How the TANF Flex Funds Support Survivors of Domestic and Sexual Violence and Their Families in Colorado

Imagine being forced to flee a situation of domestic violence and finding yourself and your child in an emergency shelter, terrified and completely unprepared for independent life. Or consider the shock of discovering that your partner, who has been engaging in financial abuse, took your rent money, leaving you and your family on the edge of homelessness.

These are the kinds of immediate, overwhelming crises that survivors of domestic and sexual violence often face as they work to rebuild their lives. Kaya and Ava are courageous survivors who have lived these moments firsthand.

When resources aren’t available, emergencies like these can put the safety and stability of survivors and their children at risk.

Colorado Strengthens Support for Survivors and Their Families

Across Colorado, Counties oversee Colorado Works, Colorado’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. When a person joins Colorado Works, they can get help with a monthly cash payment, schooling, training, jobs and much more. Counties provide vital support for many eligible families throughout Colorado.

Some eligible families, however, are living through domestic and sexual violence and are navigating complex immediate safety concerns as well as housing insecurity. To reach survivors and their families, Colorado in 2024 passed the Stable Housing for Survivors of Abuse Bill. With the support of legislators and the Governor, a new way to respond to vulnerable families launched.

The law directs the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) to work with community-based advocacy organizations to distribute flexible financial assistance to survivors. Two CDHS teams, the Division of Economic and Workforce Support (DEWS) and the Domestic Violence Program (DVP), partnered to develop this new program, with the goal of quickly addressing the most urgent housing and safety needs of survivors and their families.

Financial Support That Helps Survivors and Their Families be Safe and Stable

For Kaya, the program came at exactly the right time.

As a survivor of domestic violence, Kaya’s domestic violence advocate helped her apply for the DVP TANF Flex Funds as she was searching for safe and stable housing for herself and her 5-year-old son. When Kaya was 18, she moved out and was living with an abusive partner. For safety reasons, she and her 5-year old son went into a domestic violence shelter at a nearby community-based organization. The advocate there helped her access DVP TANF Flex Funds, which covered the security deposit for her new apartment. “For the first time in my life, I finally feel safe, independent and confident,” Kaya shared.

Ava reached out to her community-based advocacy organization for support and she was able to obtain rental assistance through the DVP TANF Flex Funds. Ava’s family found housing stability, which is an important step toward creating lasting healing, well-being and a secure future. “Thank you for keeping me and my kids in the house,” Ava said.

A Growing Impact Across Colorado

Since the project launched in July 2025, it has helped over 240 survivors and more than 500 of their dependents, including children and other family members.

“When a person is experiencing domestic or sexual violence, there’s a disruption to their safety and their children’s safety,” said Beth Collins, DVP Director at the Office of Children, Youth and Families. “Ensuring that survivors and their kids have access to safe and stable housing is crucial to heal and move forward in a healthy way.”

How the CDHS TANF Flex Funds Project Works

CDHS partners with community-based advocacy organizations that already provide no cost, 24/7 confidential services to survivors. These organizations understand survivors’ immediate needs and are positioned to respond quickly, offering community resources for ongoing support as needed.

Counties also are fundamental to this project because they offer an array of longer-term support and can refer survivors to community-based advocacy programs.

Colorado has committed to fund the DVP TANF Flex Funds Project for the next four (4) years, with $2 million allocated annually.

“This early, flexible support helps prevent survivors and their families from sliding deeper into poverty and keeps them out of other systems, like child welfare,” said Ian McMahon, Director of DEWS at CDHS.

This project provides hope and stability when families need it most, reinforcing that safe housing is the foundation for healing and a healthier future.

Together, the state and community-based advocacy organizations are building a stronger safety net for survivors and their families. By offering flexible, rapid support at critical moments, Colorado is helping families stay housed, stay safe and stay connected to the resources they need to heal. Colorado stands with survivors and their families, always!

If You Need Help

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic or sexual violence, help is available. Please visit violencefreecolorado.org to find free and confidential support in your area.

To learn more about Colorado benefits available through counties or to apply, visit PEAK Colorado.

If you are concerned about the safety or well-being of a child or youth, call the Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline at 844-CO-4-Kids (844-264-5437).

About the Domestic Violence Program

DVP contracts with community-based domestic and sexual violence advocacy organizations throughout Colorado that provide no-cost, voluntary and confidential services to people experiencing domestic and sexual violence in Colorado.

About the Division of Economic and Workforce Support

DEWS encompasses a variety of programs designed to support Coloradans on their paths out of poverty. DEWS administers federal TANF funds that provide temporary cash assistance to families in financial need, along with services to help achieve self-sufficiency, including job training.