U.S. House approves $13.3 million to fund Denver-area projects
Funding secured by Rep. Diana DeGette includes $2 million to convert Stay Inn Hotel into housing for homeless.
The U.S. House of Representatives voted today to approve legislation that will provide nearly $13.3 million sought by U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO) to fund 10 key projects designed to make more housing, health care and mental health services available throughout the Denver area.
The funding comes as part of a larger spending package that's expected to be approved by both chambers of Congress to fund the federal government and provide billions of dollars in emergency assistance to the people of Ukraine.
Among the 10 Denver-area projects slated to be funded under the legislation is $2 million for the city of Denver to purchase and convert the now-vacant, 95-room Stay Inn Hotel in Northeast Denver into housing for those experiencing homelessness. The legislation will also provide Urban Peak, a local non-profit focused on supporting homeless youth in the Denver area, with $3 million to build a new shelter for young people experiencing homelessness; and $2 million to help expand the Tepeyac Community Health Clinic in Elyria-Swansea so it can provide additional health services to residents there.
"Getting this funding approved is a big, big win for our area," DeGette said. "It will help us make more housing available for those experiencing homelessness and make more health care services available to in the areas that need them the most."
DeGette initially requested the funding in April 2021 as part of the House's annual appropriations process. While the House voted in July to approve the funding DeGette had requested as part of a larger spending bill, that legislation was never taken up by the Senate.
At the insistence of DeGette and others, the funding needed for the projects was then included in legislation the House approved today in the wake of a bipartisan, bicameral agreement that was reached to avoid a potentially devastating government shutdown that would otherwise occur at the end of the week.
As a result of the agreement, the now-House-passed legislation is expected to move quickly through the Senate and on to the president's desk to be signed into law in the coming days.
Included in the overall $13.27 million DeGette secured for projects in her district under the legislation is:
$3,000,000 - Urban Peak's Homeless Shelter for Youth: $3,000,000 for Urban Peak to construct two separate non-congregate shelters located at 1603 S. Acoma Street that, once complete, will provide housing and supportive services to young people experiencing homelessness in the Denver area.
$2,000,000 -Stay Inn Hotel Acquisition: $2,000,000 for the City of Denver to purchase a now-vacant 95-room hotel to provide and convert it into more housing for those experiencing homelessness in the area.
$2,000,000 -Colorado Coalition for the Homeless' Stout Street Recuperative Care Project: $2,000,000 for the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless to construct a new recuperative care facility that will provide homeless individuals with acute medical or behavioral health conditions – who no longer require hospitalization but cannot be safely discharged to the streets – a safe place to stay while they recover.
$2,000,000 -Tepeyac Community Health Clinic: $2,000,000 for the Tepeyac Community Health Clinic to expand its facility at 2101 E. 48th Street to provide integrated physical, behavioral and dental health care to residents in the Elyria-Swansea neighborhood where such services are scarce.
$1,450,000-Denver's Montbello FreshLo Project: $1,450,000 for the City and County of Denver to construct 97 units of affordable housing in Montbello as part of the Montbello FreshLo Project.
$1,200,000 - Denver Health's Center for Addiction Medicine Project: $1,200,000 for Denver Health's Center for Addiction Medicine Project that will provide training and assistance to psychiatric, substance abuse and mental health facilities in the region.
$1,000,000-Center for African American Health: $1,000,000 for the Center for African American Health to renovate its building at 3350 Hudson Street to add offices for mental health consultations, a technology room to provide job-readiness classes, and a teaching kitchen to provide community cooking classes on how to eat healthy.
$500,000-Jewish Family Service of Colorado: $500,000 for the Jewish Family Service of Colorado to provide vocational training programs to Coloradans disproportionately affected by the pandemic - including people of color, immigrants, refugees, veterans and those with disabilities.
$100,000-United Way's Bridging the Gap Project: $100,000 for Mile High United Way's Bridging the Gap Project that provides critical supportive services to 18-year-olds transitioning out of the child welfare system into independence.
$20,000-Mi Casa Resource Center: $20,000 for Mi Casa Resource Center's Creating Pathways to Opportunity for Vulnerable Colorado Workers Program that provides low-income residents the education and skills needed to succeed in pursuing higher education to help lift their family out of poverty.
