Utilities

• Colorado awards grant funds to assist low-income families and individuals with home heating bills. Buildings zoned for residency in Colorado may incur heating costs from the use of electricity, natural gas or propane. The LEAP program pays a portion of the utility costs that go toward heating a home or apartment during the winter season, which typically runs between November and April. Each county in the state is responsible for processing applications, and it may take up to 50 days before a county office awards available grant funds.
  
  

Community Development

• The Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG) strives to benefit low and moderate income families by improving neighborhood facilities. Colorado provides grant funds to city and county governments that wish to undertake large-scale projects. These projects may include building higher-quality housing in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods. Grant funds under the CDBG program also go toward the construction of public facilities, such as libraries and recreational buildings. County and city governments may also use grant funds to entice businesses to locate in low-income neighborhoods in order to increase viable employment opportunities.
  
  

Community Service

• Colorado administers a Community Service Block Grant Program (CSBG). Under the program, grant funds go toward reducing the root causes of low-income in certain communities. The CSBG grant program seeks to improve conditions in impoverished communities through employment, health care, housing and educational services. A combination of 40 counties and Native American tribal communities in the state receive grant funds on an annual basis. One of the requirements under the program is that fund recipients must actively address poverty conditions.
  
  

Housing Assistance

• A certain amount of state grant funds go toward rental assistance for individuals and families. County offices manage the application process and distribute funds to applicants who receive approval. Approximately 30 different counties currently offer rental assistance. Colorado also provides grant funds to nonprofit organizations and housing authorities, which may go toward remodeling costs of existing housing facilities that are sub-par. The state's Division of Housing also distributes grant funds to homeless shelters that provide temporary and emergency housing.