Affordable Housing in Denver, CO

This page collects the specific programs, agencies, phone numbers, and rules that apply in Denver and the Denver metro — not generic Section 8 advice. Two unusual features of Denver: DHA does not use a traditional Section 8 waitlist — it runs an annual fall lottery you must re-enter each year. And Colorado has source-of-income protection, plus a 2023 law that requires mediation before eviction for many tenants on disability or cash assistance. The named resources below are where to start.

Emergency Help Tonight in Denver

If you need a safe place to sleep tonight or are facing an imminent eviction, these are the local resources to contact first:

• Denver Rescue Mission — Denver's largest emergency shelter system. Lawrence Street Shelter for men, plus the 48th Avenue Center and other facilities. denverrescuemission.org
• Samaritan House (Catholic Charities) — emergency shelter for men, women, and families in Denver. Also operates in Greeley and Fort Collins
• Volunteers of America Colorado Branches — multiple shelters and supportive housing programs across the metro
• The Delores Project — emergency shelter for women and gender-nonconforming adults experiencing homelessness
• St. Francis Center — downtown day shelter with showers, mail, employment assistance, and case management
• Salvation Army Crossroads Center — emergency shelter for men
• Urban Peak — emergency shelter and supportive services for youth and young adults (15–24)
• SafeHouse Denver — domestic violence shelter and 24-hour crisis line: (303) 318-9989. Bilingual advocates
• Project Safeguard — DV legal advocacy and Spanish-language services
• 211 Colorado — free 24/7 information line for shelters, food, financial assistance, and social services

For a full walkthrough of finding shelter the first night, see our emergency housing tonight guide.

Section 8 in Denver: DHA Status and How to Apply

Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers in Denver are administered by the Denver Housing Authority (DHA). DHA operates differently from most U.S. PHAs — there is no traditional waitlist. Current status (May 2026):

• DHA does not use a traditional waitlist. Instead, DHA holds an online interest lottery registration once a year. Entries do not carry over from year to year — you must re-register each year. The 2026 lottery is expected to open in early fall 2026. Specific dates are announced in local papers, on the DHA phone system, and at denverhousing.org
• Eligibility: very low to low income for the Denver HUD Metro FMR Area. Eligibility is checked at the time you're invited from the lottery
• DHA Public Housing — separate program; DHA owns mixed-income communities across Denver including the Mariposa District and Sun Valley redevelopment. Check property-specific waitlists at DHA wait lists
• Colorado Division of Housing (DOH) vouchers — the state administers a separate HCV program for non-DHA areas. Check status at doh.colorado.gov
• Other special programs: Emergency Housing Vouchers (EHV), HUD-VASH for veterans, Mainstream vouchers for non-elderly people with disabilities — separate referral processes
• Apply to neighboring authorities too: Adams County Housing Authority, Arapahoe County, Aurora Housing Authority, Boulder County, and Jefferson County all run separate programs
• Status check: call DHA at 720-932-3000 if you have questions about your registration or eligibility

For the national application process, see our step-by-step Section 8 guide and how to find your PHA.

Emergency Rental Assistance in Denver (Named Programs)

If you're behind on rent or can't pay this month, these are the local programs currently operating in Denver. Funding shifts month to month — always call to confirm current availability:

• Colorado Emergency Rental Assistance (Division of Housing) — the statewide program uses a Daily Random Selection system for applications. A current application window closes June 10, 2026 at 5:00 PM. Eligibility includes income limits and a verifiable risk of eviction or displacement. doh.colorado.gov/emergency-rental-assistance
• Denver Emergency Rental Assistance Program (HOST) — administered by the Denver Department of Housing Stability for City and County of Denver residents. Local funding supplements the state program. denvergov.org HOST
• CARE Center — application support for state and local rental help. Call or text 303-838-1200 or 888-480-0066 Monday–Friday 8:30 AM–5:30 PM Mountain Time
• Colorado Coalition for the Homeless — Renters Rights & Eviction Resources — connects tenants with legal aid, shelter, and case management. coloradocoalition.org
• Colorado Legal Services — free legal help for low-income tenants statewide. coloradolegalservices.org
• Bayaud Enterprises & LiveDenver — landlord engagement and rental support for voucher holders
• Catholic Charities of Denver — emergency financial assistance, food, immigration legal services. Spanish-language services available
• St. Vincent de Paul Society of Denver — one-time emergency rental and utility help through local parish conferences
• Salvation Army Intermountain Division — eviction prevention and utility assistance at corps across Denver

Pandemic-era federal ERA has ended

The federal pandemic Emergency Rental Assistance Program funds have largely been spent. Colorado continues a state-funded ERA program with its Daily Random Selection approach, plus Denver's local HOST program. Don't waste time on old 2021–2023 application portals — apply through the current state portal or the City of Denver HOST page.

Utility assistance: LEAP

Colorado's LIHEAP is called LEAP (Low-Income Energy Assistance Program). Heating help is available November 1 through April 30. Apply through Colorado PEAK at coloradopeak.secure.force.com or call 1-866-432-8435. Lowering your utility bill frees up cash for rent.

Tenant Rights in Denver & Colorado

Colorado has been steadily strengthening tenant protections — Denver tenants benefit from a stack of recent state laws:

• Source-of-income protection is the law statewide: HB21-1245 (effective January 2021) made it illegal in Colorado for a non-exempt landlord to refuse to lease to a tenant based on lawful and verifiable source of income, including Section 8 vouchers, government assistance, rental aid, and other subsidies. File a discrimination complaint with the Colorado Civil Rights Division at ccrd.colorado.gov
• HB23-1120 — Eviction Protections for Vulnerable Tenants: if you receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Federal Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), or Colorado Works cash assistance, the landlord must participate in mandatory mediation before filing an eviction. Law enforcement officers cannot execute a writ of restitution against a tenant receiving cash assistance for at least 30 days after judgment (with exceptions). This is one of the strongest protections in the country for tenants on benefits
• 10-day notice to pay or quit for nonpayment (Colorado Revised Statutes § 13-40-104, as amended by recent legislation)
• Notice to end month-to-month: varies by tenancy length but generally 21–28 days. Check current statute
• Security deposit return: within 30 days (or up to 60 days if the lease specifies) of move-out with itemized deductions (CRS 38-12-103). Triple damages if landlord wrongfully withholds
• Warranty of habitability: CRS 38-12-503 requires landlords to provide habitable premises, comply with codes, and make repairs after written notice. Tenants have rent withholding and repair-and-deduct remedies under specific procedures
• Retaliatory eviction is illegal under CRS 38-12-509 if the landlord acts in response to good-faith tenant complaints or organizing within 120 days
• Self-help eviction is illegal: CRS 38-12-510 prohibits lockouts, utility shutoffs, and removal of belongings, with substantial penalties
• Just-cause eviction protections (2024 law): Colorado HB24-1098 limited the reasons a landlord can decline to renew certain leases. Check whether your tenancy is covered
• Fair housing: Colorado law protects more classes than federal law — including source of income, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, ancestry, and creed. The Colorado Civil Rights Division and Denver Office of the Independent Monitor / HUD handle complaints

For free legal help: Colorado Legal Services and the Colorado Poverty Law Project represent low-income tenants. For state-level details, see our Colorado housing resources. If you experience discrimination, see how to file a housing discrimination complaint.

Other Housing Programs in Denver

• Public housing: DHA owns mixed-income redeveloped communities including the Mariposa District in La Alma/Lincoln Park and Sun Valley. Application is separate from the HCV lottery
• LIHTC (Tax Credit): Denver has substantial LIHTC inventory growing through TIF and inclusionary development. Search HUD's LIHTC database for properties in Denver County. See how to find LIHTC housing
• Denver Affordable Housing Fund — city-funded financing for affordable housing development through HOST. New income-restricted apartments come online each year
• HUD-VASH (veterans): combines a voucher with VA case management. Denver-area veterans are referred through the VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System (Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center, Aurora). See how to apply for HUD-VASH
• Rapid Rehousing & Permanent Supportive Housing — coordinated through the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative (MDHI). Access via 211 or Coordinated Entry intake
• Colorado Division of Housing programs — Colorado Housing Connects, Down Payment Assistance, statewide HCV. doh.colorado.gov
• HUD-approved housing counseling: find a counselor through the HUD counselor locator — Brothers Redevelopment and Del Norte Neighborhood Development cover Denver

Next Steps

Not sure which program is right for you? Our Where to Start tool asks a few quick questions about your situation — emergency vs. long-term, family vs. individual, employed vs. on benefits — and routes you to the right combination of programs. It takes about two minutes.

Mark your calendar for the DHA lottery in early fall 2026 — entries don't carry over so you must re-register each year. If rent is due now, apply to both the Colorado state ERA Daily Random Selection and Denver's HOST program. If you receive SSI, SSDI, or Colorado Works and are facing eviction, HB23-1120 entitles you to mandatory mediation — invoke it.