REALTORS® Announce $2 million relief grant for victims of Boulder County fires
Application process now open to displaced residents
ENGLEWOOD, CO – The Colorado Association of REALTORS® Foundation has been awarded a $2 million grant from the REALTORS® Relief Foundation to be distributed to victims of the December 2021 fires that ravaged Boulder County, destroying more than 1,000 residential properties.
Funded through donations from REALTORS® and REALTOR® organizations and administered by the Colorado Association of REALTORS® Foundation, the grant will provide eligible applicants up to $3,000 of assistance per household impacted by the recent fires. Funding is available on a first-come, first-served basis to qualified applicants, victims of the Boulder County fires who have been displaced from their primary residence, based upon certain qualifications. The funds must be used for one of the following:
- Monthly mortgage expense for the primary residence that was damaged by the wildfire disaster; or
- Rental cost due to displacement from the primary residence resulting from the wildfire disaster.
Grant details and access to the online application process are available at: https://bit.ly/CARBOCOFireRelief. Application requests will be accepted until all funds have been distributed or until April 8, 2022. A panel of local professionals will review and verify the applications and supporting documents with relief checks issued weekly.
“Even before the fires had been fully contained, our local, state and national association leaders began developing a plan of action to assist the thousands of victims in Boulder County,” said 2022 CAR Chair Matthew Hintermeister. “With the contributions from our REALTOR® community across the country and the vision of our leadership from the NAR REALTORS® Relief Foundation and CAR Foundation, we will effectively be able to provide some amount of assistance to every victim of these fires as we all work to find a path forward for our fellow Coloradans.”
“Colorado REALTORS® are at the heart of our communities, having been helping our neighbors through the Colorado Association of REALTORS® Foundation for 30 years, and providing housing-related disaster relief is one of our most impactful missions. In partnership with REALTORS® around the nation through the REALTORS® Relief Foundation, we are honored to offer assistance to individuals and families who have lost their home or have been displaced from their home due to the Boulder County Fires,” said 2022 CAR Foundation Chair Katia Leon y Leon.
“It has been so heartwarming to see the astonishing effort that has gone into helping those who lost their homes to the Marshall and Middle Fork fires in Boulder County,” said CAR CEO Tyrone Adams. “Coloradans have always helped one another, but it has been incredible to see REALTORS® reach out to our state with hearts to help touch lives.”
“We are grateful to have the ability to support the victims of the Boulder County fire as they navigate through this painful, difficult time,” said RRF President Michael Ford. “Our involvement here in Colorado would not be possible without the outpouring of support we received from the community during our 20th Anniversary campaign last year. That generosity is a testament to the giving spirit we see from REALTORS® across this country every day, and one that I hope will allow the RRF to continue providing aid to the victims of natural disasters in times it’s needed most.”
“Never have I been more proud to be a REALTOR® than I am right now,” said Boulder County-area REALTOR® Kelly Moye. “We hope that we never have to experience significant tragedy and loss but when we do, it is amazing to see how our association is there to protect us. It is our job to protect homeowners and to know that my colleagues across the country, as well as the REALTORS® Relief Foundation, have stepped up to help our homeowners in need in such a generous way, makes me feel incredibly proud.”
In addition to RRF’s $2 million grant for displaced residents of the fire, the CAR Foundation has established the Boulder County Fire Relief Fund for the victims of the Marshall and Middle Fork fires. Individual Colorado REALTORS® across the state donated more than $105,000 to the Relief Fund. CAR Leadership and the CAR Foundation have pledged an additional $80,000 to create an “immediate need” grant fund to provide housing-related relief assistance to those impacted. To make a tax-deductible financial contribution to this fund, click here.
About the Colorado Association of REALTORS®:
The Colorado Association of REALTORS® is the state’s largest real estate trade association representing more than 30,000 members statewide. The association supports private property rights, equal housing opportunities and is the “Voice of Real Estate” in Colorado. For more information, visit https://coloradorealtors.com.
About the Colorado Association of REALTORS® Foundation:
The Colorado Association of REALTORS® Foundation supports safe and attainable housing, advances homeownership for all Coloradans, and provides housing-related disaster assistance to our neighbors in need. The CAR Foundation has invested over $8.2 million over the last 30 years to support Colorado communities. For more information, visit www.CARFoundation.org.
About the REALTORS® Relief Foundation:
The REALTORS® Relief Foundation is a charitable organization dedicated to providing housing-related assistance to victims of disasters. Created as a REALTOR®-driven response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, RRF continues to restore and rebuild communities effected by disasters such as wildfires, hurricanes, earthquakes, and tornadoes thanks to the generosity of individual REALTORS®, REALTOR® Associations, and affiliated organizations. Every dollar donated goes directly to victims of disasters. The National Association of REALTORS® is pleased to cover 100% of administrative expenses.
