COLORADO SPRINGS — On Thursday, the Colorado Judicial Branch opened the application process for Eviction Legal Defense Fund grants. $1.55 million in grants will be available for the 2022 Fiscal Year.
The grants will fund programs that provide civil legal assistance to help people who are experiencing eviction or who are at risk of eviction.
The program was established by the General Assembly in 2019 to help those facing eviction find legal services at no cost.
In 2019, $750,000 was appropriated from the general fund to the eviction legal defense fund.
To be eligible for the funds, organizations must be non-profit and must be currently serving the legal needs of people at risk of eviction. Grants will be awarded based on a number of factors including the number of clients served in the past year and its location.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau's Household Pulse Survey, about 30 percent of Colorado adults are behind on rent or mortgage payments and are likely to face eviction or foreclosure. A Colorado Newsline report shows as of April 26th, more than 7,500 evictions have been filed statewide since the start of 2021.
Federal officials have extended the national eviction moratorium until the end of July and it may be the last extension.
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), signed the extension Thursday with hopes of preventing the eviction of Americans who are unable to make their rental payments as a result of the pandemic.
The moratorium was scheduled to expire on June 30, but it will now last through July 31.
The CDC says this is intended to be the final extension of the moratorium.
Applications must be submitted via email by the 5 p.m. Thursday, July 15, 2021 deadline. Applications and questions must be directed to EvictionLegalDefenseFund@judicial.state.co.us.
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