Communities Against Poverty, December 12, 2024. Featuring Dr. Virginia Eubanks, award-winning author of Automating Inequality

Communities Against Poverty 2024 / Comunidades Contra la Pobreza 2024

About the event

Join us for our annual Communities Against Poverty event on Thursday, December 12th from 11am to 1pm at History Colorado Center! You will hear from our keynote speaker Dr. Virginia Eubanks, award-winning author of Automating Inequality, Dr. Virginia Eubanks.

We will also present this year’s Champions for Economic Justice and Equity awards to the stand-out community organizers, partner organizations, legislators, and individuals who made a difference in the lives of Coloradans over the past year.

A buffet lunch will be provided throughout this event.

This event is a price ticketed event. If cost is a barrier, but you would still like to attend, please contact Bruce Barnum, by phone at (303) 573-5669, ext. 312, or by email at bbarnum@copolicy.org.

En español abajo.

Premier Presenting Sponsor

Colorado Access

Keynote by Virginia Eubanks

Virigina EubanksVirginia Eubanks is a longform investigative reporter, essayist, memoirist, and Associate Professor of Political Science at the University at Albany, SUNY. She is the author of Automating Inequality: How High-Tech Tools Profile, Police, and Punish the Poor; Digital Dead End: Fighting for Social Justice in the Information Age; and co-editor, with Alethia Jones, of Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around: Forty Years of Movement Building with Barbara Smith.

Her investigative reporting and personal essays have appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Scientific American, The Nation, Harper’s, and Wired. She is currently working on a memoir about community violence, PTSD, and caregiving. With Andrea Quijada, she is gathering oral histories of the global automated welfare state for Voice of Witness. She has been a fellow or resident at MacDowell, Edward Albee, New America, Carey Institute for Global Good, and Blue Mountain Center. She lives in Troy, NY.

Communities Against Poverty 2024 Sponsorships

Each year, CCLP hosts Communities Against Poverty to recognize the incredible work of the individuals and organizations in the field of anti-poverty work across our state. If you or your organization is interested in sponsoring this annual event, please review the sponsorship levels in the packet linked below and register for your sponsorship today!

Champions for Economic Justice and Equity award winnners

Partner Organization of the Year:

Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition

CCDC staff in black and white photo

Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition was founded in 1990 following the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act to ensure that Coloradans with disabilities were duly protected by the new federal law and living better lives because of the protections they had been granted via the ADA.

In the earliest days of CCDC, an all-volunteer staff focused on educating the community about the ADA, how the law was intended to function, and potential actions Coloradans could take if they believed their rights had been violated under the ADA. To this day, the ADA remains central to CCDC’s work; the organization houses its own unique, successful civil rights legal program that specializes in the ADA, and continues to provide educational training on the ADA. Today, however, CCDC’s work extends well beyond the ADA to many other areas of legislation and policy that shape the lives of Coloradans with disabilities, including healthcare (with a focus on Medicaid), accessible housing and transportation, and equitable employment.

CCDC’s statewide initiatives have saved Colorado taxpayers millions of dollars while benefiting 500,000+ disabled residents and their families. CCDC continues to be an organization of people with disabilities, working for people with disabilities. With an unwavering commitment to uniting people with all types of disabilities across Colorado, CCDC uses its collective voice to advocate for civil and human rights for people with disabilities. CCDC has championed disability power for decades, and will continue to do so in the years ahead.

Legislator of the Year:

Representative Elizabeth Velasco

Representative Elizabeth Velasco in a pink and orange blazer in front of the Capitol steps

Representative Elizabeth Velasco represents House District 57 in western Colorado. She is the first Latina to represent the western slope and the first Mexican-born immigrant in the state legislature.

Representative Velasco grew up in the Vail Valley working in the service industry to pay for her education and support her family.  She understands first-hand the struggles and dynamics of the rural resort working class. Before getting elected, she ran an interpretation and translation agency for almost ten years and became a wildland firefighter and public information officer.

The lack of action from previous representatives to solve the ongoing challenges in her community led her to run for office. In her first term, she passed groundbreaking legislation to protect residents of mobile home parks, expand language access in emergency response, improve wildfire resiliency in the state, and hold big polluters accountable.

She currently co-chairs the Colorado Democratic Latino Caucus and the Wildfire Matters interim committee. Representative Velasco is a strong voice for supporting working families, protecting natural resources, and adapting to a changing climate in western Colorado.

Government Partner of the Year:

Rebecca Balu

Rebecca Balu in front of the Colorado Capitol building

Rebecca Balu has worked in Colorado’s workforce development system for over 12 years. Since she began her career in helping individuals gain skills and secure employment through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, she has held leadership roles in county and state government agencies, managing multiple workforce development programs that support individuals overcome challenges to finding and keeping employment.

Since 2018, Rebecca has served as the Administrator of Strategic Partnerships for the Division of Economic and Workforce Support at the Colorado Department of Human Services, working with a dedicated team to oversee statewide workforce development programs that help public assistance recipients gain skills and access employment. Rebecca and her team have broadened the scope and reach of workforce development programs across Colorado.

Community Advocate of the Year:

Cruz Ramirez

Cruz Ramirez with a window providing light behind her

Cruz Ramirez serves as the Child Care Coalition Facilitator at Lake County Build a Generation. She works directly with Lake County community members to create projects, share ideas and build connections in efforts to create a strong system of early care and education that supports the overall social and economic health and wellbeing of Lake County. Formerly, Cruz was the Community Organizer at Lake County Build a Generation. As Community Organizer, she worked with residents living in mobile homes to provide direct assistance to those having issues with their landlords and worked to ensure mobile home communities are healthy, equitable, and safe for all.

Communidades contra la Pobreza, 12-12-2024. Presentando a la Dra. Virginia Eubanks, autora galardonada de "La automatización de la desigualdad"

Comunidades Contra la Pobreza 2024

Sobre el evento

¡Únase a nosotros para nuestro evento anual Comunidades Contra la Pobreza el jueves 12 de diciembre de 11am a 1pm en el Centro de Historia de Colorado! Escuchará a nuestra oradora principal la Dra. Virginia Eubanks, la autora galardonada de “La automatización de la desigualdad: Herramientas de tecnología avanzada para supervisar y castigar a los pobres.

También presentaremos los premios Campeones por la Justicia Económica y la Equidad de este año a los destacados organizadores comunitarios, organizaciones asociadas, legisladores e individuos que marcaron la diferencia en las vidas de los habitantes de Colorado durante el último año.

Durante todo el evento se ofrecerá un almuerzo buffet.

Este evento tiene un costo de entrada. Si el costo es una barrera, pero aún desea asistir, comuníquese con Bruce Barnum por teléfono al (303) 573-5669, ext. 312, o por correo electrónico a bbarnum@copolicy.org.

Patrocinador principal presentador

Colorado Access

Keynote by Virginia Eubanks

Virigina EubanksVirginia Eubanks es una reportera de investigación de formato largo, ensayista, memorialista y Profesora Asociada de Ciencias Políticas en la Universidad de Albany, SUNY. Es autora de “La automatización de la desigualdad: Herramientas de tecnología avanzada para supervisar y castigar a los pobres“; “Callejón sin Salida Digital: Luchando por la Justicia Social en la Era de la Información”; y coeditora, junto con Alethia Jones, de “No Voy a Dejar que Nadie Me Haga Retroceder: Cuarenta Años de Construcción de Movimiento con Barbara Smith”.

Sus reportajes de investigación y ensayos personales han aparecido en The New York Times Magazine, Scientific American, The Nation, Harper’s y Wired. Actualmente está trabajando en una memoria sobre la violencia comunitaria, el TEPT y el cuidado de personas. Junto con Andrea Quijada, está recopilando historias orales sobre el estado de bienestar automatizado global para Voice of Witness. Ha sido becaria o residente en MacDowell, Edward Albee, New America, Carey Institute for Global Good y Blue Mountain Center. Vive en Troy, NY.

Patrocinios para Comunidades Contra la Pobreza 2024

Cada año, Colorado Center on Law and Policy organiza un evento de celebración para reconocer el increíble trabajo de las personas y organizaciones en el campo de la lucha contra la pobreza en todo nuestro estado. Este evento incluye un discurso principal de un líder de pensamiento reconocido a nivel nacional, así como la ceremonia anual de entrega de los Premios Campeones de la Justicia Económica y la Equidad. ¡Si usted o su organización está interesado en patrocinar este evento anual, por favor revise los niveles de patrocinio en el paquete enlazado a continuación y regístrate para tu patrocinio hoy!

Ganadores del Premio Campeones por la Justicia y Equidad Económica

Organización Asociada del Año:

Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition

CCDC staff in black and white photo

La Coalición de Colorado para la Discapacidad Transversal (Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition) fue fundada en 1990 tras la firma de la Ley para Estadounidenses con Discapacidades (ADA) para garantizar que los habitantes de Colorado con discapacidades estuvieran debidamente protegidos por la nueva ley federal y vivieran mejores vidas gracias a las protecciones que se les habían otorgado a través de la ADA.

En los primeros días de CCDC, un personal compuesto enteramente por voluntarios se centró en educar a la comunidad sobre la ADA, cómo se pretendía que funcionara la ley y las posibles acciones que los habitantes de Colorado podían tomar si creían que sus derechos habían sido violados bajo la ADA. Hasta el día de hoy, la ADA sigue siendo fundamental para el trabajo de CCDC; la organización alberga su propio programa legal único y exitoso de derechos civiles que se especializa en la ADA, y continúa brindando capacitación educativa sobre la ADA. Sin embargo, hoy en día, el trabajo de CCDC se extiende mucho más allá de la ADA hacia muchas otras áreas de legislación y política que dan forma a las vidas de los habitantes de Colorado con discapacidades, incluyendo la atención médica (con un enfoque en Medicaid), vivienda y transporte accesibles, y empleo equitativo.

Las iniciativas estatales de CCDC han ahorrado millones de dólares a los contribuyentes de Colorado mientras benefician a más de 500,000 residentes discapacitados y sus familias. CCDC continúa siendo una organización de personas con discapacidades, trabajando para personas con discapacidades. Con un compromiso inquebrantable de unir a personas con todo tipo de discapacidades en Colorado, CCDC usa su voz colectiva para abogar por los derechos civiles y humanos de las personas con discapacidades. CCDC ha defendido el poder de la discapacidad durante décadas y continuará haciéndolo en los años venideros.

Legisladora del Año:

Representante Elizabeth Velasco

Representative Elizabeth Velasco in a pink and orange blazer in front of the Capitol steps

La Representante Elizabeth Velasco representa el Distrito 57 de la Cámara de Representantes en el oeste de Colorado. Es la primera latina en representar la vertiente occidental y la primera inmigrante mexicana nacida en el extranjero en la legislatura estatal.

La Representante Velasco creció en el Valle de Vail trabajando en la industria de servicios para pagar su educación y mantener a su familia. Conoce de primera mano las luchas y la dinámica de la clase trabajadora rural de los centros turísticos. Antes de ser electa, dirigió una agencia de interpretación y traducción durante casi diez años y se convirtió en bombero forestal y oficial de información pública.

La falta de acción de los representantes anteriores para resolver los desafíos continuos en su comunidad la llevó a postularse para un cargo público. En su primer mandato, aprobó legislación pionera para proteger a los residentes de parques de casas móviles, expandir el acceso a idiomas en respuesta a emergencias, mejorar la resiliencia contra incendios forestales en el estado y responsabilizar a los grandes contaminadores.

Actualmente, co-preside el Caucus Latino Demócrata de Colorado y el comité interino de Asuntos de Incendios Forestales. La Representante Velasco es una voz fuerte para apoyar a las familias trabajadoras, proteger los recursos naturales y adaptarse al cambio climático en el oeste de Colorado.

Socia Gubernamental del Año:

Rebecca Balu

Rebecca Balu in front of the Colorado Capitol building

Rebecca Balu ha trabajado en el sistema de desarrollo de la fuerza laboral de Colorado durante más de 12 años. Desde que inició su carrera ayudando a las personas a adquirir habilidades y asegurar empleo a través de la Ley de Innovación y Oportunidad Laboral, ha ocupado roles de liderazgo en agencias gubernamentales de condado y estado, gestionando múltiples programas de desarrollo de la fuerza laboral que ayudan a las personas a superar desafíos para encontrar y mantener el empleo.

Desde 2018, Balu se desempeña como Administradora de Alianzas Estratégicas para la División de Apoyo Económico y de Fuerza Laboral en el Departamento de Servicios Humanos de Colorado, trabajando con un equipo dedicado para supervisar programas estatales de desarrollo de la fuerza laboral que ayudan a los beneficiarios de asistencia pública a adquirir habilidades y acceder al empleo. Balu y su equipo han ampliado el alcance y el ámbito de los programas de desarrollo de la fuerza laboral en todo Colorado.

Defensora Comunitaria del Año:

Cruz Ramirez

Cruz Ramirez with a window providing light behind her

Cruz Ramirez se desempeña como Facilitadora de la Coalición de Cuidado Infantil en Lake County Build a Generation. Ella trabaja directamente con miembros de la comunidad del Condado de Lake para crear proyectos, compartir ideas y construir conexiones en esfuerzos para crear un sistema sólido de cuidado y educación temprana que apoye la salud y el bienestar social y económico general del Condado de Lake. Anteriormente, Cruz fue Organizadora Comunitaria en Lake County Build a Generation. Como Organizadora Comunitaria, trabajó con residentes que viven en casas móviles para brindar asistencia directa a aquellos que tenían problemas con sus arrendadores y trabajó para asegurar que las comunidades de casas móviles sean saludables, equitativas y seguras para todos.

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HEALTH:
HEALTH FIRST COLORADO (MEDICAID)

Health First Colorado is the name given to Colorado’s Medicaid program. Medicaid provides public, low-cost health insurance to qualifying adults and children. It is an entitlement program funded by the federal, state, and county governments and is administered by counties in Colorado. Those who are required to pay must pay a small co-pay when receiving certain health care services.

State Department: Department of Health Care Policy and Financing

Eligibility: Most adults 18 to 64 are eligible for Medicaid in Colorado if their household income is at or below 133% of the federal poverty limit (FPL). Pregnant women are eligible with incomes of up to 195% FPL, while children under 18 may be eligible if the live in a household with income at or below 142% FPL. Some adults over 65 may also be eligible for Medicaid.

Program Benefits: Through Medicaid, low-income Coloradans are eligible for a range of health care services at little to not cost. Services provided include doctors visits, prescription drugs, mental health services, and dental care. Co-pays for certain individuals may be needed for certain services.

Program Funding and Access: Colorado funds our Medicaid program through state and federal dollars. Medicaid is an entitlement program, which means that all who are eligible for Medicaid can access the program, regardless of the funding level in a given year. This does not mean that it is always easy to access Medicaid, even when eligible. And since the program is administered by counties, funding levels for county staff and other administrative roles can make it easier or harder for Coloradans to access the program. On top of this, not all medical providers accept Medicaid which limits the ability of Coloradans to seek health services even if enrolled, such as if the nearest provider is a 2+ hour drive away.

Note: This data is from before the pandemic and does not reflect changes in enrollment rules during the COVID-19 pandemic and public health emergency.

Statewide Program Access 2015-19: Over the study period of this report, an average of 89.0% of the population at or below 133% of FPL (i.e., the population who is likely to be eligible for Medicaid) were enrolled in Medicaid in Colorado.

FOOD SECURITY:
SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (SNAP)

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP helps low-income Coloradans purchase food by providing individuals and families with a monthly cash benefit that can be used to buy certain foods. SNAP is an entitlement program that is funded by the federal and state governments and administered by counties in Colorado.

State Department: Department of Human Services

Eligibility: Currently, Coloradans qualify for SNAP if they have incomes below 200% FPL, are unemployed or work part-time or receive other forms of assistance such as TANF, among other eligibility criteria. Income eligibility for SNAP was different during the study period of this report than today—it was 130% FPL back in 2019 for example. The US Department of Agriculture uses the population at or below 125% FPL when calculating the Program Access Index (or PAI) for SNAP. We follow this practice in our analysis despite Colorado currently having a higher income eligibility threshold.

Program Benefits: SNAP participants receive a monthly SNAP benefit that is determined by the number of people in their household and their income. Benefit amounts decrease as income increases, helping households avoid a sudden loss of SNAP when their incomes increase, even by a minor amount. Benefits are provided to an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card that can be used to purchase eligible food items, such as fruits and vegetables; meat, poultry, and fish; dairy products; and breads and cereals. Other items, such as foods that are hot at their point of sale, are not allowable purchases under current SNAP rules.

Program Funding and Access: SNAP, like Medicaid, is a federal entitlement program. This means that Colorado must serve any Coloradan who is eligible for the program. As such, funding should not be a limit to how many Coloradans can be served by the program. However, funding for administration of SNAP at the state and county level can limit the ability of county human service departments to enroll those who are eligible. Other program rules and administrative barriers can make it difficult for Coloradans to receive the benefits they are legally entitled to receive.

Statewide Program Access 2015-19: Over the study period of this report, an average of 61.1% of the population at or below 125% of FPL (i.e., the population who is likely to be eligible for SNAP) were enrolled.

FOOD SECURITY:
SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION PROGRAM FOR WOMEN, INFANTS AND CHILDREN (WIC)

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, also know as WIC, provides healthcare and nutritional support to low-income Coloradans who are pregnant, recently pregnant, breastfeeding, and to children under 5 who are nutritionally at risk based on a nutrition assessment.

State Department: Department of Public Health and Environment

Eligibility: To participate in WIC you must be pregnant, pregnant in the last six months, breastfeeding a baby under 1 year of age, or a child under the age of 5. Coloradans do not need to be U.S. citizens to be eligible for WIC. In terms of income, households cannot have incomes that exceed 185% FPL. Families who are enrolled in SNAP, TANF, Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR), or Medicaid are automatically eligible for WIC. Regardless of gender, any parents, foster parents, or caregivers are able to apply for and use WIC services for eligible children.

Program Benefits: WIC provides a range of services to young children and their parents. These include funds to purchase healthy, fresh foods; breastfeeding support; personalized nutrition education and shopping tips; and referrals to health care and other services participants may be eligible for.

Program Funding and Access: WIC is funded by the US Department of Agriculture. The state uses these federal funds to contract with local providers, known as WIC Clinics. In most cases, these are county public health agencies, but that is not the case in all Colorado counties. Some WIC Clinics cover multiple counties, while others are served by multiple clinics. Private non-profit providers are also eligible to be selected as a WIC Clinic.

Statewide Program Access 2015-17: Between 2015 and 2017, an average of 52.2% of the population eligible for WIC were enrolled in the program in Colorado.

Financial Security:
Colorado Works

Colorado Works is the name given to Colorado’s program for Temporary Assistance to Needy Families or TANF. It is an employment program that supports families with dependent children on their path to self-sufficiency. Participants can receive cash assistance, schooling, workforce development and skills training depending on the services available in their county.

State Department: Department of Human Services

Eligibility: In general, Coloradans are eligible to enroll in TANF if they are a resident of Colorado, have one or more children under the age of 18 or pregnant, and have very low or no income. For example, to be eligible to receive a basic cash assistance grant through TANF, a single-parent of one child could not earn more than $331 per month, with some exclusions—and would only receive $440 per month (as of 2022). That said, there are other services provided by counties through TANF that those with incomes as high as $75,000 may be eligible for. In addition to these, participants in TANF are required to work or be pursuing an eligible “work activity” or work-related activity. Any eligible individual can only receive assistance if they have not previously been enrolled in TANF for a cumulative amount of time of more than 60 months—this is a lifetime limit that does not reset. Counties may have additional requirements and offer benefits that are not available in other counties in Colorado.

Program Benefits:  While the exact benefits that one is eligible for under TANF can vary, all qualified participants are eligible to receive a monthly cash payment, call basic cash assistance. Other than cash assistance, counties are have a lot of choice in how to use their TANF funding; generally a use of TANF funds is appropriate so long as it advances one or more of the four purposes of the program: (1) provide assistance to needy families so that children can be cared for in their own homes or in the homes of their relatives; (2) end the dependence of needy families on government benefits by promoting job preparation, work, and marriage; (3) prevent and reduce the incidence of out-of-wedlock pregnancies; and (4) encourage the formation and maintenance of two-parent families.

It is important to note that those eligible for TANF are also eligible for many of the other programs we’ve included in this report, such as SNAP, Medicaid, and CCCAP.

Program Funding and Access: Colorado funds its TANF program through funds received from the federal government through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families block grant. Most of the federal funds are allocated by the state to counties, which are required to provide a 20% match of state funding. Federal and state rules allow the state and counties to retain a portion of unspent funds in a TANF reserve.

Statewide Program Access 2015-19: Over the study period of this report, an average of 50.7% of the population at or below 100% of FPL (i.e., the population who is likely to be eligible for TANF) were enrolled in TANF in Colorado.

EARLY LEARNING:
COLORADO CHILD CARE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (CCCAP)

The Colorado Child Care Assistance Program provides child care assistance to low-income families and caregivers living in Colorado in the form of reduced payments for child care. It is a program funded by the federal, state, and county governments and is administered by counties in Colorado. The share owed by parents/caregivers is determined on a sliding scale based on the family’s income.

State Department: Department of Early Childhood Education

Eligibility: Counties set eligibility for families separately, but must serve families with incomes at or below 185% of the Federal Poverty Limit. Families accepted to the program are no longer eligible once their income exceeds 85% of the state median income. Parents or caregivers must be employed, searching for work, or engaged in another approved activity to be eligible for CCCAP. Parents and caregivers enrolled in Colorado Works (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families or TANF) or in the child welfare system are also eligible to participate in CCCAP. Generally, CCCAP serves families with children under 13, although children as old as 19 may be eligible under certain circumstances.

Program Benefits: If a family is eligible for CCCAP and has income, they may likely have to pay a portion of their child’s or children’s child care costs each month. The amount that families owe is based on their gross income, number of household members, and the number of children in child care in the household. As such, households tend not to experience a benefit cliff with CCCAP when they see their incomes increase

Program Funding and Access: Colorado funds the CCCAP program using federal dollars it receives from the Child Care and Development Block Grant program. The state allocates federal and state funds to counties using a formula that takes into account factors like current caseloads and the number of eligible residents. Assistance is available until the county’s funds are spent, so the number of families that can be served is often a function of how much funding is available and the income and composition of the household that applies. It is not uncommon for counties to overspend or underspend their allocations of funds. The state reallocates unspent funds from counties who underspent to those who overspent. While underspending could indicate a problem with the way a county administers its CCCAP program, it could just as likely be a sign that there are few providers in the county who participate in CCCAP—or a lack of providers generally.

Statewide Program Access 2015-19: Over the study period of this report, an average of 10.8% of the population at or below 165% of FPL and younger than age 13 (i.e., the population who is likely to be eligible for CCCAP) were enrolled in CCCAP.

Housing:
HUD rental assistance programs

The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has three housing assistance programs that we look at together: Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8), Project-based Section 8, and Public Housing. In Colorado, these programs provided assistance to over 90% of the households who received federal housing assistance from all HUD programs. Through federally funded, local or regional public housing agencies (PHAs) are the agencies that administer these programs, through not all are available in all counties. These are not the only programs available in Colorado that assist households afford the cost of housing, such as units funded through federal and state tax credit programs.

State Department: Department of Local Affairs

Eligibility: Generally, households with incomes under 50% of the area median income (AMI) of the county they live in are eligible for these rental assistance programs, although PHAs have discretion to select households with incomes at higher percentages of AMI. That said, HUD requires that 75% of new vouchers issued through the Housing Choice Voucher/Section 8 program in a given year are targeted to households with incomes at or below 30% of AMI. PHAs are also able to create criteria that give priority to certain types of households who are on waiting lists for these programs.

Program Benefits: These rental assistance programs help households afford the cost of housing by reducing their housing costs to around 30% of their household income. In the case of the Housing Choice Voucher program, the PHA pays the voucher holder’s landlord the remaining portion of the rent.

Program Funding and Access: Funding and access are both challenges for these rental assistance programs. In addition to limitations on the number of public housing units or housing vouchers a PHA can manage or issue, lack of funding compared to the need constrains the ability of PHAs to assist low-income households. In 2020, Coloradans were on waitlists for Housing Choice Vouchers for an average of 17 months. Waitlists also exist for the other rental assistance programs.

Statewide Program Access 2015-19: Over the study period of this report, an average of 21.1% of renter households with incomes at or below 50% AMI (i.e., the population who is likely to be eligible for HUD rental assistance programs) were living in subsidized housing.