Gov. Jared Polis has amended and extended an executive order pertaining to COVID-19 recovery efforts and rental housing eviction protection.
“The order extends directives that provide tenants who have a pending application for emergency rental assistance with 30 days to make past-due rental payments rather than 10 days,” the governor’s office said Saturday in a news release.
The order also rescinds all remaining provisions on unemployment insurance and returns funds — $16,104,806, allocated to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment — to the Disaster Emergency Fund.
This past week, after the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the federal eviction moratorium, Polis said he was considering extending emergency rental protection in Colorado beyond September if rental assistance applications are backlogged.
On July 30, one day before a federal eviction moratorium expired, Polis extended state protections under an executive order that took effect Aug. 1. Colorado landlords must provide tenants with 30 days of notice before evicting them for not paying rent. During those 30 days, tenants can stop the eviction by showing they are awaiting money from a rental assistance fund.
“We have lost over 7,000 Coloradans to COVID-19. Hundreds of thousands of Coloradans have become ill, and our healthcare professionals continue to work tirelessly to ensure that COVID-19 patients are treated with the best medical care we can offer,” Polis said in the executive order dated Saturday.
Saturday’s order authorized continuance of the Colorado National Guard to support and provide planning resources to state and local authorities for the recovery.
Saturday’s amended and extended executive order is scheduled to expire 30 days from Sept. 4, unless extended further by an executive order.
Applicants for rental assistance can call or text 1-888-480-0066; Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday or from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturdays. Or visit the Colorado Emergency Rental Assistance Program website at https://cdola.colorado.gov/rental-mortgage-assistance for assistance and to provide the information to complete an application.
