SAFETY NET PROGRAMS

Group of people putting their hands together
Kids smiling
True North Youth Program students and volunteers

Housing Opportunity Fund

Funded through the generosity of many full and part-time residents in the region our, Housing Opportunity Fund (HOF) provides forgivable loans to qualified buyers and grants to renters moving into housing they’ve obtained. These loans and grants are intended to lend a hand in the form of financial support for those ‘last mile’ housing acquisition costs: down payment or closing costs for buyers, or first/last month rent or security deposit for renters.

Guidelines and the HOF application will be available here on the Telluride Foundation’s website beginning May 1st, 2023. If you need assistance prior to that please visit The Trust For Community Housing  WEBSITE.

For more information on the HOF or the Telluride Foundation’s Community Housing Initiative contact Elaine Demas at elaine@telluridefoundation.org.

The Good Neighbor Fund

The Telluride Foundation established the “Good Neighbor Fund” to provide emergency assistance for local families and individuals with limited resources in times of financial crisis. The goal of the Good Neighbor Fund is to help individuals stay in the community and households stay intact during times of financial crisis. The Fund achieves this by providing one-time hardship grants to assist with certain qualified needs, including housing, transportation or medical treatment.  More information and the application can be found here.

The Ouray Community Response Fund provides emergency assistance for people in Ouray County.  This fund is available for those who have lived and worked in Ouray County for at least one year.  More information and the application (which is the same as the Good Neighbor Fund application) can be found here.

Energy Assistance

Through a state program called Energy Outreach Colorado we are able to provide bill payment assistance to regional households who can’t afford their home energy costs. If you need assistance paying your heating bills, please click HERE for more information.

Medical Assistance Programs

From helping community members obtain health insurance through the Colorado Health Exchange to providing free in-school dental care and transportation to medical appointments, Tri County Health Network offers 20+ direct service programs to our community. Visit Tri County Heath Network’s website for more information.

Mental Health/Behavioral Health Resources

Tri-County Health Network provides a variety of behavioral health resources and their website also provides a list of crisis resources. https://tchnetwork.org/behavioral_health/