Colorado Homeless Prevention Activities Fund

The Homeless Prevention Activities Program was enacted in 1989 by the Colorado General Assembly to provide assistance to households at risk of losing their homes without some kind of community assistance.  The program allows Colorado residents to make voluntary contributions on their Colorado tax return that help non-profit organizations throughout the state provide services to eligible clients.

• The program targets families and individuals who are at risk of becoming homeless due to circumstances beyond their control and who are unable to stay in their own homes without some kind of temporary assistance.
• At least 75% of the funds must be used for vendor payments on behalf of clients for rent, mortgage or utility payments; only 25% may be used for administrative support.
• The funds collected through the tax check-off program are distributed on a statewide basis through the use of a county by county allocation formula based on the number of individuals receiving Food Stamps within a county and the number of unemployed persons within a county.
• Local agencies are selected to provide service through a competitive process based on recommendations of an independent selection committee.

The services provided by the funded agencies include:

• Financial assistance such as payments to landlords and utility companies on behalf of families and individuals at risk of becoming homeless.
• Case management services.
• Support services aimed at stabilizing families and individuals such as employment and budget counseling, landlord and utility company mediation, and referrals to a variety of services as appropriate.

Over 500 households receive assistance through the Homeless Prevention Activities Program each year.  Since its inception, the program has assisted over 11,000 families with close to four million dollars.

Typically, about 70% are families with children and over half of the families have annual incomes less than $12,000.  In addition, 45% of the families are ethnic minorities and over two-thirds of the household heads are employed.  Of the households served, all are recipients of intensive case management services.  The average amount of assistance per family is about $350.

Without the Homeless Prevention Activities Program, these families could have easily become homeless. Your voluntary contributions help them stay in their homes and stabilize their lives.

Contact Information:

Heidi Halpern
303-588-1187
hhalpern@comcast.net
www.cdhs.state.co.us/hpap/