Resources for Individuals

State, Local, and Community Resources

Our local Summit County community has a variety of assistance available to individuals whose income was impacted by COVID-19, including rental assistance, food assistance, local mental and physical health resources and a list of employers currently hiring.

Colorado Division of Housing Emergency Rental Assistance

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Colorado Department of Local Affairs’ Division of Housing (DOH) has launched emergency rental assistance programs for both landlords and tenants. Visit the Division of Housing’s Emergency Rental Assistance webpage for more information and to apply.

Local Rent/Food/Health Assistance Programs

Financial Assistance

If you are an employee of a business that was impacted by COVID-19 and are out of work or working reduced hours, there are many state and federal resources available and steps you can take to get the assistance you need.

Unemployment Insurance

Apply online for State of Colorado unemployment benefits.
If you are a gig-economy worker, independent contractor or are self-employed, you are NEWLY eligible for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance(PUA) benefits. The eligibility window is January 27, 2020 through December 31, 2020.
New work-search requirements are in place. You are now required to complete work-search activities every week to be paid benefits unless you are job attached. View the new work-search requirements here.
Check what benefits you are eligible to receive on this chart provided by CDLE.
Estimate your unemployment benefit on the calculator provided by CDLE.
The extra $600 Pandemic Unemployment Compensation(PUC) has expired. This additional benefit was only available between March 29, 2020 and July 31, 2020.

Direct Economic Impact Payments

Direct payments to taxpayers equal to $1,200 per individual ($2,400 joint return) plus $500 per child will be sent to you, no action is needed for most people. Payment amounts phase out for incomes above $75,000 ($150,000 joint).Payments began arriving on April 11, 2020. The IRS answers frequently asked questions here.
If you filed a 2018 or 2019 tax return and already have direct deposit information set up with the IRS, you do not need to provide your information again.
AN IMPORTANT UPDATE ON YOUR ECONOMIC IMPACT PAYMENTS: the IRS has rolled out their portal for updating direct deposit information for non-filers. By providing this information non-filers will get their payment sooner.
Filers are now able to track their Economic Impact Payments online here through the IRS.

State Food Assistance Programs

- Apply online for Food Assistance programs through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), as well as Food Distribution Programs through the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
- The Food Assistance Program provides monthly benefits to low-income households in Summit County to assist with the cost of food. These benefits are deposited monthly onto an EBT card.
- You may be eligible for food assistance if you:
  - Are unemployed, work part time or work for low wages
  - Only households who are or have children that are U.S. citizens and/or legal permanent residents are eligible for Food Assistance.

Paid Sick Leave

Two weeks of paid sick leave between April 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020 for the purpose of COVID-19 are now required by most employers under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. Leave to care for yourself will be your full pay, leave to care for a family member will be two-thirds your pay. A request for paid sick leave should be given directly to your employer. Learn about your rights, qualifying reasons for sick leave and what businesses are exempt here.
Employees employed for at least 30 days are also eligible for up to an additional 10 weeks of paid family leave to care for a child under certain circumstances related to COVID-19. Keep in mind, small businesses with fewer than 50 employees may qualify for exemption from the requirement to provide leave due to school closings or child care unavailability if the leave requirements would jeopardize the viability of the business. FAQs from the Department of Labor on paid leave.

Tax Deadlines

Colorado’s state tax payment deadline was moved to July 15, 2020; interest and penalties were waived. The extension applies to all filers, both individuals and businesses with no limits. This guidance does not change the April 15 filing deadline.
The U.S. Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) have issued guidance allowing all individual and other non-corporate tax filers to defer up to $1 million of federal income tax (including self-employment tax) payments due on April 15, 2020, until July 15, 2020, without penalties or interest. The guidance also allows corporate taxpayers a similar deferment of up to $10 million of federal income tax payments that would be due on April 15, 2020, until July 15, 2020, without penalties or interest. This guidance does not change the April 15 filing deadline.

Health Resources

Health Insurance

The State of Colorado has opened an emergency Special Enrollment period for health insurance March 20 through NEW DEADLINE, April 30, 2020 to help as many people as possible protect their health and safety during the COVID-19 outbreak. Visit connectforhealthco.com for more information and enroll.

Personal Health Resources

For those with questions about COVID-19 and their own health status, CO-HELP is Colorado’s call line for general questions about the virus, providing answers in many languages including English, Spanish, Mandarin and more. It can be reached at 303-389-1687 or 1-877-462-2911, seven days a week between 8:00 am and 7:00 pm.
Telephone consultations with nurses – including free options – also can be arranged through this State of Colorado website.

Industry-Specific Employee Support

Below are resources and emergency assistance opportunities for workers in the hospitality, domestic, and arts industries who were displaced by COVID-19. The Colorado Department of Economic Development & International Trade is providing an updated larger list of alternative financial support and funding.

Bar and Restaurant

USBG Bartender Emergency Assistance Program offers financial grant assistance to bartenders and their families.
One Fair Wage Emergency Coronavirus Tipped and Service Worker Fund provides cash assistance to restaurant workers, car service drivers, delivery workers, personal service workers and more.
Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation offers financial relief to restaurant workers.
Service industry workers are front line workers, and there are many elements of this job which can be very stressful. Building Hope has a support group for restaurant employees, and separately, for resturant managers.

The Arts

Domestic

Additional Information and Resources

The Summit Chamber of Commerce nicely summarizes the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act passed on March 18, 2020. This covers unemployment insurance changes, changes to FMLA, emergency paid sick leave, mortgages, and student loans.
The Colorado Office of Economic Trade and Development is more business oriented, however has information and links for the unemployment insurance program, work-share program, and Workforce Development centers.
211 Colorado is a state-wide resource site for all things COVID-19.

More Information To Come

This page was last updated on June 30, 2020; and our Frisco SERT staff will continue to sift through new information and provide resources as it becomes available.

Please email us with more specific questions, and we will work on finding answers.