Colorado Mortgage Assistance: Homebuyer Programs and Help If You Are Behind

Colorado mortgage assistance for buyers and owners compared

Before you fill out anything, figure out which group you are in. Programs for buyers and programs for struggling owners are run by different people and follow different rules.

What happened to the Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program

From late 2022, the Colorado Department of Local Affairs, through its Division of Housing, ran the Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program, often called EMAP. It was paid for by Colorado's share of the federal Homeowner Assistance Fund (HAF), which Congress created in the American Rescue Plan to help homeowners who fell behind after the pandemic.

The Division of Housing closed the EMAP application portal at 5:00 p.m. on August 26, 2025, saying funds were close to running out. It said applications submitted before the deadline but not yet assigned to a reviewer would go on a waitlist, with help depending on remaining money. The U.S. Treasury's Homeowner Assistance Fund page now states that the HAF period of performance ended on September 30, 2026, and that recipients may no longer use HAF money to help homeowners. In plain terms, no new EMAP payments should be expected.

If you applied before the deadline and never heard back, it is still worth contacting the Division of Housing to confirm your file's final status, especially if you need a letter for your servicer. If you are hearing about EMAP for the first time, skip it and go straight to the options below.

CHFA down payment assistance for homebuyers

The Colorado Housing and Finance Authority is a self-funded state authority that offers home loans and down payment help through a network of participating lenders. You do not apply to CHFA directly. You apply with a lender that is approved to offer CHFA loans.

According to CHFA's down payment assistance materials, borrowers can choose one of two options:

The two options may be priced differently on the first mortgage rate, so ask your lender to show you the monthly payment and total cost both ways. A few hundred dollars a year in extra interest can outweigh a grant if you plan to stay a long time.

CHFA also offers programs aimed at first-generation buyers and buyers using Housing Choice Vouchers toward homeownership. Program names, rates, and limits change, so treat any list you see online, including this one, as a starting point and confirm with a participating lender.

Qualifying for a CHFA loan

CHFA sets the rules, and lenders apply them. The common requirements are:

• Homebuyer education. CHFA requires every borrower and co-borrower to individually complete a CHFA-approved homebuyer education class, online or in person, before closing. The certificate is valid for 12 months.
• Income and purchase price limits. These vary by county, by household size, and by program. CHFA publishes current limits; we do not repeat them here because third-party sites often show outdated figures.
• Credit score. Lenders and housing sites commonly cite a 620 middle credit score minimum for CHFA programs. Confirm the current minimum for the loan you want with your lender.
• Your own contribution. Most programs require you to put in some of your own money, often around $1,000. Ask your lender.
• Primary residence. The home must be where you live.

Your credit score affects both whether you qualify and the rate you get. Pull your free credit reports, dispute any errors, and pay down small balances a few months before you apply. Some cities and counties, including Denver, Boulder County, and Longmont, run their own down payment programs with separate income limits, and some can be layered with CHFA. A HUD-approved counselor can tell you which ones apply where you want to buy.

Options when you are behind on payments

With EMAP closed, the most powerful source of help is the company that collects your payment, your mortgage servicer. Servicers have tools that can stop a foreclosure and lower or pause payments, and federal rules set the process.

Workout options to ask about

• Forbearance: payments are paused or reduced for a short time while you recover.
• Repayment plan: you add part of the missed amount to regular payments until you catch up.
• Loan modification: the servicer changes the rate, term, or balance to make payments affordable.
• Partial claim or deferral: for FHA and some other loans, missed payments move into a 0% lien due when the loan ends.
• Short sale or deed in lieu: if keeping the home is not realistic, these end the loan without a foreclosure sale.

Your federal rights

Under federal mortgage servicing rules (12 CFR 1024.41), a servicer generally cannot start foreclosure until you are more than 120 days behind. If you send a complete loss mitigation application more than 37 days before a scheduled sale, the servicer must review it and give you a decision in writing. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau explains these rights in does my servicer have to help me avoid foreclosure.

Help by loan type

• Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae loans have standard workout options. Freddie Mac lists them on its options to stay in your home page.
• VA loans: the VA has loan technicians who can talk to your servicer for you. See VA help if you are having trouble making payments and our foreclosure assistance for veterans guide.
• FHA and USDA loans have their own options, including partial claims. A housing counselor can confirm what applies.

Our mortgage relief programs guide explains each option in more depth.

Free help from HUD-approved housing counselors

A HUD-approved housing counselor is a trained, nonprofit advisor who can review your budget, help you fill out a workout application, and talk to your servicer. The service is free for foreclosure prevention. Find one through the HUD housing counselor search or by calling 800-569-4287.

Counselors are especially useful when you have a second mortgage, HOA dues, or a property tax bill also falling behind, because they can look at all your housing debts together. In the Denver area, the Community Economic Defense Project also says it assists clients at risk of losing a home to foreclosure. Statewide, Colorado Legal Services offers free civil legal help to eligible low-income residents; ask 211 for the office that covers your county.

How foreclosure works in Colorado

Most Colorado foreclosures run through the county public trustee, an official who handles the sale of homes under a deed of trust. The general path is that the lender files foreclosure papers with the public trustee, notices are mailed and published, a sale date is set, and the home is sold at auction unless the default is cured or the case is stopped.

Two things are worth knowing early:

• The right to cure. Colorado law lets an owner bring the loan current before the sale. County public trustee forms say a written notice of intent to cure must be filed at least 15 calendar days before the first scheduled sale date. After that, the trustee asks the lender for the cure amount.
• Servicer conduct rules. Colorado law requires servicers to give borrowers a single point of contact and limits "dual tracking," which means pushing a sale while a complete workout application is pending. If you think these rules were broken, you can complain to the Colorado Attorney General's office or the CFPB. A complaint alone does not stop a sale, so keep working with a counselor or lawyer at the same time.

Foreclosure timelines and deadlines are strict. Read every letter from the public trustee the day it arrives, mark the dates, and get legal help before the cure deadline passes.

Property tax and senior relief

For many Colorado owners, especially older owners with a paid-off or nearly paid-off home, property tax is the bill that threatens the home. Two state programs can help:

• PTC rebate. The Colorado Department of Revenue's Property Tax/Rent/Heat Credit (PTC) rebate pays up to $1,178 a year to eligible low-income seniors. For 2025, you must have lived in Colorado all year, be 65 or older (or a surviving spouse 58 or older) by December 31, 2025, and have total income under $19,094 if single or $25,788 if married. The 2025 deadline is December 31, 2027, and 2024 claims are due December 31, 2026. People with disabilities under 65 generally claim the Disability Assistance Credit on an income tax return instead.
• Property tax deferral. The Colorado Department of the Treasury runs a program that lets seniors 65 and older and active military service members postpone property taxes through a low-interest loan, which becomes a lien on the home. Applications go through the county treasurer, and the yearly deadline has been April 1. It is a loan, not forgiveness, so weigh it carefully with a counselor.

Freeing up cash for the mortgage

Lowering other bills can be the difference between keeping up and falling behind. Apply for everything you qualify for:

• Heating bills: Colorado's Low-income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP) begins accepting applications November 1, 2026, for households up to 60% of state median income. Call 1-866-HEAT-HELP (1-866-432-8435).
• Food: SNAP can add up to $306 a month for one person from October 2026. Check the USDA SNAP eligibility rules.
• Local funds: 2-1-1 Colorado lists county programs, charities, and utility hardship funds that sometimes help with a housing payment.

Avoiding mortgage relief scams

When a state program closes, scammers often step in with look-alike offers. The CFPB's guide on how to spot and avoid foreclosure relief scams lists the warning signs. Be careful if anyone:

• Charges a fee before doing any work, or says to stop paying your lender and pay them instead.
• Claims to be from "Colorado mortgage relief" or a government program that has closed.
• Asks you to sign over the deed to your home.
• Promises a loan modification or a stopped foreclosure for certain.

Real HUD-approved counseling is free, and you can always call your servicer yourself.

What to do this week, step by step

1. Open every letter from your servicer and the public trustee, and write down any sale or cure dates.
2. Call a HUD-approved housing counselor at 800-569-4287 or through the HUD search tool.
3. Call your servicer and ask for a loss mitigation application. Ask what documents make it complete.
4. Send the full application as early as you can, keep copies, and get proof of delivery.
5. Cut other costs with LEAP, SNAP, and 2-1-1 Colorado referrals.
6. Get legal help right away if a sale date is set.
7. Buyers: take a CHFA-approved homebuyer class and talk to a participating lender about the grant versus the second mortgage.

Related guides

• Mortgage relief programs
• Colorado rent relief program
• Foreclosure assistance for veterans
• Catholic Charities mortgage assistance

Frequently asked questions

This guide is general information, not legal, tax, or financial advice. CHFA terms, income limits, and state program rules change, so confirm details with a participating lender, counselor, or the agency before you act. National Relief Program is an independent website and is not affiliated with CHFA, the State of Colorado, or any government agency.