Rent and Utility Help

More detailed eligibility criteria are outlined in the TRUA Program Guidelines (see above).

• Household income must be at or below 80% Area Median Income (AMI)
• Household must be experiencing a financial hardship or other housing crisis
• The residence for which assistance is being requested must be the primary residence and located in both the City AND County of Denver

The Temporary Rental and Utility Assistance (TRUA) Program offers three types of assistance to eligible renter households:

1. Rental Assistance – Up to 6 months of rental assistance may be provided one time. This may include rental arrears, the current month’s rent, and up to one month of future rent.

2. Utility Assistance – Assistance may be provided for current and past-due bills from Denver Water and/or Xcel Energy (electric, gas). Utility assistance may be provided one time per utility and will only be provided at the same time as rental assistance; households may not apply for standalone utility assistance.

3. Relocation Assistance – Only available in instances when eviction cannot be prevented. This may include security deposit, first month’s rent, application fees, and other eligible move-in costs. Deposit and first month’s rent will count as one month each toward the 6-month maximum. Relocation assistance may be provided one time and will only be provided at the same time as rental assistance.

Applicants must provide at least one document for each category below. Additional documents may be requested as needed, including ones not listed here. More detailed program requirements are outlined in the TRUA Program Guidelines (see above).

1. Proof of Income (for each person 18 years of age and older) can include, but is not limited to:

• Pay stubs
• Tax returns (most recent filing)
• Bank statements

2. Evidence of Tenancy can include, but is not limited to:

• Signed lease agreement
• Official document showing Tenant’s name and address, such as rent ledger, utility bill, driver’s license, or pay stubs

3. Evidence of Rent Due can include, but is not limited to:

• Signed lease agreement
• Tenant ledger
• Demand or eviction notice
• Past payment receipts

4. Evidence of Financial Hardship (or other housing crisis) can include, but is not limited to:

• Self-attestation within the online application
• Additional documents may be requested on a case-by-case basis

5. Photo Identification

• Valid photo identification issued by any governmental entity (U.S. or foreign)
• All other acceptable forms of identification are listed in the TRUA Program Guidelines

We understand the urgency of your housing situation. If your Temporary Rental and Utility Assistance (TRUA) request was denied due to ineligibility and you believe that you are eligible, you may appeal this decision to the City and County of Denver's Department of Housing Stability (HOST).

You may submit an appeal using one of the following three methods:

1. Form: Complete and submit the online appeal form (español).
2. Email: Complete and email this PDF appeal form(PDF, 163KB) (español(PDF, 1MB)) to DenverTRUA@denvergov.org

   Subject Line: “[FirstName] [LastName] Appeal of TRUA Denial”

3. Mail: If needed, written appeals can be mailed to:

   Denver Dept. of Housing Stability (HOST) – TRUA
   201 W. Colfax Ave, 6th Floor
   Denver, CO 80202

For status updates, questions, and further assistance, including language access and technical support, please contact the CARE Center Monday - Friday, 8:30 am - 5:30 pm MT:

• Call or text: (303) 838-1200
• Live chat: https://carecenter.us/

For in-person help, contact:

Community Resource Connection Hub (By Elevated Denver) 
Located in the Westwood neighborhood
1000 S Lowell Blvd Denver, CO 80219
(720) 251-2850

BuCu West Community Connectors
Located in the Westwood neighborhood
4200 Morrison Rd. Unit 3 Denver, CO 80219
(720) 541-9324

Colorado Housing Connects
Located near the West Colfax and Sloan Lake neighborhoods
1 (844) 926-6632

East Colfax Community Collective (EC3)
ONLY serving residents who live in the 80220 zip code
Located in the East Colfax neighborhood
1195 Newport St. Denver, CO 80220
(720) 295-0152

For housing navigation support, tenant-landlord mediation, and other resources, reach out to Colorado Housing Connects: 1 (844) 926-6632 or https://coloradohousingconnects.org 

If you are facing a pending eviction, connect with an eviction legal assistance provider for free services as soon as possible:

• Community Economic Defense Project: (303) 838-1200 or https://cedproject.org/law
• Colorado Poverty Law Project: (303) 532-2641 or https://copovertylawproject.org
• Colorado Legal Services: (303) 837-1313 or https://coloradolegalservices.org

• Colorado Affordable Legal Services: (303) 996-0010 or https://coloradoaffordablelegal.com

Colorado Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program – helps homeowners get caught up on past-due housing/mobile home payments, property taxes, lot rent, insurance, and housing utilities

Colorado Housing Connects and 1-844-926-6632 – utility payment assistance, information on housing resources such as affordable housing, Tenant-Landlord Mediation services, and public benefits assistance

Denver Human Services (DHS) Emergency Assistance or 720-944-4DHS (4347) – limited emergency assistance funds available for deposit, first month rent, and rent assistance for households with a demand for rent or Eviction Notice as well as Xcel payment assistance

Energy Outreach Colorado– assistance with Xcel Energy electric or gas utilities (Denver County only)

Mile High United Way and call 211 – multilingual and confidential service that connects individuals to critical resources including food, shelter, rental assistance, childcare, and more 

Sunshine Home Share Colorado – assists people above the age of 55 stay in their homes by safely matching them with someone seeking housing