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May 11, 2017

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An expert in policy advocacy and coalition building, Chaer has dedicated her career to helping people meet their basic needs and expanding economic opportunity. She serves on the executive committee of the All Families Deserve a Chance (AFDC) coalition. Staff page ›

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2017 Legislative Wrap-up: Family Economic Security

by | May 11, 2017

Family Economic Security

This year, CCLP’s Family Economic Security team focused its attention on proposals intended to ease common problems that low-income tenants in Colorado encounter. We successfully pushed for renewal of a child care tax credit for workers earning less than $25,000 a year. We continued efforts to give people with criminal records a chance to compete in the job market. We also worked on legislation to make private occupational schools more transparent for students hoping an investment in education and training will lead to a better-paying job. In addition, we supported our partners’ efforts to help Coloradans achieve financial security.

Here’s a brief recap of CCLP’s family economic security work during the 2017 legislative session:

Good News
Notice to Quit – With rents at an all-time high, and rising at record rates, many Colorado renters do not have the security of a lease. Long-time renters in rapidly changing neighborhoods often occupy their home under month-to-month tenancies, and are only entitled to seven days’ notice of an unaffordable jump in rent or a termination of the agreement, which requires the tenants to move on very short notice. CCLP developed Senate Bill 245, which extends that seven-day notice period for these potentially vulnerable renters to 21 days, providing more time to move, or get assistance so they do not end up homeless or in a nursing home. The legislation was approved by the House and Senate with bipartisan support and has been sent to the Governor for his signature.

Colorado Child Care Tax Credit – In 2014, CCLP championed a successful bill that created a tax credit for workers earning less than $25,000 a year who pay child care expenses but don’t qualify for the federal Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit. Since the passage of the bill, over 32,000 families per year have claimed the credit, providing a total of $4.9 million every year to help defray child care costs for low-income working parents. The bill included a “sunset” provision that ended the tax credit after the 2016 tax year. House Bill 1002 ensures that low-income parents can continue to enjoy the established tax credit for another three years.

A broad-based coalition, including Colorado Children’s Campaign, the Women’s Foundation of Colorado, Mile High United Way and others helped this bill cross the finish line. A last-minute budget glitch forced us to eliminate the tax credit for tax year 2017 if revenues for the 2016-17 fiscal year are not sufficient to fund the amount of tax credits that would accrue during the first six months of 2017. If revenues are insufficient to fund payment for tax year 2017, then the credit will extend through the 2020 tax year without interruption. We’re pleased that the bill was approved in both chambers with bipartisan support and is heading to the desk of Gov. John Hickenlooper for final approval.

Mobile home tax liens — CCLP also strongly supported HB 1354, concerning the collection of delinquent property taxes on mobile homes. In recent years, a number of mobile homeowners have been legally removed from their homes by investors who have purchased the tax liens on the homes for as little as $40. HB 1354 eliminates lthe statutory requirement that county treasurers sell the tax liens when taxes have not been paid. The measure gives county treasurers the authority to prioritize which delinquent mobile-home taxes they should collect. This much-needed authority would allow county treasurers to protect Colorado’s most-vulnerable mobile homeowners from losing their homes because of a small unpaid tax bill. HB 1354 was sent to Governor’s desk after passing through both chambers unanimously.

Housing – CCLP actively supported the Governor’s request to use $16 million in marijuana revenues for housing for people coming out of state institutions and others facing chronic homelessness. The final budget included $15.3 million of this request.

Forcible entry and detainer – With help from our community partners, CCLP was able to head off HB 1159, a proposal to allow landlords to circumvent normal eviction process.

Disappointments
Chance to Compete — HB 1305 would have provided people with an opportunity to pursue a job without having to disclose criminal history on an initial application. Unfortunately, while the bill passed out of the House, it met its demise in the Senate State, Military and Veterans Affairs (the infamous “kill committee”) on party lines, despite endorsements from faith-based groups, nonprofit organizations, business owners, Colorado Department of Corrections and The Denver Post. Though we are disappointed with the loss, the basic premise of HB 1305 — that everyone should have the opportunity to compete for a job despite their past mistakes — seems to be taking root in Colorado and nationwide. After all, giving people a chance to work is one of the surest ways to build financial security for them and their families and to reduce the probability those with criminal records will reoffend. We will continue to seek support for this commonsense idea that could make a difference in the lives of hundreds of thousands of Coloradans.

Copy of lease and rent receipt – CCLP is perplexed that HB 1312 went down on party lines in the Senate Committee on State, Veterans & Military Affairs near the end of the session. HB 1312 would have enacted a basic, common practice in the tenant-landlord relationship into law. In short, the bill would have required landlords to provide a copy of a signed lease so that tenants could understand the terms of their living arrangement. It also required landlords to provide a receipt for rent payments made by cash or money order upon request. Because it is common for low-income renters to pay rent with cash or money order, there is no record of a transaction unless a landlord provides a receipt of payment. As a result, many Colorado renters have been vulnerable to eviction or late charges because they were not able to prove that they had already paid rent – creating greater instability for those who are struggling to make ends meet. HB 1312 had no opposition.

Consumer Information about private occupational schools – Ideally, for-profit occupational schools provide students with an opportunity to obtain skills needed to compete in the workforce and find a good-paying job. However, such programs tend to cost more than tuition at community colleges. Furthermore, completion from these schools may not to lead to gainful employment and frequently result in high debt loads and student-loan defaults. Nationally, the surge in student loan defaults in the last decade was largely concentrated among relatively older, low-income students who attended for-profit colleges. Given this context, it’s important that these schools make information available so that prospective students can make informed decisions about what types of training to pursue and what programs will prepare them for gainful employment. SB 118 would have required private occupational schools to provide information about educational outcomes (such as completion rates, total costs, estimated debt load and average starting salaries), before students sign a contract. The legislation also called for the state to include such information on a website to help students make informed decisions when investing in a secondary education. Developed by the Skills2Compete Colorado Coalition, which CCLP coordinates, the bill met an early demise this session after it was assigned to the Senate Committee on State, Veterans & Military Affairs and killed on party lines.

Housing application fees – Colorado’s growing population and booming economy have created an ideal market for landlords – often, at the expense of low- and middle-income renters. In recent years, the percentage of Coloradans who rent rather than own has increased. Many tenants struggle to find and maintain housing because rents are too high relative to income – leading to a rise in homelessness in many parts of the state. Part of a package that was considered by Colorado legislators to remove some of the problems that renters encounter HB 1310 would have limited the fee landlords charge prospective tenants to the actual costs for a personal reference check, consumer credit report or tenant-screening report. Current fees often far exceed the actual cost of screening applicants and are collected even when units aren’t available. In addition, HB 1310 would have required landlords to provide an itemized receipt of actual expenses incurred and required landlords to return unused portions of such fees to the applicants. The Senate Committee on State, Veterans & Military Affairs killed HB 1310 on party lines.

Manufactured housing – CCLP strongly supported SB 98, which would have allowed residents to have an opportunity to purchase the manufactured housing community in which the live, while giving landowners tax incentives for selling to a resident or nonprofit organization. Regardless of this defeat, CCLP will continue to explore policy remedies to preserve manufactured-housing communities.

Challenges and Opportunities

  • The lack of affordable housing has grown into a genuine crisis over the last five years. While CCLP for many years did not have the capacity to tackle such a huge issue, we found we could not really address issues related to economic stability without addressing housing costs. With crucial community partners including 9to5 Colorado, Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, Colorado Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Colorado Cross Disabilities Coalition, and many others, we have offered proposals to formalize good practices into law, protecting tenants and landlords. We have also weighed in on funding mechanisms to create and protect affordable housing, particularly for those living at or below 30 percent of Area Median Income (e.g. those below $20,000 for a family of two in the Denver area). We expect to continue our work in this area in the months and years to come.
  • As we consider what contributes to a family’s economic security, we need to do more than preserve and improve critical safety net programs and work supports. In particular, through the Skills2Compete Colorado Coalition, we’ll work to ensure that all Coloradans can take advantage of the many economic opportunities in our state. We will develop public policies that promote a more diverse workforce — e.g. paid training, workplace learning and support services like child care and affordable transportation, family-friendly workplace policies. We’ll also target policies that effectively discourage people from working.
  • Child support from noncustodial parents can and should play an important role in a family’s economic stability. As child-support collection moves from an enforcement approach to a services approach, CCLP is considering policies that encourage consistent payments vs. discouraging payments and/or overwhelming debt.
  • We are also taking a three-generation approach to family economic stability. Older adults are often the economic backbone upon which others depend, while some seniors need help from their families or their government. CCLP will be exploring policies that that support intergenerational living and financial support.

Over the next few months, we expect to see how federal decisions might burden low-income Coloradans. CCLP will work with state and national coalitions to help shape or defeat changes in federal services, policies and programs.

-By Chaer Robert

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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.