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May 13, 2016

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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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Legislative Wrap-Up 2016: Family Economic Security

by | May 13, 2016

Family Economic Security

This year, CCLP’s Family Economic Security team is focused on removing barriers to employment because the most direct pathway out of poverty is a job. To that point, we spearheaded and shepherded legislation to help Coloradans to obtain documents needed to be issued a state ID. We developed and supported legislation that would bar employers from asking about criminal history on preliminary application forms. We also developed and supported a bill that would form a task force designed to explore better ways to coordinate skills training and education with childcare. Furthermore, we are working to ensure that the needs of those experiencing homelessness would be served in the statewide implementation of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).

In an effort to ease the effects of Colorado’s affordable housing crisis on low-income families, CCLP pushed legislation that would have brought millions of dollars of financial relief to tenants and to developers of affordable housing. We also supported a bill that would extend the “notice-to quit” period on month-to-month rental arrangements from seven to 28 days — giving tenants a fair chance to transition to other housing.

Here’s a recap of our family economic security issues for 2016:

Legislative highlights
Necessary documents program
It’s nearly impossible to get essentials such as health care, housing, employment and public benefits without a state-issued identification card. Citizens need a picture ID when opening a bank account, cashing a check or picking up prescriptions. Unfortunately, obtaining an ID card can be equally impossible to obtain for some of Colorado’s most vulnerable residents. The process often requires tracking down a birth certificate, a marriage certificate or a certified medical record. It takes time and money to secure such documents, some of which may need to be ordered from other states. It can easily cost $50 for just one document – a price that is prohibitively expensive for many low-income Coloradans.

Fortunately, authorization of the Necessary Documents Program through House Bill 1386 will help thousands of low-income Coloradans cover the costs of such necessary documents for the next five years. Older adults, domestic-violence survivors, those leaving corrections, those seeking shelter, victims of natural or man-made disasters and people with disabilities are among thousands of other Coloradans who will get help through this program. The bill received overwhelming bipartisan support in the House and Senate and is awaiting the governor’s approval.

‘Ban-the-box’ bill
The ability to get a job is the best determinant of whether someone with a criminal record can stay out of trouble and earn an income to support a family. Developed by CCLP as part of the Responsible Re-Entry campaign, HB 1388 would have removed a major barrier to employment by barring most employers from asking about criminal history on preliminary job applications – giving people with records a fair chance for a position that could help them get their lives back on track. Nationwide, the policy is known as “ban-the-box” legislation because it eliminates a common checkbox inquiring about a prospect’s criminal history.

Despite building a coalition of more than 50 organizations – ranging from the faith-based community to job-placement counselors and employers – and winning approval from the Colorado House, HB 1388 was killed by a Senate committee and failed to advance to the desk of Gov. John Hickenlooper, who would have likely supported it. Regardless, we will continue to push for ban-the-box hiring practices because such policies are needed and gaining public support in Colorado and nationwide.

Childcare for education and skills training
Through HB 1050, CCLP worked to establish an interagency and community task force to identify childcare needs and resources for low-income parents seeking education or skills training. The task force would have been charged with identifying resources, reducing silos ,  streamlining processes and recommending legislative changes if needed. Nationally, about one-quarter of adult students are parents. But in general, the education and training system doesn’t accommodate students’ childcare needs. While HB 1050 passed the Early Childhood and School Readiness Commission in 2015 and the House this session, it did not survive the Senate State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee. Nevertheless, we will continue work on this issue.

Affordable housing and tenants’ rights
Colorado’s affordable housing crisis continues to consume a majority of wages for low-income Coloradans, pushing residents to the brink of homelessness or forcing them to skimp on food or health care needs to pay rent.

Developed by CCLP, HB 1466 would have invested $30 million from Colorado’s unclaimed property trust fund to help low-income tenants defray high rental costs and provide financing to developers of low-income housing units. Introduced late in the session, the bill passed through the House with bipartisan support and even survived the Senate State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee (notoriously known as the “kill committee”). Unfortunately, the bill stalled in Senate Appropriations by a vote of 4-3. Looking ahead, we’ll continue to make affordable housing a priority and work on ways to inject much-needed public money into this most essential need.

Due to the scarcity of affordable housing in Colorado, landlords currently have a strong upper hand. Increasingly, landlords are favoring month-to-month rental arrangements to give them flexibility to increase rent or move affluent tenants into the premises quickly. HB 1461 would have increased the notification period to raise rent or terminate such arrangements from seven days to 28. Currently, Colorado has some of the weakest tenant-notice provisions in the country. Most states require at least 28 days’ notice and many require 60 days’ notice. Unfortunately, HB 1461 stalled in the Senate State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee despite being approved in the House with bipartisan support.

Work Opportunity Income Tax Credit
On paper, HB 1372 looked like a win-win proposition that gives businesses a financial incentive to hire low-income workers who face challenges in today’s job market. The bill would have created state Work Opportunity Income Tax Credits (or WOTC) modeled on the federal WOTC. Under HB 1372, these tax credits would have been available to employers who hire members of targeted groups — including public-assistance recipients, disabled or unemployed veterans and ex-offenders. The legislation appeared to address one of CCLP’s core priority issues: Jobs for Coloradans with barriers to employment.

In reality, though, WOTC does NOT have a strong record of effectiveness in affecting hiring decisions or wage or skill growth over time. A study commissioned by the U.S. Department of Labor found “the tax credits play little or no role in recruitment policies.” In fact, many third-party vendors make a lot of money gathering and processing paperwork from large companies to secure tax credits for the low-income workers their clients would have likely hired anyway.

CCLP was the only witness testifying against HB 1372, which passed through one committee but was ultimately killed at the request of the sponsor. Undoubtedly, the bill’s $24 million fiscal note contributed greatly to its demise. In the aftermath of HB 1372’s failure, we resolved to explore ways to eliminate barriers for those who are truly challenged in the job market – such as people with disabilities or criminal records or those in desperate need of skills training.

Non-legislative work
Skills2Compete Coalition
CCLP continues to coordinate the Skills2Compete Colorado Coalition. This multi-sector policy advocacy coalition has developed a five-year work plan to build on its past success. Among the coalition’s priority issues:

  • Review, provide input and track implementation of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)
  • Expand, fund and improve adult education and literacy
  • Support career pathways that provide education and training for workers in high-demand occupations, with “on-ramps” for those below the first rung of the career ladder
  • Increase credential attainment, from high school equivalency diploma on up
  • Develop and improve workforce data quality

In December, 2015, Skills2Compete successfully advocated with the State Board of Education to adopt all three high school equivalency tests – the TASC and HiSet, in addition to the GED – to increase the options for attaining a High School Equivalency Diploma. Contracts with all three vendors were signed at the beginning of April.

In February, Skills2 Compete submitted two sets of comments on the proposed state WIOA implementation plan. One set of comments specifically addressed the need for public information and outcomes data related to job training by schools and training programs on the Eligible Provider Training List. The other set of comments stressed the need for more information on how workforce centers will shift business practices, outcome measures, recruitment efforts and the need for supportive services to reflect prioritization of service for populations with barriers to employment — as required by federal law.

WIOA and Pathways from Homelessness
With the generous support of the Butler Family Fund, CCLP was awarded a one-year grant to work on a policy- and system-level to ensure that those experiencing homelessness are well-served through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). Homeless individuals, families and youth are among the populations who are supposed to receive priority of service under WIOA. This grant allowed us to hire a person who is dedicated to this issue.

Since this initiative began, CCLP has submitted comments on the State WIOA Implementation Plan and proposed state performance measures. We also attended both the State and Central Region public hearings on the implementation plan. We submitted specific recommendations for rewording and suggested programmatic and policy priorities for a number of regional and countywide plans. CCLP presented the project at the State Workforce Directors meeting attended by representatives from at least 15 counties, as well as state and federal staff. Follow-up site visits are scheduled with a half dozen workforce directors and staff. To date, we have convened seven focus groups with service providers who provide employment services to homeless people  to identify issues and themes; hear specific experiences and observations about what is needed for more effective coordination with the workforce system; and to gather potential recommendations for the Colorado Workforce Development Council. CCLP is working to develop specific recommendations, tools and strategies that will facilitate this increased coordination and collaboration. We are also partnering with Funders Together to End Homelessness, the Heartland Alliance, and the Butler Family Fund to present a webinar on this project. The goal of the webinar is to discuss how philanthropy can play a role in using this new federal legislation and its implementation to increase opportunities for the homeless population.

Ballot initiatives
Minimum-wage increase
Wages have not kept pace with the drop in the unemployment rate or the increase in the cost of housing. CCLP advocated again this year for the right for localities to set their own, higher minimum wage, to no avail. This fall, we will join with other organizations in the ballot fight to increase the state’s minimum wage (currently, $8.31 an hour) to $12 per hour by 2020.

Colorado Priorities
Efforts to invest much-needed funds in schools, mental health and social services, and basic infrastructure have been hampered by the amendment commonly known as the Taxpayer Bill of Rights (or TABOR), despite many years of economic recovery and positive revenue projections for the state. That’s because TABOR triggers automatic tax rebates when taxes and non-exempt fees exceed the state’s spending cap. CCLP has joined a bipartisan coalition working on a ballot initiative that would give Colorado a chance to decide whether they would like their refunds to be invested back into the state. If accepted into the November ballot and approved by voters, the proposal would invest more money into education, transportation, and mental health and senior services without raising taxes.

– 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.