Aurora launches new round of rental aid for those gutted by pandemic

AURORA | As the third wave of the COVID-19 contagion continues to ravage the region and the world, the City of Aurora is again offering a financial balm to qualified, local renters.

City officials this week opened a third round of rental assistance to residents who have lost their jobs or otherwise faced financial struggle due to the pandemic.

The application can be found here.

Applicants must have a current lease in the city and prove their financial burdens with pay stubs and communications from healthcare providers on letterhead.

This round of funding is underwritten by some $1 million in federal grant dollars.

Funds will be dispensed directly to landlords and cannot exceed current fair market rents as determined by the federal department of Housing and Urban Development. In 2020, that equates to $1,260 for a one-bedroom apartment across the metro area, according to current HUD calculations. The total bumps to $1,566 for a two-bedroom dwelling.

Assistance will be limited to residents whose household income is at or below 80% of the area median, which current federal estimates peg at $56,000 for a single person, and $80,000 for a family of four.

Those who receive housing vouchers from other entities or programs are not eligible to apply, according to the city. Homeowners with mortgages in the city are also barred from the program.

The city launched the rental assistance program in May with federal funding and local marijuana tax revenue. Some 560 households received a total of nearly $2 million in aid in the program’s first two rounds last year, according to City Spokesman Michael Bryant.

This latest application period will be open until funds run out, according to the city.

Anyone with questions about the application for the city’s rental assistance program is encouraged to call 303-739-7937 or email coaches-rentassist@auroragov.org.