If you have questions about property valuation and property tax, visit boco.org/2023Valuation.

Housing Choice Vouchers
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Housing Choice Vouchers

As the name indicates, the Housing Choice Voucher program promotes housing choice, meaning a household awarded a voucher can look for a unit within the neighborhood of your choice, within the housing authority’s area.

  • The program promotes quality housing; property owners’ homes are inspected annually to ensure standards of health and safety are met.
  • The household contribution is approximately 30-40% of your monthly-adjusted income, with the balance paid by the
    Boulder County Housing Authority to the property owner.

2023 Boulder County Housing Authority Housing Choice Voucher Lottery Winners Selected from May 2023 Lottery Drawing

If your number was selected, you will be receiving an email and/or mailed letter inviting you to register for a group eligibility meeting. You may register for that at www.boco.org/hcvappointment. If you have any questions please direct those to bchalottery@bouldercounty.org or 720-776-0823. Due to a high volume of calls and emails wait times may be longer than expected. Please leave us only one voicemail or email.

Application ID/Lottery Number – Identificación del solicitante / Número de lotería
119046 124138 124199 123731 123651
123711 124370 123955 124398 117320
121938 111699 120715 108509 124298
124086 123270 123836 124311 116875

Emergency Housing Vouchers

BCHA has partnered with the Metro Denver Continuum of Care (CoC) lead – Metro Denver Homeless Initiative (MDHI), to allocate the Emergency Housing Vouchers. EHV-Eligible groups are as follows.

BCHA has given local preferences to the identified groups:

  • Literally Homeless: MDHI is accepting direct referrals from Boulder County Housing and Human Services, Boulder Shelter for the Homeless, TGTHR, Focus Reentry, HOPE for Longmont, Mental Health Partners
  • Fleeing, or attempting to flee, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking or human trafficking: Boulder County Housing Authority receives direct referrals from Safe Shelter of St Vrain Valley.
  • Living in housing for formerly homeless people: MDHI is working with Rapid Rehousing (RRH) partners. If you are currently enrolled in RRH program, contact your case manager or RRH Provider to inquire about eligibility for EHV referral.

BCHA is not prioritizing the following EHV-eligible.

  • At-Risk of Homelessness


Current BCHA Payment Standards and Utility Allowance Schedules

Boulder County Housing Authority is accepting online application for The Spoke on Coffman in Longmont. Visit this link for information and to apply.
For current COVID-19 information regarding office closures and policies visit Housing Operations and Maintenance.

About

About Housing Choice Vouchers

Boulder County Housing Authority (BCHA) administers programs that address specific needs of a cross-section of County residents. These programs, described below, serve low-income individuals and households, military veterans, homeless households, and families and children involved in the child welfare system. Each of these programs operates under the standard Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) guidelines, helping the participant to afford decent, safe, and sanitary housing in the private housing market. This division also administers housing vouchers through a Project-Based Voucher Program under which the housing assistance is attached to a specific unit, rather than the person.

Participants are able to choose any private or BCHA-owned unit in the County and Broomfield that meets eligibility requirements, including area of service, rent amount, number of bedrooms, and housing quality standards/acceptable level of health and safety. Rent payments are administered by the housing authority paying its portion/subsidy to the landlord directly on behalf of the tenant. The household pays the difference between the rent amount and the subsidy. The household’s portion equates to approx. 30% of their gross household income.

To be eligible for the program, households must earn below 50% of the Area Median Income (AMI) for Boulder County (some programs are capped at 30% AMI). Participants are required to submit income and asset documentation. Additionally, staff will obtain a background report from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation for all household members over age 18.

Participants agree to pay rent on time, comply with lease agreements, report changes in income and household size, attend required annual recertifications, and adequately maintain their property.

Income Information

To be eligible, applicants may earn up to 50% of the area median income with no minimum necessary. Some programs require applicants to be at or below 30% of the area median income limits.

Eligibility Criteria

According to program guidelines, Boulder County Housing Authority provides assistance to local applicants and prioritizes those who are:

  • Living within Boulder County limits
  • Households with the head of household or spouse who works at least 20 hours per week within Boulder County limits
  • Households with the head of household or spouse who attends school full-time within Boulder County
  • Elderly household (aged 62 and older)/or people with a disability who don’t currently reside in Boulder County but who have immediate family members who reside in Boulder County. Immediate family members are defined as spouse, (adult) child, parent, or sibling.

AND who are one or more of the following

  • Heads of households or spouses who are elderly (age 62+)
  • Heads of households or spouses with disabilities
  • Households with children under the age of 18
  • Homeless and currently receiving services in Boulder County

There are limited number of Housing Choice Vouchers available. If an applicant does not fall into one the above groups, the chances of receiving a voucher are limited.

Housing Programs

Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program

The HCV Program, also known as “Section 8,” is a rent subsidy program funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The program assists individuals and households with very-low income, including Seniors and people with disabilities. Assistance is provided on behalf of the participants, who secure their own housing within the community, with rent payments split in portions between the Housing Authority and the household.

The HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) Program

The VASH program combines HCV rental assistance for homeless Veterans with case management and clinical services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). VA provides these services for participating Veterans at VA medical centers and community-based outreach clinics. All participants are referred to BCHA by the VA. If you are a Veteran in need of housing assistance please call 303-294-5600 for more information about how to get into the HUD-VASH program.

Family Unification Program (FUP)

FUP is a supportive housing, early intervention program that provides housing with supportive case management services to both families with identified child welfare concerns and youth transitioning out of the foster care system within the County. The objective is to promote family reunification, with the end result being the prevention of the removal of children from their parents due to housing instability. FUP also addresses the needs of homeless youth that have spent considerable time in the foster care system by offering supportive services, enhancing their opportunity for self-sufficiency and transition into adulthood.

Project-Based Voucher (PBV) Program

Under the PBV program, the assistance is tied to the unit, rather than the person. Boulder County owns and manages properties throughout the County and offers these units to eligible residents at a cost that is affordable to them. Participants may come from Boulder County’s Family Self-Sufficiency Program, a 5-year a five-year academic, employment and savings initiative program designed to help the families gain job training and education to improve their family’s financial situation and move toward self-sufficiency.

Applicants/Waitlist

Applicants/Current Waitlist Openings

Currently there are no waitlist openings.

Prime Haven

Senior/Disabled Housing in Nederland, CO. Application

Prime Haven is a senior/disabled housing site, located at 170 E. Second Ave. in Nederland, Colorado and contains 6 one-bedroom apartment units.

Applicants must be disabled individuals aged 18 or older or over the age of 62 to qualify, and must also qualify as a very low, low, or moderate income household as specified by Rural Development. (A moderate income household has an adjusted income that is greater than the HUD-established low-income limit but does not exceed the low-income limit by more than $5,500.) Applicants will be prioritized by the date and time of their application and income level, income levels under 50% AMI will receive 15 preference points, income levels between 51%-80% will receive 10 preference points.

Walter Self Apartments

Senior/Disabled Housing in Lyons, CO Application

Walter Self is a senior/disabled housing site, located at 335 Railroad Avenue in Lyons, Colorado and contains 12 one-bedroom apartment units.

Applicants must be disabled individuals aged 18 or older or over the age of 62 to qualify, and must also qualify as a very low, low, or moderate income household as specified by Rural Development. (A moderate income household has an adjusted income that is greater than the HUD-established low-income limit but does not exceed the low-income limit by more than $5,500.) Applicants will be prioritized by the date and time of their application and income level, income levels under 50% AMI will receive 15 preference points, income levels between 51%-80% will receive 10 preference points.

For additional services and information for aging well, please contact Boulder County Area Agency on Aging

Casa de la Esperanza

Application

Casa de la Esperanza is located at 1520 South Emery Street in Longmont and is an agricultural living development. The site has 32 three and four-bedroom town-homes ranging from 900-1073 square feet.

In order to qualify for housing applicants must receive a substantial portion of income from farm labor employment or must have worked at least 110 whole days in farm work, and must also qualify as a very low, low, or moderate income household as specified by Rural Development. (A moderate income household has an adjusted income that is greater than the HUD-established low-income limit but does not exceed the low-income limit by more than $5,500.) Applicants will be prioritized by the date and time of their application and income level, income levels under 50% AMI will receive 15 preference points, income levels between 51%-80% will receive 10 preference points.

For additional resources for Casa FAQs

Portability

Porting in to Boulder County:

Participants and Applicants interested in porting their existing Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) to Boulder County Housing Authority must request that their initial Housing Authority send over the paperwork via fax or email. Please note if you are looking to lease up in Broomfield you will need to port your voucher over to Jefferson County Housing Authority.

Portability Contact Information
Fax: 720-564-2283
Phone: 303-441-1061
Email: portability@bouldercounty.org

Boulder County Housing Authority: PO BOX 471, Boulder, CO 80306

BCHA will make contact with the family within 10 business days upon receipt of the paperwork and notify the initial Housing Authority regarding billing or absorbing the voucher.

After contact is made, families must choose a day to attend a Portability Orientation and Intake Appointment.

During this process, please see the following information for your reference:

  • Voucher size is subject to change based on each PHA’s Policies and Procedures, for BCHA’s current subsidy standards please visit Chapter 5 Part 2 of our Administrative Plan.
  • If information given to the Portability Specialist is incomplete or unclear, further processing will not be completed until all necessary documents are obtained.

ALL units intended for leasing under Section 8 must follow our current posted payment standards, and not create a Total Tenant Portion (TTP) of more than 40% of the adjusted household income upon initial move-in.

  • An HQS Inspection must take place before a household is cleared for move in. If you have already located a unit please have the Property Manager or Landlord complete a Request for Tenancy Approval Form RFTA and W-9, and submit to our current Portability Specialist for review.
  • It is the household’s responsibility to find housing within the jurisdiction of Boulder County Housing Authority and Security Deposits are not covered by BCHA. A list of landlords that have worked with the program can be found here. This list does not include all work with the Boulder County Housing programs; these are only suggestions for tenants in search of rental units.

Porting out of Boulder County to another PHA:

If you are currently assisted by BCHA and would like to port to another jurisdiction out of Boulder County you must first you must first:

  1. Notify your current case manager
  2. Complete the Family Request for Portability form
  3. Sign a new voucher
  4. Provide the housing authority name, address, phone and fax numbers, and the person in charge of portability from the jurisdiction you wish to move to, if two different PHAs serve the same area and you do not select one, BCHA has the discretion to choose which PHA to send your file to
  5. Notify current landlord with a 30-day written notice of move out and copy to BCHA

If you owe any money to BCHA or your current landlord, you will NOT be allowed to port out until the debt is paid in full. If any household members are not moving with the family, those changes must be completed before the port process.

Landlords

BCHA’s Housing Assistance Programs partners with more than 250 landlords throughout the County. Landlords are important members of our program, as they provide housing opportunities for our participants and devote time to meeting our program requirements. Over the past few years, we have streamlined many of our documents and processes with our landlords to more efficiently manage our relationships, with the goal of reducing work time for all parties.

Forms:

FAQs

What is Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8)?

  • Boulder County Housing Authority is one of three housing authorities within Boulder County to manage a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program.
  • This assistance is tied to the family, and can be used to rent properties from any landlord who is willing to participate in the program. The assistance can be utilized as long as a family continues to qualify for the program, and are in compliance with program requirements.
  • Rent is based on 30% of tenants’ adjusted gross monthly income, and the remainder of the rent is subsidized by the housing authority.
  • Tenants must recertify for housing assistance on an annual basis.
  • BCHA’s HCV Program also collaborates with the Family Self Sufficiency Program and Project Hope to provide additional case management resources to our participants.
  • Interested parties must apply during the open lottery period. When a household is selected from the lottery, they are contacted by letter and asked to attend a briefing, during which they are screened for eligibility.
  • BCHA Utility Allowance Schedule 2023
  • BCHA HCV Administrative Plan 2023
  • General FAQs for Voucher Recipients
  • Preguntas frecuentes generales para beneficiarios de cupones de elección de vivienda

Please see the Applicants/Waitlist tab for more information about waitlist openings.

Staff

Housing Assistance Programs Staff

Below is a list of Housing Assistance Programs staff. If you are a program participant and have questions, please contact your designated Occupancy Assistant/Case Manager. If you are a landlord and have questions, please contact your tenant’s Occupancy Assistant. If you are not a participant and have general questions about the programs, please call BCHA main phone number listed below.

To Boulder Office:
3460 Broadway
Boulder, CO 80304
BCHA Main Phone Number: 303-441-3929

To Longmont Office:
515 Coffman
Longmont, CO 80504


Housing Waitlist Administrator
Phone: 303-678-6007
Email: hhsbchawaitlist@bouldercounty.org
Tanya Wardal , Housing Specialist
Phone: 303-441-1542
Email: twardal@bouldercounty.org

Alma Rico, Housing Specialist
Phone: 720-812-3028
Email: arico@bouldercounty.org
Melissa Razo, Housing Specialist Supervisor
Phone: 720-564-2287
Email: mrazo@bouldercounty.org

Jaymie Thorne, Housing Specialist
Phone: 720-564-2287
Email: jthorne@bouldercounty.org
Layla Stewart, Compliance Supervisor
Phone: 720-564-2277
Email: lstewart@bouldercounty.org

Maricela Cardenas, Housing Occupancy Assistant and Portability Specialist
Phone: 303-441-1061
Email: mcardenas@bouldercounty.org
Portability Documents Email: portability@bouldercounty.org
Domingo Garza, Housing Compliance Programs Manager
Phone: 720-864-6616
Email: dgarza@bouldercounty.org

Meury Brown, Housing Specialist
Phone: 303-859-5004
Email: mbrown@bouldercounty.org
Kelly Gonzalez, Housing Choice Voucher Program Manager
Phone: 303-441-4944
Email: kegonzalez@bouldercounty.org

Patty Villalobos, Housing Specialist
Phone: 720-766-2930
Email: pvillalobos@bouldercounty.org
Amanda Guthrie, Housing Operations Manager
Phone: 720-564-2280
Email: aguthrie@bouldercounty.org

Frequently Asked Questions


Landlords | Applicants | Section 8

Report Fraud

BCHA is committed to protecting the integrity of the Housing Choice Voucher Program. If you have reason to believe that any fraudulent activity is taking place in connection with participants in any of the Housing Assistance Programs, please call the Housing Programs Manager at 303-441-4944 or .

Contact Us

Housing & Human Services

Phone: 303-441-1000
TTY: 1-800-659-3656
Fax: 303-441-1523
Submit a question

Mailing Address
P.O. Box 471
Boulder, CO 80306

Boulder Location

3460 Broadway
Map & Directions

Fax: 720-564-2283
Hours: 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM - Monday/Wednesday/Friday

Longmont Location

515 Coffman Street
Map & Directions
Hours: 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM - M-F

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