Funding request comes on heels of $13.3 million DeGette secured for 10 key projects earlier this year
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO) announced today that she has requested more than $40 million to fund more than a dozen community projects in the Denver area that are designed to make more affordable housing, food and essential health services available to those in need.

The request for the funding comes just months after DeGette successfully secured $13.3 million to fund ten local projects aimed at creating more housing for those experiencing homelessness, and providing more essential health services in some of Denver’s most underserved communities.

“There are a lot of people in our community who are struggling to make ends meet,” DeGette said. “Getting these projects funded will help us make more food, housing and medical care available to those in need – and, more importantly, they will provide a critical lifeline to those who need our help the most.”

In all, DeGette requested $40.4 million to fund 15 projects throughout Denver – including $4 million to help Warren Village build an additional 74 apartments for single-parent families struggling to make ends meet and in need of a place to live; $1 million to help Habitat for Humanity build six new single-family homes in Villa Park; and $5 million to help Colorado Coalition for the Homeless purchase the Clarion Hotel located at 200 West Warner Place and convert it into housing for those who are experiencing homelessness.

DeGette also requested $3.2 million to help expand two local food pantries and purchase additional equipment so they can serve even more residents, as well as $3.4 million to help the City and County of Denver build a new youth center at the Central Library.

DeGette submitted her requests to fund all 15 projects to the House Appropriations Committee late last month. Lawmakers on the panel will review the requests and decide which projects to fund as part of the federal government’s Fiscal Year 2023 spending bill.

Following is a list of all 15 projects DeGette requested funding for in the Denver area:

1. $4,000,000 for Warren Village to build an additional 74 apartments that would then be made available to low-income, single-parent families in southwest Denver who are struggling to make ends meet.
2. $5,000,000 for Colorado Coalition for the Homeless to help fund the purchase of the Clarion Hotel located at 200 West Warner Place and convert it into more housing for those experiencing homelessness in the Denver area.
3. $1,000,000 for Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver to assist with the construction of six new single-family homes in Villa Park.
4. $413,940 for Urban Peak to provide continued services during the construction of a new shelter for homeless youth at 1603 S. Acoma Street that, once complete, will be able to provide housing and supportive services to more than 135 young people experiencing homelessness in the Denver area.
5. $2,000,000 for the We Don’t Waste organization to help them acquire additional space needed to expand their food-recovery efforts, which is helping to feed low-income families throughout Denver while, at the same time, diverting millions of pounds of food waste from local landfills each year.
6. $1,200,000 for the Food Bank of the Rockies to purchase additional coolers and freezers for its headquarters in Montbello so it can safely store more fresh produce, meat, and dairy that will then be made available to families in need throughout the Denver area.
7. $3,400,000 for the City and County of Denver to construct a new 10,000-square-foot center for Denver’s youth at the Central Library that would provide access to technology and various support programs for underserved youth in the Denver area.
8. $2,000,000 for Servicios de La Raza to create a community center that would serve low-income residents in Barnum. Once complete, the new center would provide workforce development training, certifications, financial literacy and a variety of wraparound services that address equity gaps and the social determinants of health.
9. $1,000,000 for Tennyson Center for Children to complete construction of the center’s new youth mental-health treatment center in North Denver that will be focused on addressing the urgent and unmet mental-health needs of vulnerable, low-income children with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
10. $165,688 for the Inner City Health Center to replace heavily used equipment in its medical and dental clinics located at 3800 York Street in North Denver that provide essential services to those living in underserved communities.
11. $3,200,000 for Denver Health to make essential oral health and imaging services available in some of Denver’s most underserved communities.
12. $5,000,000 for the City and County of Denver to help fund the ongoing revitalization of the 16th Street Pedestrian Mall and Transitway.
13. $2,000,000 for the City and County of Denver’s Office of Climate Action Sustainability and Resilience to electrify space and water heaters in 100 affordable multifamily apartment units in Denver to increase their energy efficiency and reduce their carbon footprints.
14. $3,150,000 for Denver International Airport to renovate and upgrade security in the Great Hall. Specifically, the money would be used to purchase enhanced Advanced Imaging Technology (eAIT) – or body scanners – to be used as part of the airport’s Great Hall Phase 2 Security Checkpoint Program to provide the highest level of safety and security as it continues to grow from an estimated 59 million passengers in 2021 to a projected 100 million passengers within the decade.
15. $7,000,000 for Regional Transportation District (RTD) to replace existing rail, switches, highblocks, concrete flatwork, and items associated with the rail alignment along the Central Corridor, which operates through the Downtown Denver area.