Larimer County says ERAP 2 distributed about $11.5 million to 4,772 households

Aliyah Rodriguez, the housing stability program manager for Larimer County, told the Board of County Commissioners on May 19 that Larimer County received "just over $11,500,000 to serve the community" through the federal Emergency Rental Assistance Program 2, known as ERAP 2. The county’s program ran from October 2021 through April 2025 and, Rodriguez said, "4,772 households were served with emergency relief, and, with emergency payments and stability services."

The ERAP 2 funds paid more than 2,300 emergency rent payments and more than 2,000 utility payments, Rodriguez said, and prioritized households with the lowest incomes: "nearly 59% of the households served were earning less than 30% of our area median income, and about 26% were earning between 30–50% of our area median income." She also described the program’s reach across 17 ZIP codes, from Fort Collins and Loveland to mountain communities such as Estes Park and Red Feather Lakes.

Rodriguez described how Larimer County reinvested unspent administrative funds near the end of the ERAP 2 grant to expand services beyond one-time rent and utility payments. She said the county awarded $150,000 to the Colorado Poverty Law Project for eviction legal defense and tenant education, serving 196 households, and $40,000 to the Northern Colorado Continuum of Care for a gap fund to clear application fees, medical bills, car repairs and other barriers to housing. Rodriguez said the county also used ERAP 2 funds for a "rent reset" partnership with local housing authorities that eliminated more than $100,000 in unpaid rent: about $23,000 for Estes Park Housing Authority, $50,000 for Loveland Housing Authority and just under $50,000 for Housing Catalyst. For Fort Collins, the funds targeted tenants who were more than 90 days late.

Rodriguez said the rent reset program "didn't require tenants to prove hardship. It was designed around trust, dignity, and partnership." Commissioners asked follow-up questions about layering ERAP 2 with other programs, family composition of recipients and the ongoing need after federal funds ended. Commissioner Shattuck McNally asked whether the program’s approach included layering rent and utility support with other services; Rodriguez replied that investing across needs "encourages housing stability." Commissioner Carlos and others asked for a memorandum with more detail about current community needs and how county-supported efforts would continue.

Laura Walker, the county's human and economic health services director, and county staff said Larimer County has continued to support some programs after ERAP 2 ended by granting funds to Neighbor to Neighbor and Colorado Poverty Law Project to continue direct rent assistance and legal assistance and by using administrative savings to fund short-term stability programs. Walker said this reinvestment was possible because the program did not reach the cap on allowable administrative expenses.

The commissioners did not take formal votes during the presentation. Staff said they would provide follow-up information on demographics, family composition, a current landscape memo on unmet need and further details on the rent reset programs.