Clients
COMMUNITY SUPPORTS FAQ
Thank you for reaching out to ACCESS Housing. Many of our most commonly-asked questions are below. If you have a question not answered here, please contact us at info@acchouse.org.
FAMILY SHELTER PROGRAM
ACCESS Housing and its Family Shelter Program are directly connected to Adams County TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families). All families must meet TANF eligibility to qualify for the Family Shelter Program and be referred to us by Adams County TANF.
Families can be referred in two ways:
Adams County TANF Case Worker — If your family is on TANF and has been assigned a TANF Case Worker, you can request that your TANF Case Worker make a referral directly to our program. Each month ACCESS Housing receives a Referral/Wait List from Adam County’s TANF program.
Community Provider — Throughout Adams County, various community providers assisting families who are experiencing homelessness can make a preliminary referral as to openings within ACCESS Housing’s Family Shelter Program. If you are on TANF or TANF eligible and receiving services from one of the following organizations, the organization can make a referral to our Family Shelter Program on your behalf. Based on preliminary information collected from the community provider confirming potential eligibility, ACCESS Housing will request the family be added to Adams County TANF Wait List, as the final authority for approval or denial of all referrals and confirmation of eligibility to our Family Shelter Program.
The list of organizations we currently accept referrals from include:
– Adams 12 School District
– Adams County CSWB Street Outreach team
– Adams County TANF
– Brighton Housing Authority
– Colorado Legal Services
– Commerce City Housing Authority
– Community Reach
Please Note: If you are applying to various assistance providers across the county & state based on perceived backlogs and wait lists, you will be asked to complete a “Duplicate of Benefits” when you receive funding from ACCESS Housing in which you will have to disclose all related submissions. With both the CARES Act and the American Rescue Plan, “double-dipping” is not allowed and funders are now coordinating across multiple providers to limit any duplications.
Our Family Shelter Program is a partnership between ACCESS Housing and Adams County TANF. The program is 9-weeks in length and is designed as transitional housing program meant to support families as they work to obtain permanent housing via the TANF Program. The program is not meant to be ongoing permanent housing. During the program, ACCESS Housing will conduct a comprehensive intake assessment to understand the needs of the family in order to provide them with appropriate supportive services. Families will have their own two-bedroom apartment with access to cleaning and cooking supplies. An ACCESS Housing case manager will meet weekly with the family to assist them with their housing search and provide them with any supportive services. These ACCESS Housing resources work in conjunction with the Adams County TANF Case Manager. As with all TANF services, the head of household is ultimately responsible for applying to housing, ongoing TANF benefits and final approvals. ACCESS Housing is here to help coach, mentor and guide any and all family members through various resources available via TANF.
Once the family has been approved for their new housing rental, ACCESS Housing can assist with payments related to the family’s first month rent and deposit.
ACCESS Housing is a low-barrier shelter and does not require that families have steady employment coming into our program nor as part of eligibility. HOWEVER, families who have been assigned a TANF Case Worker will still be required to be in compliance with any requirements set forth by TANF. Ultimately, at the end of our 9-week program the combined goal is to get the family into permanent housing, so income and employment potential are discussed during our 9-week program related to future expenses related to long-term housing. Remember, ACCESS Housing is only a temporary shelter program.
ACCESS Housing is a low-barrier shelter and does not require that participants demonstrate sobriety while in the program. However, participants are forbidden from using any illicit substances while in their unit and must go off-property to engage in any illicit substance use. If staff feel that a participant’s drug use is creating a danger for others on property, the participant could be involuntarily discharged from the program.
HOMELESS PREVENTION PROGRAM (i.e. direct assistance):
In most cases, ACCESS Housing is able to provide limited assistance in the following amounts per family:
Rental/Mortgage Assistance — Maximum of three months of assistanceMove in Costs — No more than first month’s rent and deposit
Utility Assistance — No more than $1500 in utility assistance. (This can be a combination of utilities, but the request must be at the same time. For example, back months of water & electric and based on the current grants under contract.)
Please note that due to high demand, ACCESS Housing is only able to fulfill assistance requests for families one time per every 12 rolling months.
Example: A family who received rental assistance funds from our agency in November 2020 would need to wait until November 2021 until they became eligible to re-apply for funding.
Our agency posts a link on our website where families can apply each month for rental, utility or mortgage assistance beginning the 1st — 10th of each month. The application is available in both English and Spanish. Families who are unable to complete the application online can call us at 303-289-7078 for assistance.
Please note: You must be an Adams County resident as the first criteria for our assistance efforts.
ACCESS Housing requires that families provide supporting documentation to demonstrate they are eligible to receive direct assistance funds and to also meet the requirements set forth by our funders. We require that families provide us with the following documentation in order to receive assistance:
Valid Identification — All adults in the home must provide a valid and current ID such as a state ID, Driver’s License, Permanent Resident Card, Passport, Birth Certificate or Social Security Card. All children in the home must have a valid Birth Certificate or Social Security Card.
Proof of Income — All adult household members must be able to provide supporting proof of income documentation. An ACCESS team member will provide you with documentation requirements based on what type of income the family is declaring and funding requirements. For families who have no income, they will need to complete a form to declare they have no income.
Proof of Address — All families will need to show supporting documentation for proof of address. For families who are renting, they will need to provide a signed and current lease agreement with the name of the Head of Household clearly listed. For families who have a mortgage, they will need to show their most recent mortgage statement. (Please note: Those requesting the assistance and those listed on the lease/mortgage agreements must be one-in-the-same and documentation must confirm information provided.)
Demand Letter — All families need to provide a demand letter. For rentals, this is a letter completed by the landlord documenting the amount owed. For utilities, this would include a letter of demand provided by their utility company for the outstanding amount that must have the Head of Household member’s name attached to the address. For mortgages, this would be a letter written by the mortgage servicer for the amount owed or the family’s most recent mortgage statement for the amount being requested.
Please note: A Demand Letter from the landlord or mortgage company is different than a Court Ordered Eviction Notice filed.
W-9 from your leasing and/or mortgage provider — For families requesting rental or mortgage assistance, you will need to have your landlord or mortgage servicer provide a W-9 form. Most providers already have this form completed and on file for just such a request.
This form is NOT to be completed by the family. An ACCESS Housing team member can e-mail this form directly to the landlord or mortgage servicer once you provide us with their contact information if needed. Please Note, the completed form must be sent back to ACCESS Housing prior to the assistance appointment.
ACCESS Housing is able to help families one time per every rolling 12 months. This means that a family assisted by ACCESS Housing in November of 2020 would not be eligible for assistance again until November of 2021.
Please Note: If you are applying to various assistance providers across the county & state based on perceived backlogs and wait lists, you will be asked to complete a “Duplicate of Benefits” when you receive funding from ACCESS Housing in which you will have to disclose all related submissions. With both the CARES Act and the American Rescue Plan, “double-dipping” is not allowed and funders are now coordinating across multiple providers to limit any duplications.
GENERAL BUSINESS INFORMATION:
ACCESS Housing has regular business hours Monday – Thursday 8AM – 6PM. Families may leave us a voicemail after hours at 303-289-7078 or e-mail us at info@acchouse.org. However, please allow 1-2 business days for a response.
Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, ACCESS Housing is not accepting walk-in appointments for our Family Shelter or Homeless Prevention Program. Families can always call us or e-mail us at info@acchouse.org to request more information about the programs.
