Thornton hears nonprofit warnings after Adams County TANF cuts; council asks staff to develop funding scenarios

Delaney Coe, deputy director of Almost Home, and Veronica Perez, CEO of Growing Home, told the Thornton City Council on Tuesday that a county decision to stop contracting TANF funds for local rental and mortgage assistance has left a large service gap for Thornton residents.

"TANF, as I said earlier, it's gone y'all. It's done," Perez said during the presentation, summing up the nonprofits' account of the funding loss and its immediate effect on eviction prevention work.

The presenters summarized programs that rely on those funds: Almost Home described its housing stability services (rental, mortgage and utility assistance paired with case management), rapid rehousing, SWAP (severe weather activation) and respite housing; Growing Home described a choice-model food pantry, resource navigation and a Parents as Teachers early-childhood program.

Why it matters: presenters said Adams County's change removed just under $3,000,000 in TANF contracts that had supported local housing assistance across the county; Almost Home and Growing Home said those contracts previously served hundreds of Thornton households. Presenters also highlighted earlier program outcomes and monitoring: Growing Home said case management that followed clients for 30'90 days increased measured financial and well-being scores for many participants.

Council questions and staff direction: council members pressed presenters for numbers, program budgets and options. Council member Justin asked staff to work with Almost Home and Growing Home to create a set of feasibility proposals (he suggested three scenarios) outlining likely costs, which programs would be funded, and how many Thornton residents would be helped. The city attorney advised that council members serving on nonprofit boards would not necessarily face a conflict if no direct financial benefit accrues to a council member, but any individual concern should be raised to staff.

Council reached consensus to direct staff to coordinate with the two nonprofits and return with high-level funding scenarios and trade-offs the council can consider at an upcoming planning session or retreat. Staff said they will attempt to include other affected providers and, where feasible, coordinate with neighboring cities and Adams County.

What the presenters told council in numbers: presenters said that in the last county funding period the TANF contracts served over 600 Thornton households and that the county-level loss totals just under $3 million. They said eviction filings in Adams County are concentrated in Thornton ZIP codes and that roughly 80'85% of eviction filings are nonpayment cases that can be prevented with rental assistance before final judgment. Growing Home said its total organizational budget moved from about $5 million (including TANF contracts) down to roughly $3 million after the cuts; Almost Home said it lost about $1 million of TANF grant funding.

Next steps: staff will work with Almost Home and Growing Home to assemble funding scenarios and provide the council with an analysis of trade-offs (one-time versus recurring funding, expected reach, and likely budget sources). Council members discussed timing to get initial information ahead of a Jan/Feb planning schedule and a regional summit that some members plan to attend.

Quotes: Perez said, "TANF is not gonna come back," and urged municipal partners to consider direct local investment or coalition approaches. Coe described the housing stability program as "rental, mortgage and utility assistance paired with case management" aimed to prevent eviction and foster long-term stability.

The council did not adopt a formal ordinance or vote on spending; the action recorded in the meeting was a consensus direction for staff to gather feasibility information and return with options for council consideration.