City of Boulder officials are considering raising the $75 rental license fee that helps pay for its eviction prevention and rental assistance program, known as EPRAS. Funding for the program has remained mostly flat in recent years despite an increase in demand for rental assistance and a steady rise in the number of eviction cases filed in Boulder County courts.
An increase in the rental license fee would mark the first major increase in funding for the EPRAS program since its launch in 2021. It was created after voters approved the 2020 ballot measure No Eviction Without Representation. The measure sought to allow the city to increase the rental license fee with inflation. The fee, which is paid when obtaining a rental license, has yet to change.
Organizers who helped pass the ballot measure have called on the Boulder City Council to raise the fee. The Tenant Advisory Committee, a five-member board that oversees the EPRAS program, is also advocating for a higher rental license fee.
Jay Allen, a program coordinator with the City of Boulder who helps oversee the EPRAS program, said officials have been discussing a fee increase with the City Attorney’s Office and the Finance Department since last year.
Allen said it’s unclear whether the fee should be adjusted for inflation from last year or from prior years. He said officials are also considering whether the fee should automatically increase annually.
“We’re still evaluating options,” Allen told Boulder Reporting Lab. “I do expect we will hear more about that this year.”
The potential increase in funding comes at a time when the number of eviction case filings in Boulder County’s courts has reached the highest level since the Great Recession, according to state data. Most renters in the City of Boulder are “cost burdened,” meaning they spend at least 30% of their income on rent, according to census data.
Since its creation, the EPRAS program has experienced a “surge in demand,” primarily for rental assistance, according to an April 2024 report on the program.
In 2023, the city distributed about $715,000 in rental assistance, according to the report. About half of the tenants who sought assistance from the EPRAS program reported having children in their households.
Beginning last year, city officials required tenants to have a court date before qualifying for city rental assistance, in an effort to stretch limited funds. Despite the financial constraints, tenants facing eviction who participate in the EPRAS program almost always leave court without an eviction on their record, according to city officials.
In 2023, the city served about 809 tenants, the report states. About 96% of those who appeared at their court date did not end up with an eviction on their record.
That’s largely because tenants who show up to court are able to meet with mediators who help negotiate settlements with landlords. The terms of these settlements often require the tenant to pay past-due rent and move out by a certain date.
For those who do not attend their court hearing, a judge will often issue a default judgment against them. Tenants with an eviction on their record often have a harder time finding future housing because landlords are less willing to rent to them.
Allen said the city seeks to contact people before their court date to notify them of the city’s free legal services and encourage them to show up.
“If more people go into court, then there is more that we can do to help them,” Allen said.
Update: This story was updated on May 6 to state that the fee is paid when obtaining a rental license.
Who pays the EPRAS fee? Tenants, property owner, tax payer?
I think the fee is paid by the property owner when getting a rental license though it is confusing. Most increases in property owners costs such as property tax increases, etc. are usually passed on to tenants.
Here is the link to the EPRAS fee financial page:
https://bouldercolorado.gov/media/11972/download?inline
The fee is added on to the rental property owner’s real estate tax bill.