Boulder County rental aid for 24 households is funded through 2026
The housing authority does not yet know whether payments can continue after Dec. 31 and is awaiting federal guidance on possible voucher options.
The Boulder County Housing Authority says rental assistance for 24 households using Emergency Housing Vouchers is funded through Dec. 31, but it does not yet know whether it can continue payments in 2027. Staff told county commissioners at their Sept. 29 meeting they were waiting for guidance from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on whether tenant-protection vouchers could help cover the households after this year.
HUD’s 2026 funding notice says tenant-protection voucher funds can help housing authorities cover Emergency Housing Voucher shortfalls during 2026 when they otherwise would have to end assistance. The notice says HUD would issue implementation guidance, but does not establish a path for continuing assistance in 2027.
The uncertainty comes amid a projected funding shortfall. Staff said HUD recaptured just under $1.4 million after a 2025 reporting error. The authority projects a year-end shortfall of about $782,000, though staff said the estimate changes as payments are made.
HUD released $457,000 in reserves after the authority requested the funds, staff said. The authority also requested another $1.1 million in reserves and had not received a response by the Sept. 29 meeting. A separate application seeks HUD shortfall assistance to prevent terminations; staff said they did not expect a decision until December, when the authority projects it will enter shortfall.
The authority had planned to move households into its regular Housing Choice Voucher program, but staff said HUD’s direction barred the transition while the authority was in shortfall. The authority has held off on issuing new vouchers and running lotteries to leave room for those households. If tenant-protection vouchers are unavailable, staff said the authority is working to reconcile the shortfall by December and resume the transition plan next year.
Staff said the authority was coordinating with Boulder Housing Partners on options for households connected to both agencies, including five authority voucher holders renting in Boulder Housing Partners-owned homes. As of the meeting, the process was still unclear, and staff said they were holding off on announcing details to voucher holders.