Fall 2020 Updates for Residents
September 3, 2020
A Letter From Boulder Housing Partners' Executive Director
It's hard to believe we still find ourselves in the public health and economic crisis that began back in March, but please know that Boulder Housing Partners remains committed to prioritizing safety and providing financial supports where needed. We continue to invest in additional cleaning of common areas 7-days a week, and in equipping residents and staff with personal protective equipment which, to date, includes 3,170 masks, 122 face shields, 86 containers of disinfecting wipes, 66 gallons of hand sanitizer and 96 gallons of disinfecting spray.
Please be in touch with your community manager if you're experiencing financial hardships and concerns about paying rent. They've been working with residents to apply for funding on the resident's behalf through various rental assistance programs, which in many instances can cover the cost of all rent owed. If you're not experiencing hardship, but know others who are, please let them know they can reach out to the Emergency Family Assistance Association (EFAA) or the Boulder County Housing Helpline. That contact information can be found below.
As we're entering another school year online, and more of our community connections are being held outdoors or virtually, I hope you'll be able to take advantage of the free B-Cycle membership for BHP residents and the free fitness, crafting, career and personal enrichment classes you can find below!
Be well,
Jeremy Durham
COVID-19 Updates
Mandatory Face Coverings in Common Areas
Per the State of Colorado and Boulder County face covering orders:
- All residents, staff, and essential visitors ages 11 and older must wear a mask or face covering when in all indoor public spaces (hallways, stairwells, laundry rooms, elevators, etc. as well as local businesses)
- Masks must cover your nose and your mouth
- Face coverings are also required when outside anywhere in Boulder County where social distancing of 6 feet cannot be maintained, including at parks and outdoor facilities.
Be sure to keep wearing your mask in shared spaces! If wearing a mask or a face covering would inhibit your health, please contact Property Management or Resident Services to file a Reasonable Accommodation. Thank you for doing your part to keep us all healthy and safe.
Contact Tracing Scam
Boulder County Public Health has received multiple reports of a scam involving phone calls from people who claim to be conducting contact tracing for COVID-19. Callers are reportedly telling people they need to be tested within 72 hours and are asking for credit card information to purchase a test. For more information, visit: www.boco.org/ReleaseConTrackScam
Rent Resources
If you are facing difficulties in paying your rent, resources may be available to you through the following organizations:
- Emergency Family Assistance Association (EFAA): 303-442-3042. Leave a detailed voice message to receive a call back to schedule an appointment over the phone. Rent assistance may be available for multiple months.
- Boulder County Housing and Human Services Housing Help Line: 303-441-1206 (Call EFAA first and use their services, otherwise BCHHS will ask you to call EFAA first.) Leave a detailed voice message to receive a callback to schedule an appointment over the phone.
Additional Resources through EFAA:
EFAA offers a variety of additional resources:
- Financial Assistance: If a household has already received assistance from EFAA and is still in need, it's possible EFAA can help again. If you think you may need help with rent or another financial need, please call EFAA’s front desk at (303) 442-3042 to see if you qualify and to make an appointment. All financial assistance appointments will be conducted over the phone.
- COVID-19 Support Group: Looking for support with parenting in quarantine or dealing with stress? Be a part of EFAA’s Covid-19 support group where you can connect with the community to discuss the challenges of this time. Interested to learn more? Contact Cat at (970) 510-0941 or email community@efaa.org.
- Food Support: EFAA has added Food Pantry hours from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. every last Saturday of the month. Learn more (pdf).
- Resource Navigation: If you need help navigating other resources in the community, reach out to EFAA’s Resource Navigator at (970) 510-0941. Learn more (pdf).
BHP Resident Services Available
To learn more about any of the above resources, or for additional resources, BHP’s Resident Services department is also available. For resources relating to:
- Older Adults and People with Disabilities: Please contact Lyndall Ellingson at 720-607-0379
- Adults: Please contact Ingrid Castro-Campos at 720-757-7751
- Early Childhood: Please contact Amanda Maya Dickson at 720-987-0759
Neighborhood News
Free Rides for BHP Residents with Boulder B-Cycle
Are you looking for a FREE, healthy and easy way to get around Boulder? BHP recently partnered with local non-profit, Boulder B-cycle, to offer all of our residents the convenience of a bike share system that includes 300 bikes and over 40 stations all around Boulder.
Simply download the BCycle app or visit the membership page, select Republic Rider and use the BHP promo code that you can request here to start riding! This provides you with a free Republic Rider Annual Pass ($88 value) for an unlimited number of 60-minute trips. The bikes include 3-speeds, locks, lights and a large basket. Learn more.
Boulder B-cycle is diligent about disinfecting all user touch points at stations and on the bikes, including handlebars, brake levers, seat and clamp, touchscreens and dock buttons. Please take precautions by using the app, wear a mask and cleanse your hands before and after riding. More COVID info can be found here.
Learn more about Boulder B-Cycle at www.boulderbcycle.org/how-to-bycyle or call (303) 532-4412 (option 3) any day of the week from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Enjoy the ride!
Free Virtual Fitness Classes for BHP Residents Offered by Vintage Moves
Vintage Moves - Modern Moves for Vintage Bodies
Laura Olinger, founder and instructor at Vintage Moves is offering several of her weekly virtual exercise classes at no cost to Boulder Housing Partners residents. All levels welcome. To register, email Laura@VintageMoves.Co.
Safety Feature on all Newer Stove Coil Burners
Have you noticed your electric burner going on and off while you’re using your stove top?
Here’s what’s happening: This is a safety feature built into the design of all coil top ranges sold after 2018. UL regulations requires coil top ranges to have temperature limiting capabilities to reduce the risk of cooktop oil and grease fires. Any new electric stove will have the coil burners that use Sensi-Temp Technology.
Here’s how it works (description from General Electric): Each burner with this technology has a silver medallion with a button (sensor) in the center of the coil. This button must contact the bottom of the cookware for the Sensi-Temp Technology to sense the temperature properly. When the sensor detects a pan temperature near the limit (450F), the burner will shut off automatically until a lower, safe pan temperature is reached. At that point, heat will resume to the burner. This will not affect every day cooking, as automatic shut-off is temporary and only happens at very high temperatures.
During the temporary automatic shut-off:
- The burner will cycle ON (bright red) and OFF (dark) to maintain safe cooking temperatures.
- When cycling OFF, the burner retains enough heat to continue cooking. The burner will cycle back ON automatically.
- This cycling will continue during the cooking time.
In the Community
Boulder Public Libary Offers Free Access for Cardholders to Online Classes
Have your Boulder Public Library card ready and visit the library's lifelong learning page! There you'll be able to gain access to classes through:
- Creativebug.com: Thousands of award-winning art & craft video classes taught by recognized design experts and artists.
- Gale Courses: Online instructor led courses including more than 300 computer, business, ACT/SAT prep, medical, and personal enrichment courses. Courses run for 6 weeks and new sessions begin each month.
- "Great Courses" on Kanopy: "Great Courses" are available to Kanopy users with a Boulder Library card. Patrons can take as many courses during a 30-day period without using any play credits. All other videos in Kanopy use 1 of 5 monthly play credits (except Kanopy Kids).
Connect to Online Fitness Classes through the City of Boulder Parks and Recreation Website
Check out the Boulder Parks and Recreation virtual fitness & fun page on their website. It offers virtual options for their classes, as well as resources on FREE virtual classes for City of Boulder residents (Wellbeats), or free virtual classes offered by other organizations like the American Heart Association.
2020 Census Takers Are Out in the Community
Census takers are now out in the community knocking on doors for households who have not yet completed the 2020 Census:
- Census takers can be easily identified by a valid government ID badge that has their photograph, a U.S. Department of Commerce watermark, and an expiration date. You may also contact the Denver/Dallas Regional Census Center at 972-510-1800 to speak with a Census Bureau representative to confirm the Census taker’s identity.
- All census takers speak English, and many are bilingual. If they do not speak your household’s language, you may request a return visit from someone who does. They’ll have materials on hand to help identify your language.
- If no one is home when a Census taker visits, a notice will be left with information on responding online, by phone or by mail.
- Coloradans are encouraged to cooperate with Census takers to ensure that everyone living in their household as of April 1, 2020, is counted.
You can still complete your Census online or over the phone before a Census taker knocks on your door! Visit my2020census.gov or call 844-330-2020 (English) or 844-468-2020 (Spanish).
Information on Voter Registration in Colorado
Registering to vote and checking your voter registration information is easy. Just follow the links below.
- You can check your voter registration status here.
- If you’re not registered to vote, you can register or update your registration here.
Annual Women’s Summit by El Centro Amistad – September 17-19
El Centro Amistad, a Boulder non-profit whose mission is to create opportunities and programs that promote health equity, education, and quality of life for the Latino community in Boulder County, is hosting their annual women’s Summit/Cumbre this September. This year the Cumbre will be virtual and will take place on September 17, 18, and 19. The event is held in Spanish. To learn more and register to attend, please call El Centro Amistad at 303 443-9899.
City of Boulder 2020 Food Tax Rebate Deadline Approaching on September 30
The Food Tax Rebate is provided to eligible low-income households in the amounts of $87 for individuals and $265 for families. This year, applications are only accepted by mail, and must be submitted or postmarked by September 30, 2020. To download the form or to learn more about eligibility and how to apply visit: https://bouldercolorado.gov/older-adults/food-tax-rebate-program or call Jay Allen, Program Administrator, at 303-441-1836. Make sure you mention you are a Boulder Housing Partners resident.
Fire Prevention Month Starts in October
Fire prevention month is just around the corner! The Boulder Fire Department reminds us all to Cook with Caution to prevent cooking fires, which are the number one cause of home fires! Learn safety tips here (pdf).
Annual Latino Parent Summit – October 24
Boulder County’s Annual Latino Parent Summit will be held virtually on October 24 from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. The Summit presentations and workshops are held in Spanish through Zoom and YouTube. For more information, please contact Tere Garcia at 303-817-9591 or elpaso@elpasomovement.org
Thank you
Thank you for remembering to follow The Big 3 of COVID-19 safety, and for your support as we all do our part to keep each other safe and healthy.
