Funding Areas

Strengthening low- and moderate-income Coloradans’ ability to achieve or sustain affordable homeownership through:

  • Financial literacy
  • Foreclosure prevention
  • Home rehabilitation, repairs, and renovations to ensure livability, adaptability, and mobility
  • Housing counseling, including homebuyer pre/post education
  • Reducing barriers to homeownership for diverse, rural, and/or economically disadvantaged populations
  • Utility assistance or energy‑efficiency improvements to reduce household expenses

Strengthening low- and moderate-income Coloradans’ ability to achieve or sustain affordable rental housing through:

  • Providing support and wrap-around services for residents such as 
    • Collaborative partnerships providing increased food access, health, mobility, and energy cost assistance for tenants
    • Eviction prevention
    • Fair housing support
    • Housing and services navigation
    • Rental assistance
    • Tenant legal aid
  • Support for people experiencing homelessness 

Strengthening low- and moderate-income Coloradans’ ability to achieve economic prosperity through:

  • Child care for low- and moderate-income households
  • Entrepreneurship, leadership, or business-readiness education
  • Job training and skill development
  • Support for career readiness in construction and trades
  • Increasing access to or achievement in early childhood education, K-12, higher education, financial education, mentoring, or narrowing the education gap particularly among diverse, rural, and/or economically disadvantaged populations.
  • *Due to limited funding, CHFA’s Corporate Giving Programs are unable to fund individual schools, school districts, or school district foundations unless the request is for a clear and direct link to affordable housing. Through its Direct Effect program, CHFA is unable to support scholarship programs outside of its direct support of Colorado higher education institutions through the Building the Future scholarship program. CHFA will consider event sponsorship requests for scholarship programs but has a limited budget so it will prioritize funding for organizations serving historically disadvantaged communities.
  • Increasing access to nutritious and affordable food for low- and moderate-income Coloradans and those from economically disadvantaged populations

Eligibility Criteria

Eligible nonprofit and not-for-profit organizations include public housing authorities, cities, counties, and local municipalities.

Colorado Housing and Finance Authority’s contribution is restricted to supporting the general operations and programs of the organization and may not be used to support any activity proscribed by Section 1-45-117 of the Colorado Fair Campaign Practices Act or advocacy in support or opposition to any state, federal, or local legislation.

Faith-based organizations are eligible to apply for funding if they have clear policies and practices that state that anyone is eligible for services, regardless of their faith. CHFA does not discriminate in eligibility solely on an applicant’s religious character. However, based on the historic and substantial state interest against using public funds or moneys to aid a church or establish or support any religion or sectarian purpose, CHFA does not fund religious activities, programs, or organizations that require an individual to participate in religious activity or receive religious information or materials as a condition of receiving services from those organizations. CHFA’s funds may not be used to further a religious doctrine or sectarian purpose.

Funds may not be used for predevelopment costs, gap funding, or construction costs for single family or multifamily housing projects. Funds may not be used to fund mobile home park infrastructure. Funds may not be used for repairs or rehabilitation of multifamily properties. Individual home repair and/or rehab to ensure livability, energy efficiency, adaptability, and mobility for homeowners is an eligible use of funds.

Funds may not be used to prepare a site or application for a future state Affordable Housing Tax Credit or federal Housing Tax Credit (HTC) application.

CHFA is unable to fund individual schools, school districts, or school district foundations unless the request is for a clear and direct link to affordable housing. Through its Direct Effect program, CHFA is unable to support scholarship programs outside of its direct support of Colorado higher education institutions through the Building the Future scholarship program. CHFA will consider event sponsorship requests for scholarship programs but has a limited budget so will prioritize funding for organizations serving historically disadvantaged communities.

CHFA does not typically fund pass through organizations except for in response to emergency situations.

CHFA’s financial support must be directed to serve Coloradans only.

Organizations may only be awarded one Direct Effect grant in a 12-month period.

  • If an organization received an award in Round One 2025 (announced July 2025), it will be eligible to apply in either round of 2026. Please ensure your grant report is submitted prior to your next application.
  • If an organization received an award in Round Two 2025 (announced December 2025), it will be eligible to apply in either round of 2027. Please ensure your grant report is submitted prior to your next application.