Arapahoe County is putting $200,000 in funding from Proposition 123 toward housing stability services via a program to target at-risk people, county officials said in a news release. 

The county is one of four organizations in Colorado to get money from the proposition for Colorado Emergency Rental Assistance for Housing Stability Services, according to the release. 

Arapahoe County’s program to provide services with money from the Department of Local Affairs will start in February. Services to help with housing include application assistance, case management, community outreach and resource referrals to individuals and families facing financial hardships that threaten their housing security. 

The funding comes from voter-approved Proposition 123, which created the State Affordable Housing Fund, 40% of which goes to the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA). The other 60% of the funds are overseen by the Office of Economic Development and International Trade to fund housing programs. 

Proposition 123 earmarks about 2% of income tax revenue for affordable housing, which is then provided through grants and loans to nonprofit agencies, community land trusts, nonprofit and for-profit developers and local governments, like Arapahoe County.

“Housing is one of the focus areas of the Board of County Commissioners’ strategic plan, as it is one of the most critical components of quality of life,” the county’s news release said.

There are two key features of the new program.

Housing navigators will provide application assistance for rental applications, helping people coordinate with landlords to get necessary documentation. It will also include outreach efforts to engage with underserved communities, including non-English speakers, people with disabilities and those with limited technology access, according to the release.

“This program is about more than just rental assistance,” said Katherine Smith, director of community resources for Arapahoe County. “It’s about providing stability and a lifeline to those in our community who need it the most.”

There were 650 people experiencing homelessness in Arapahoe County’s 2024 Point in Time homeless count.