Colorado Housing Connects

The Colorado Emergency Rental Assistance Program will no longer process new requests for additional assistance/recertification on Oct. 21 at 11:59 p.m. and will stop accepting new applications in mid-November. But Brothers Redevelopment’s services aren’t going anywhere.

Since June 2021, Brothers has provided over $9 million in rental assistance to 1,658 households in the state through the Emergency Rental Assistance Program. The agency also serves Denverites by administering funds for Denver’s Temporary Rental and Utility Assistance Program — a financial resource available to Denverites. From January to September, Brothers has provided $396,797 in rental assistance and $15,682 in utility funds through the program.

Outside of financial assistance, Brothers’ housing helpline, Colorado Housing Connects (1-844-926-6632), has also been a beacon of hope for struggling Coloradans. The helpline received 35,246 inquiries from 59 of Colorado’s 64 counties in 2021. Callers received assistance with eviction/foreclosure prevention, tenant-landlord issues, housing counseling services, housing discrimination issues, and more.

If you’re concerned about paying rent in the coming months, here are some resources from Brothers that can help you keep your housing.

Rental Assistance

Those who live outside of Denver County can still apply for the Emergency Rental Assistance Program if they’re new applicants until mid-November. To apply for the emergency rental assistance program, click here.

Colorado Housing Connects is available to all Coloradans throughout the state and provides information on housing services and topics of interest to renters, landlords, first-time homebuyers, older adults, people with disabilities, and anyone with fair housing concerns.

The helpline works with renters to prevent evictions by connecting clients to local rental assistance resources, informing renters about the eviction process and their rights, and by helping renters access legal referrals.

Since 2020, Colorado Housing Connects has also offered free eviction prevention webinars in which housing/legal experts cover the eviction process, renter rights and rental assistance resources. To find the next webinar, click here.

Renters seeking assistance can contact Colorado Housing Connects at 1-844-926-6632 or by visiting coloradohousingconnects.org.

Tenant-landlord Mediation Services

Colorado Housing Connects offers free tenant-landlord mediation to residents in Adams and Denver counties.

The Tenant-Landlord Mediation Program in Adams County was designed for the purpose of creating housing stability in the county. Trained mediators facilitate high-quality, non-cost mediation services to mitigate landlord-tenant disputes in Adams County. The goal of tenant-landlord mediation is to divert parties away from court-sanctioned eviction proceedings and to work toward mutually agreed alternatives between renters and landlords — like rental assistance, payment plans, lease compliance, and more.

In Denver, Colorado Housing Connects offers tenant-landlord mediation services for all manners of housing disputes — including maintenance issues, lease disputes, security deposit disagreements, and more.

Medication can help protect housing for struggling residents and is confidential. Among those who can benefit from the tenant-landlord mediation include those who are concerned about paying rent, residents who are worried that rental assistance won’t come soon enough and those who are experiencing lease disputes or violations.

Those who are interested in tenant-landlord mediation services can learn more information by calling Colorado Housing Connects or by submitting a web inquiry at coloradohousingconnects.org.

Earlier this year, Kesha moved nearly 1,300 miles away from her Michigan home with her two teenage children to live with her oldest son in Colorado Springs.

But after her family split ways, Kesha and her children suddenly found themselves homeless for eight months in a new part of the country. The family stayed at different motels and couch surfed to stay afloat. But the burden of struggling with homelessness was larger than having unstable housing — it contributed to a negative effect on Kesha’s mental health.

“It was tough, it was really tough. It added to depression, it caused depression,” Kesha said. “It was kind of unreal to just have something like that up and happen all of a sudden.”

While seeking resources that could help her find housing, Kesha was referred to Brothers Redevelopment’s statewide housing helpline, Colorado Housing Connects (1-844-926-6632). And thanks to that connection, she began working with Colorado Housing Connects Housing Counselor/Navigator Katrina Brown who took Kesha under her wing.

Brown helped Kesha and her children access security deposit assistance for an apartment along with finances for her first month of rent so that the family could finally have a stable housing situation. She also assisted the family in accessing food assistance, furniture for their new apartment and even recruited her friends to donate gift cards to Kesha for places like Walmart and Target.

“When I say Colorado Housing Connects basically helped us with everything, I really mean it. It was comforting to know that we had someone in our corner, and we weren’t going to go through everything alone,” Kesha said.

Colorado’s only statewide housing helpline, Colorado Housing Connects (1-844-926-6632), is further advancing its mission of preventing evictions by now offering free tenant-landlord mediation to Adams County residents.

Through a partnership with Adams County formed in 2021, Colorado Housing Connects launched the tenant-landlord mediation program for the purpose of creating housing stability in the county. Colorado Housing Connects employees trained mediators to facilitate high-quality, no-cost mediation services to mitigate landlord-tenant disputes in Adams County. The goal of the program is to divert parties away from court-sanctioned eviction proceedings and to work toward mutually agreed alternatives between renters and landlords like rental assistance, payment plans, lease compliance, and more.

Mediation can help protect housing for struggling Adams County residents and is confidential. Among those who can benefit from the tenant-landlord mediation program include those who are concerned about paying rent, residents who are worried that rental assistance won’t come soon enough and those who are experiencing lease disputes or violations.

State data shows 2,445 eviction cases have been filed in Adams County in 2022 as of May 31.

“Far too often, we hear from tenants and landlords at their wit’s end. The relationship has eroded, and communication is strained,” said Colorado Housing Connects Program Director Patrick Noonan. “This can lead to eviction, other litigation, or lease non-renewal. Mediation is an opportunity for both parties to come to the table and work out an agreement that spares landlords avoidable costs and tenants an eviction. A tenant-landlord mediator can cut out the emotion and support a solution driven discussion.”

Outside of Adams County, Colorado Housing Connects offers tenant-landlord mediation services to Denver residents. The Denver tenant-landlord mediation program serves for all manner of housing disputes, including maintenance issues, lease disputes, security deposit disagreements, and more.

Housing nonprofit Brothers Redevelopment operates Colorado Housing Connects in partnership with the Colorado Department of Local Affairs. Colorado Housing Connects works to encourage long-term sustainable housing solutions to renters by informing Coloradans about the eviction process and their rights and by connecting residents to local rental assistance resources and legal referrals.

Those who are interested in Colorado Housing Connects’ tenant-landlord mediation services can learn more information about the programs by dialing 1-844-926-6632 or by submitting a web inquiry at coloradohousingconnects.org.

Housing nonprofit Brothers Redevelopment is proud to announce that its housing helpline, Colorado Housing Connects (1-844-926-6632), has been awarded the Eagle Award from Housing Colorado — a non-partisan membership association dedicated to serving organizations and professionals in the affordable housing industry in Colorado.

The Eagle Award represent one of the highest achievements within the Colorado housing community and celebrates extraordinary accomplishments and outstanding leadership in housing and support services. Award winners are chosen based on a variety of factors including target population, housing stability, challenges a program addresses, services provided to residents of affordable housing, innovative approaches, how a program engages stakeholders, and how a program’s mission and work addresses issues related to diversity, equity and/or inclusion.

Colorado Housing Connects is the sole statewide housing helpline service that is operated in partnership with the Colorado Department of Local Affairs. The helpline assists Coloradans navigate through non-emergency housing services and resources. Colorado Housing Connects provides information about a variety of housing services and topics of interest to renters, homeowners, landlords, first-time homebuyers, older adults, people with disabilities, and anyone with fair housing concerns.

In 2021, Colorado Housing Connects received 35,246 inquiries from 59 of Colorado’s 64 counties.

“When COVID hit, our Colorado Housing Connects helpline felt the impact immediately. Our phones started ringing with renters and homeowners cast into economic hardship overnight as their employment situation, family demands and wellbeing shifted dramatically,” said Colorado Housing Connects Program Director Patrick Noonan. “Since then, our team has worked tirelessly to step up for Coloradans with their back against the wall. They’ve helped our clients navigate incredible crises and done so with patience, compassion and resolve.”

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Colorado Housing Connects’ “housing navigators” work to prevent evictions by connecting renters to resources that are local to them like financial assistance, legal assistance for Coloradans facing eviction, tenant-landlord mediation services, and more. Throughout the pandemic, Colorado Housing Connects has hosted eviction prevention webinars in partnership with Colorado Legal Services — a nonprofit organization that provides free legal services to low-income Coloradans. The webinars cover information about the eviction process in Colorado, practices for avoiding eviction and resources that help with eviction.

Colorado Housing Connects also offers foreclosure prevention services by connecting homeowners to government certified housing counselors that help Coloradans access legal referrals, financial assistance, housing counseling services, and other resources.

As a HUD-approved housing counseling agency, Colorado Housing Connects offers homebuyer and post-purchasing counseling, free workshops like its homebuyer education courses, education on renter rights and responsibilities, and more. Last year, Colorado Housing Connects provided housing counseling services to 2,065 Coloradans.

In 2020, the Colorado Department of Local Affairs selected Colorado Housing Connects as its partner to lead and launch the Housing Counseling Assistance Program.

The program is funded by the Colorado Department of Local Affairs and involves Colorado Housing Connects collaborating with more than 12 housing counseling and legal service agencies across Colorado to offer comprehensive housing counseling, navigation and eviction/foreclosure prevention services and other resources that help Coloradans remain housed. In May, Colorado’s Housing Board approved additional funding in Housing Development Grant funds to continue to fund the Housing Counseling Assistance Program through the end of 2022.

Colorado Housing Connects works to reach underserved communities facing housing instability through its intentional marketing, outreach and service delivery model. Bilingual staff and interpretation services help ensure Coloradans have access to navigation, counseling and workshops — regardless of English language proficiency.

“The Eagle Award is a great honor and a testament to the hard work of our housing navigators and counselors. We also owe many thanks to all of our partners who’ve supported this effort along the way,” said Noonan.

As the cost of housing continues to rise throughout Colorado, Colorado Housing Connects (1-844-926-6632) is seeing an influx of inquiries regarding affordable housing.

Since October, more than 3,000 Coloradans have submitted a web inquiry to the housing helpline looking for affordable housing services. Colorado Housing Connects works to help Coloradans find affordable housing by informing residents about their options, connecting people to resources and by regularly hosting affordable housing workshops in Adams County.

Affordable housing is the second biggest concern for people reaching out to Colorado Housing Connects for housing help, trailing only inquiries from Coloradans facing eviction.

Reason for contacting Colorado Housing Connects about affordable housing	Total number
I am staying with someone else, and I need a new place to live.	909
I'm currently homeless.	787
My landlord is selling or is not renewing my lease.	357
My rent is too high and I need something cheaper.	607
Other	362
Grand Total (since Oct. 2021)	3,022

According to the Colorado Association of Realtors, monthly housing costs on one-bedroom apartments, condos/townhomes and single-family homes have nearly doubled in the Denver metro area since 2015. The average cost of an apartment in Denver is $1,879 per month while monthly payments for a condo or townhome cost around $2,470. The average cost for a single-family home is $4,003 a month.

Brothers Redevelopment, the nonprofit that operates Colorado Housing Connects, owns/operates 19 affordable living communities throughout the state.

To learn more about Colorado Housing Connects’ free Adams County Affordable Housing Workshops, visit https://coloradohousingconnects.org/upcoming-events/.

“We’ve known for some time that affordable housing in Colorado is hard to find and even harder to obtain. What people sometimes overlook are the tips to navigate the resources that are out there and the outside of the box solutions available to them,” said Colorado Housing Connects Program Director Patrick Noonan. “If you feel squeezed by the rent or worry about maintaining your housing in the long run, it is critical that you reach out sooner rather than later to develop a short term and long-term housing plan.”

Colorado’s sole statewide housing helpline — Colorado Housing Connects (1-844-926-6632) — reported its highest number of inquiries during the week of March 7 in more than a year.

During the week of March 7, Colorado Housing Connects received 1,159 calls and web-based inquires. The 1,159 inquires is the most Colorado Housing Connects has reported since Feb. 5, 2021, when it received 1,179 inquires over a one-week span.

Colorado Housing Connects specializes in preventing evictions by connecting Coloradans to local rental assistance resources, wherever they live, thereby encouraging long-term sustainable solutions. Among the resources the housing helpline can connect renters to include legal assistance, financial assistance and more.

Eviction filings have been on the rise since May 2021. In February, 3,175 eviction cases were filed throughout Colorado, according to data from the state and the City of Denver.

“It’s chilling to think that our call volume has been surging. In many ways, it feels like we’ve been turning a corner on the pandemic — but the families we hear from and the number of people experiencing an eviction filing each month suggest otherwise,” said Colorado Housing Connects Program Director Patrick Noonan. “The concerning part of this trend is that there are still millions of dollars out there to keep families housed and to make landlords whole. We need to work together to tamp down the threat of increasing housing instability and homelessness.”

Brothers Redevelopment, the housing nonprofit organization that operates Colorado Housing Connects, administers funds for a variety of rental assistance programs including Denver’s Temporary Rental and Utility Assistance Program, and the statewide Emergency Rental Assistance Program.

Renters facing eviction are encouraged to contact Colorado Housing Connects, pay as much as they can toward their rent, proactively communicate with their landlord and apply for rental assistance.

Inquires can be submitted to the housing helpline by visiting coloradohousingconnects.org or by calling 1-844-926-6632.

As the Omicron coronavirus variant continues to rage throughout the country — affecting some resident’s livelihoods — Coloradans in crisis are once again turning to nonprofit Brothers Redevelopment’s housing helpline, Colorado Housing Connects (1-844-926-6632), for support.

During the week of Jan. 10, Colorado Housing Connects reported 998 calls and website inquires. That is the highest number of inquiries the housing helpline has reported since August 2021 when the federal eviction moratorium was lifted.

State data shows that landlords filed 2,634 eviction cases in December. Colorado Housing Connects Program Director Patrick Noonan said it feels like the eviction landscape for renters is entering a new phase.

“Over the last few months, COVID-19 transmission rates have spiked while the eviction moratorium and some safety net programs ended. Hearing from more renters facing the prospect of eviction, it is crucial to reach out for help immediately so tenants keep a roof over their head, especially given the threat of Omicron and cold winter months,” said Noonan.

Colorado Housing Connects has proven to be a reliable resource throughout the pandemic as more than 74,000 inquiries have been submitted to the housing helpline since March 2020. The housing helpline assists landlords, renters and homeowners by connecting residents to local resources like rental/mortgage assistance, legal assistance, HUD-approved housing counselors and more.

Residents who are behind on rent are encouraged to contact Colorado Housing Connects, apply for rental assistance, pay as much as they can toward their rent and to communicate with their landlord.

Denver County residents seeking rental assistance through the City of Denver’s Temporary Rental and Utility Assistance Program should call Colorado Housing Connects to speak to a housing navigator to determine their eligibility and start the process. Those who live outside of Denver County can apply for the Colorado Emergency Rental Assistance Program at https://cdola.colorado.gov/rental-mortgage-assistance.

In 2021 — a year in which Brothers Redevelopment turned 50 years old — we went above and beyond to compassionately address Colorado’s housing needs.

Brothers Redevelopment saw its programs impact hundreds of low-income and disabled seniors, provided millions of dollars in rental/mortgage assistance, answered Colorado’s most pressing housing questions and connected Coloradans to local housing resources — all while building and developing affordable housing for at risk residents.

Take a trip down memory lane and relive some of our best stories from 2021.

Paint-A-Thon transforms 90-plus houses

Brothers Redevelopment’s signature Paint-A-Thon Program roared back in 2021 by completing 95 projects across the metro area and in Colorado Springs.

The Paint-A-Thon saves elderly and disabled residents up to $5,000 per household — money that can be used for important costs like medication and bills.

It’s always amazing to see how Paint-A-Thon volunteers transform houses that are in need of a makeover. It’s even more amazing to see a client’s reaction when they see their updated house for the first time.

Over the summer, 93-year-old Barbara Rodriguez’s reaction to seeing her freshly painted house was caught on camera. Read her story and check out the video here.

Home Modification and Repair Program proves to be handy

It’s no secret that cost of housing can leave residents with the possibility of having to leave their home. But often times, we hear from some disabled clients that they’re faced with having to move if they can’t conduct crucial home repairs and modifications. That’s where our Home Modification and Repair Program comes in.

Brothers Redevelopment’s Home Modification and Repair Program served more than 460 households in the metro area and in Colorado Springs this year. The program also received support from local governments like the City of Westminster who provided additional funding for it back in July.

In 2021, the program impacted people like Commerce City resident Arthur Saiz — a United States Army Veteran who received services from Brothers Redevelopment. Read about it here.

Brothers Redevelopment helps hundreds of households with rent

This year, Brothers Redevelopment administered funds for a variety of rental and mortgage assistance services — including the state’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program.

Through the program, Brothers Redevelopment assisted 281 households across the state with finances for rent. This year, the City of Denver also continued to trust in us by electing to award Brothers Redevelopment an additional $3 million to distribute through the city’s Temporary Rental and Utility Assistance Program.

Check out what one of our clients had to say about the impact rental assistance had on her.

Coloradans turn to Colorado Housing Connects as federal eviction moratorium ends

In August, the Supreme Court rejected the Biden administration’s moratorium on evictions, leaving thousands of Coloradans vulnerable to the possibility of losing their home. Thankfully, residents in all parts of Colorado could turn to Colorado Housing Connects (1-844-926-6632) for help.

Shortly after the end of the federal eviction moratorium, Colorado Housing Connects saw a 55% increase in inquiries. Residents like Jessica Hopf avoided eviction, thanks to the work of the housing helpline’s housing navigators. Without Colorado Housing Connects, Hopf said she would’ve lost her home.

NextFifty Initiative entrusts in Brothers Redevelopment to serve Spanish speaking seniors

At the beginning of the year, Brothers Redevelopment added bilingual staff to our Aging in Place senior services program, ensuring that more Spanish-speaking seniors across the state could get access to crucial resources like Social Security, food assistance, health care, transportation and other federal and state benefits.

The program proved to be successful by serving 269 Spanish speaking seniors in 2021, resulting in $450,563.51 in cost savings for our clients. NextFifty Initiative awarded the program a grant toward the end of this year, lending to Brothers Redevelopment’s ability to help Spanish-speaking seniors get connected to resources that can help them avoid challenges that arise with aging. Read more here.

Housing, housing…. and more housing

Brothers Redevelopment continued to fulfill its mission of developing and preserving sustainable affordable housing in 2021.

In May, Brothers Redevelopment, on behalf of the Globeville Elyria-Swansea Affordable Housing Collaborative, worked with local developer Adam Berger to set a modular duplex at 4401 Milwaukee St. The homes were designed for Globeville and Elyria-Swansea families who are facing displacement and placed into the GES Tierra Colectiva — a community owned land trust that will preserve affordability for generations to come. Brothers Redevelopment also recently broke ground on a five-unit affordable housing community at 4401 Josephine St. Those homes will also be sold to Globeville and Elyria-Swansea families who are facing displacement and will be placed into the land trust.

Finally, Brothers Redevelopment and community members gathered in the fall to celebrate the groundbreaking of Valor on the Fax — a new affordable living community that will assist individuals who face housing insecurity due to an acquired brain injury or related disability.

For Valor on the Fax, Brothers Redevelopment is teaming up with the Brain Injury Alliance of Colorado who will offer support, counseling and resources to tenants at the community. Our staff will also be on site to provide our housing services to the community’s residents. Valor on the Fax will be located at 7900 E. Colfax and is expected to be completed sometime in 2022. Read this news article about Valor on the Fax.

Over our 50-year history, we’ve seen first-hand how lives can be changed when vulnerable Coloradans have a helping hand.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, housing challenges were an issue that plagued many residents. The region’s housing issues have become even more evident this past year and a half.

We’re doing our part to help people keep their housing by providing local and statewide rental/mortgage assistance, helping disabled and low-income residents with services like our Paint-A-Thon and Home Modification and Repair Programs, answering all housing questions through our statewide housing helpline Colorado Housing Connects (1-844-926-6632), providing and developing affordable housing, and much more.

Our work doesn’t stop there though. Our Aging in Place senior services program makes a difference on thousands of older adults each year by connecting them to resources that help them age comfortably. And our housing counselors are helping Coloradans take their first steps toward purchasing their first homes through our first-time homebuyer classes.

Colorado Gives Day is coming up on Tuesday, Dec. 7. The date is important for many nonprofits like ours because it provides the opportunity for us to raise funds to continue to support Coloradans through our many different programs. We hope we can count on your donation this Dec. 7. Donations can be scheduled here.

Each year, Brothers Redevelopment makes a difference on thousands of people across the state. Don’t just take it from us though. Here are some things some of our clients had to say about the impact we had on them.

Brothers Redevelopment client testimonies

“The last time my house was painted was in the middle of the 1980’s. The change is really phenomenal. The volunteers pulled weeds and cleaned up my whole yard. They were really incredible. It was wonderful, thank you so much Brothers.” – Sherry Collins, Paint-A-Thon client.

“It was a time in my life when I sincerely needed help. Brothers was there. I’m thankful that there is an opportunity for people like me to feel secure in that you can keep on living in your own space.” Patricia Whitedove, Home Modification and Repair client.

“I know there’s a lot of people having a hard time with (paying for housing) right now, and if they can get to an agency like Brothers, that would be the greatest thing. They’ve been really great working with me.” – Allan Bullington, Colorado Housing Connects client.

“Brothers has always been a positive source. In my situation, I’ve struggled. They’re always telling me I’ll come out of this. They’ve helped me build my own faith in myself to just know that I’m a tough cookie, and I can get through this.” – Marlene Beeler, Aging in Place client.

“You don’t notice things when you’ve lived with them for so long. In two days, Brothers Redevelopment transformed our house with the bright yellow paint with bad trim to a nice-looking house that made an impression on us. It’s something we couldn’t have afforded to do. This is an important step to getting our house back in order. The people that came out here were really friendly, did a nice job and worked well as a team. It was certainly a blessing.” – Allan Elliot, Paint-A-Thon client.

“Without the (Home Modification and Repair Program), I would have had to move. And it would have been a very traumatic move for me.” – Beverly Kinard, Home Modification and Repair Program client.

“Colorado Housing Connects is really on top of things, and they can get you the resources you need. I hope this gets out to somebody who needs help. There are so many people that are really suffering right now, and if they use Colorado Housing Connects — their staff is just so caring and giving.” – Jessica Hopf, Colorado Housing Connects client.

“I called Brothers, and it just worked out perfectly. Brothers took all of my fear away. I had felt that I was caught between a rock and a hard place before calling Brothers. They were able to give me the resources, make me aware of them and assist me in securing what resources are available.” – Linn Argabrite, Aging in Place client.

The phonelines are ringing at Colorado Housing Connects (1-844-926-6632) in light of the end of the federal eviction moratorium.

Since the Supreme Court rejected the Biden administration’s moratorium on evictions last Thursday, Colorado Housing Connects has seen a 55% increase in inquiries. On Monday, the housing helpline received 241 inquiries alone.

That number marks the most inquiries Colorado Housing Connects has seen since March 17, 2020 — a day after Gov. Jared Polis ordered Colorado bars and restaurants to close. That day, 229 inquiries were submitted to the housing helpline.

“So much has changed since March 2020, but the severity of the need hasn’t receded. The demand for housing answers is as urgent today as it has been since COVID-19 first hit,” said Colorado Housing Connects Manager Patrick Noonan.

Colorado Housing Connects has been an important asset for Coloradans throughout the pandemic as more than 59,452 inquiries for housing help have been submitted to the housing helpline. It assists landlords, renters and homeowners by connecting residents to local resources like rental/mortgage assistance, legal assistance, HUD-approved housing counselors and more.

During the COVID-19 crisis, Brothers Redevelopment has also been working tirelessly to administer funds for multiple rental assistance programs.

At an Aug. 30 Denver City Council meeting, Council elected to award Brothers an additional $3 million to distribute through the city’s Temporary Rental and Utility Assistance Program — a financial resource available to Denverites. Brothers also administers funds for the statewide Emergency Rental Assistance Program.

Tenants who are behind on rent are encouraged to contact Colorado Housing Connects, apply for rental assistance, pay as much as they can toward their rent and to proactively communicate with their landlord.

Emergency rental assistance is ending. But Brothers Redevelopment’s services aren’t going anywhere

Rental Assistance

Colorado Housing Connects

Tenant-landlord Mediation Services