AURORA | As Aurora residents scramble to adjust their lives amid a cratering economy, the number of people applying for public assistance benefits in Arapahoe County nearly doubled between March 1 and last week, according to data compiled by county officials.

Applications to the county’s Program Eligibility and Application Kit (PEAK) jumped by nearly 93 percent between the week of March 1 and the week of March 15, according to county spokesman Luc Hatlestad.

Arapahoe County received 663 public assistance applications, which determine whether residents are eligible for food, cash, medical care and other benefits, between March 1 and March 7, according to Hatlestad. Last week, the county received 1,278 such applications.

The spike could be attributed, in part, to the county’s launch of the Colorado Works County Emergency Disaster Program last week, which loosened requirements for families applying to the local version of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program.

Launched on Friday, the program offers medical, nutritional and housing benefits to families with at least one child that “present a significant need for services directly related to the Covid-19 emergency,” according to county documents. Applicants must report an annual gross family income below $75,000.

People deemed eligible for the disaster program may receive up to $5,000 in benefits the same day they apply through Colorado.gov/PEAK.

The program also covers select home renovations, car repairs and purchases, counseling services and work supplies that were lost or damaged as a result of the pandemic.

Applications to Colorado Works surged by nearly 250 percent this month, leaping from 40 applications at the beginning of March to 137 applications last week, according to Hatlestad. Those numbers are folded into the aforementioned county PEAK application statistics.

The last time a Colorado county activated the reduced eligibility requirements for the disaster relief program was believed to be during the 2013 floods that decimated the St. Vrain valley, according to county officials.

The governor declared a state of emergency two weeks ago, and Arapahoe County did the same March 13.

The county extended its closure of all county buildings to the public on Tuesday. The public closure was slated to end this week, but will now run through at least April 17.

Arapahoe County residents are encouraged to email ColoradoWorksDisasterProgram@arapahoegov.com with questions about the Colorado Works emergency disaster program.