Now
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Utility Assistance

If you are a renter or homeowner and need assistance with paying utilities, including Denver Water and Xcel Energy, you may be eligible for utility assistance through Denver’s Temporary Rent & Utility Assistance Program.

Immigration status is not a requirement for the Temporary Rent & Utility Assistance Program.

See If You Qualify

  • The property you are requesting utility assistance for is your primary residence and is in the City and County of Denver
  • The tenant or homeowner’s household income is at or below the maximum income listed here (PDF, 144KB)(80% Area Median Income.) 
  • You have experienced an unexpected financial hardship
  • You complete the application for assistance and provide all of the needed documentation
  • Other qualifications and documentation required will be explained by the nonprofit agency you work with to access the funds

    To apply, call 311 and press 6 and you will be connected with a nonprofit agency providing utility assistance.

Additional Assistance

Contact Us

To connect with a representative CALL OR TEXT:  1-888-480-0066 / M - F 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. mountain time, Saturdays 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

If making a call or text is not possible, instead please fill out this form.

Report Fraud

To report suspected fraud within the Emergency Rental Assistance Program, call 720-913-1534 or email DenverERAP@denvergov.org

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