DENVER — Homeowners in Colorado are making use of emergency pandemic mortgage relief funds to help pay off their homeowners association debts.

The Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program (EMAP) provides assistance for qualifying homeowners who have experienced financial hardship related to the COVID-19 pandemic to make their mortgage payments and keep their homes. The program can also help homeowners cover other household expenses, including property taxes, utility bills, and HOA payments.

The program launched in 2021 with $175 million in funding. About $124.5 million remains to assist homeowners, Colorado’s Division of Housing in the Department of Local Affairs said this week. Payment data compiled by the Division of Housing last month showed the program had assisted 229 households with payments to HOAs and metro districts totaling more than $915,000. 

HOA delinquencies can snowball, often accruing late fees and interest, and can escalate to lawsuits and even foreclosure. The EMAP program can cover HOA fees assessed after January 2020 for eligible homeowners. 

EMAP funding comes from Colorado’s allocation of federal American Rescue Plan Act homeowner assistance funds. Homeowners are required to meet certain requirements to qualify, including demonstrating they have experienced a COVID-related impact to their finances since January 2020, and showing their income is equal or less than 100% of Area Median Income in their county. 

Homeowners are not required to have an outstanding mortgage to qualify for HOA assistance, state officials said.

Information about applying for the program can be found here.

Brittany Freeman is the executive producer of investigative journalism at Rocky Mountain PBS. You can reach her at brittanyfreeman@rmpbs.org.