Se Denver News

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO) announced on April 26 that she has requested more than $29.8 million to fund more than a dozen community projects in the Denver area.

If approved, the funding would be used to create more affordable housing, improve transportation and provide additional services in underserved communities throughout the Mile High City. Among the projects DeGette has sought funding for is $5 million for Colorado’s Coalition for the Homeless to build more housing for those experiencing homelessness along Park Avenue; $3 million to clear an abandoned 7-acre lot that was formerly the site of a Denver Public School bus barn so it can used for the construction of more affordable housing in North Denver; and $3 million to complete the construction of a new fire station to serve residents living in the Tower Road corridor.

“These projects will make more housing and support services available to more people across our city,” DeGette said. “Whether it’s putting a roof over somebody’s head, making their commute a little bit safer, or creating a new place for them to learn and grow, each one of these projects has the potential to make a real difference in people’s lives and make our community even stronger as a result.”

DeGette also requested $4.8 million to improve the city’s light rail system along the Central Corridor; $3 million to help construct more than two dozen bus stations along East Colfax Avenue for the city’s new Bus Rapid Transit project; and $3 million to build a new community recreation center in Denver’s Westwood neighborhood.

Last year, alone, DeGette successfully secured more than $34.1 million to fund more than 20 specific projects in Denver, many of which were aimed at creating more housing for those experiencing homelessness. Among the projects DeGette secured funding for last year was more than $3 million for Urban Peak to build a new shelter for homeless youth, which is now under construction, and $2 million to convert the vacant Stay Inn Hotel into more housing for the homeless, a project that is now also underway.

DeGette submitted her requests for the 13 projects she’s seeking funding for as part of this year’s spending bill to the House Appropriations Committee, which will now review the projects and decide which ones to fund as part of the federal government’s Fiscal Year 2024 spending bill.

Following is a list of the 13 projects DeGette requested funding for as part of this year’s spending bill:

$5,000,000 for the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless to build 200 units of supportive housing for those experiencing homelessness on a 2.2-acre site along Park Avenue.

$4,800,000 for the Regional Transportation District to continue bringing the Central Corridor light rail system, running from I-25/Broadway to 30th/Downing in Downtown, into a state of good repair.

$4,500,000 to the Montbello Organizing Committee to help fund construction of the Montbello FreshLo Hub project, which will include a nonprofit grocery store, business incubator and 97 units of affordable housing.

$3,000,000 for the City and County of Denver to remediate the former Denver Public School’s Bus Barn on Brighton Boulevard so the now-vacant 7-acre lot can be redeveloped to provide more affordable housing in the area. 

$3,000,000 for the City and County of Denver to help construct 30 bus stations along East Colfax for the Bus Rapid Transit project that will provide center-running bus lanes along 5.5 miles of East Colfax to reduce transit time through the corridor by up to 15 minutes.

$3,000,000 for the City and County of Denver to complete construction of the city’s new Fire Station 40 at the NW corner of 56th Avenue and Telluride Street. The new station will improve response time to the Tower Road corridor, between 56th Avenue and Pena Boulevard, and provide back-up service to

Denver International Airport.

$3,000,000 for the City and County of Denver to build a new recreation center in Westwood. The new center would be the first such facility constructed in the neighborhood and would provide residents of all ages with a place to engage in a wide range of recreational and community activities.

$800,000 for Re:Vision to purchase a vacant lot in Westwood to be used as an urban farm that will help increase food security in the traditionally Latinx neighborhood where 33% of families live at or below the federal poverty line.

$750,000 to Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver to help fund the construction of 16 new affordable homes for low-income families at West 3rd Ave. and Knox Court.

$750,000 for the Mile High United Way to build a commercial kitchen at its Early Childhood Education Center that provides childcare services to working parents.

$626,400 for the Boys and Girls Club of Metro Denver to purchase and repair air conditioners at three different clubs that collectively serve 3,700 kindergarten through 12th grade youth annually, providing them a safe and comfortable space to engage in important academic enrichment activities.

$350,000 for the YMCA of Metropolitan Denver to expand its kitchen at the Southwest YMCA that’s used to support its Beyond Hunger program, which provides food, as well as cooking and nutrition classes, to those in need throughout the community.

$300,000 for the City and County of Denver to develop a master electrification plan for Denver International Airport to help the world’s third busiest airport cut its emissions by increasing its use of cleaner forms of energy.

Original source can be found here.