For the first time since 2008, Boulder County will accept applications for the distribution of Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers. Applications will be accepted on June 16 and June 17, 2015.
The county’s Section 8 voucher program serves about 720 low-income households throughout the county. County officials said they expect 50 vouchers will be distributed this year. The vouchers provide rental assistance to qualified low-income households, supplementing rent on the open market above 30 to 40 percent of a household’s gross income. The average assistance in Boulder County is $813 per month.
According to The Community Foundation’s TRENDS report, 59 percent of Boulder County’s renters (of all income levels) spent more than 30 percent of their income on monthly rent in 2013. In the City of Boulder, 64 percent of renters spent more than 30 percent of their income on rent. The rate was 52 percent nationwide.
“The housing market is very competitive in Boulder County, and this has driven rental costs up,” said Amanda Guthrie, Housing Assistance Program Manager with the Boulder County Department of Housing and Human Services. “Housing vouchers can make a world of difference in supplementing a household’s budget. And while 50 vouchers this year won’t fill the need in our community, this is a step in the right direction that will positively impact the lives of those households receiving the assistance, and in turn, our community as a whole.”
The program gives preference to families with children, senior citizens, and people with disabilities. This year the vouchers will be distributed on a lottery basis, instead of giving preference based on the time and date applications were submitted. Applicants will be informed of their lottery number before Aug. 1. Applications will be kept for up to two years for future lotteries, if more vouchers become available.
There will be an online application, available in English and Spanish, at the county’s website: http://www.bouldercounty.org/family/housing/pages/subsidizedhousing.aspx. Residents who do not have access to a computer or require assistance in completing their application may visit the following staffed computer sites at the following dates and times:
8 a.m.- 4:30 p.m June 16 and June 17.: Boulder County offices, 3400 Broadway, Boulder. Auditorium.
9 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 16.: Prime Haven Apartments Community Room, Nederland, 170 E 2nd St.
9 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 17: Walter Self Apartments Community Room, Lyons, 335 Railroad Avenue.
Anyone with a disability who needs assistance with applying can call 303-709-3197 at least 48 hours prior to the start of the application period or call Relay Colorado by dialing 7-1-1.
