Boulder County officials informed local nonprofits this week that a significant source of county funding for safety net services will be cut next year, citing declining state and federal contributions as well as the county鈥檚 budget constraints.
The decision comes as the county confronts a budget deficit for 2025, potentially forcing difficult tradeoffs among other core priorities. The funding reduction will impact critical services like emergency shelter, mental health care and rental assistance at a time of increasing demand.
The cuts will affect the county鈥檚 Community Partnership Grant program, which distributed $12.3 million in human services funding to dozens of nonprofits in 2024. Next year, the county plans to allocate about $7.9 million 鈥� a 36% decrease.
One of the largest beneficiaries of this grant is All Roads, . It received approximately $900,000 in county grant funding in 2024 but expects a 30% cut next year, according to Andy Schultheiss, the organization鈥檚 chief development and communications officer.
Schultheiss said the shelter is considering reducing the number of its emergency shelter beds. Earlier this year, it increased capacity from 160 to 180, but it still routinely turns people away due to a lack of capacity.
鈥淪tarting about a year ago, we started seeing an explosion of people trying to get beds at the shelter,鈥� Schultheiss told Boulder Reporting Lab. 鈥淭he timing [of the funding cut] is really bad because we are starting to make some progress in getting people off the streets,鈥� he added, referencing a slight reduction in the count of people sleeping outside.
The Emergency Family Assistance Association (EFAA), which uses county grant funds to provide rental assistance at a time when eviction case filings are rising, anticipates a 20% funding cut. This reduction could impact staffing and limit financial support for families, according to Julie Van Domelen, EFAA鈥檚 executive director.
鈥淯nfortunately, the fiscal year that we ended at the end of June, we saw the highest number of people ever coming to EFAA for services,鈥� Van Domelen said during a city council meeting earlier this month. 鈥淚n the face of high rents, we have had to increase the number of emergency appointments over the last two months for people coming in with 10-day notices for eviction.鈥�
Rocky Mountain Equality, formerly Out Boulder County, expects a 15% reduction in county grant funding. Without alternative funding, the nonprofit will likely reduce therapy slots for people on Medicaid, Medicare and those uninsured, according to Bruce Parker, deputy director of Rocky Mountain Equality. 鈥淭he therapy and case management services supported by these funds are life-saving and the demand for them increases year by year thus making them more costly to deliver,鈥� Parker wrote in an email to Boulder Reporting Lab.
The funding reductions come as county officials grapple with how to finance state-mandated human services programs following cuts in state and federal support, including Covid-19-related stimulus money, according to county officials. Such mandated programs include the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps, and the Colorado Childcare Assistance Program, for which the county recently stopped accepting new applications due to limited funds.
鈥淎ll of us as part of the safety net supporting Boulder County鈥檚 most vulnerable populations are experiencing funding shortfalls and we are encouraging continued collaboration among community organizations to maximize resources and minimize impacts to those we collectively serve,鈥� Boulder County鈥檚 commissioners wrote in a to nonprofits this week about the funding cuts.
The cuts have sparked concern among City of Boulder councilmembers, who are in the process of approving the city鈥檚 2025 budget while facing its own revenue challenges as federal stimulus money runs out. Some believe the county is not adequately supporting safety net programs. Others felt caught off guard.
鈥淚 believe that the County has failed to be a good partner with the City in providing these core services, and that we need to look to our own interests in funding these organizations, particularly in a period of high need and constrained financial resources,鈥� Councilmember Mark Wallch said in an email last week.
Councilmembers agreed they would draft a letter to the county commissioners with questions regarding the scope of the cuts and the potential impact on service providers.
John Herrick is a reporter with the Boulder Reporting Lab. His work frequently appears on-air at KUNC 91.5 FM and online at KUNC.org. Contact John at john@boulderreportinglab.org.