WASHINGTON—Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the first of the appropriations government funding packages for Fiscal Year 2024, which includes $12,602,446 for 14 community projects secured by Representative Brittany Pettersen (CO-07) that span Colorado’s 7th Congressional District. Two of these projects are located in Fremont County and would provide rural job and skill training through Colorado State University, as well as fund the purchase of six lots for affordable family housing.
“Investments in affordable housing and job training–especially in the more rural parts of our state–are critical for the continued growth and prosperity of our community. This week, we put politics aside to invest in the American people,” said Pettersen. “In Fremont County and across my district, these projects address critical needs and represent transformational investments in families, students, and hardworking Coloradans. I look forward to President Biden signing this package into law and seeing how these projects will create tangible progress in Colorado’s 7th District.”
The Community Project Funding process allows members of Congress to submit projects based in their districts for critical initiatives in their communities. The two projects based in Fremont County:
Colorado State University: $300,000 to provide rural job and skills training in Custer and Fremont counties through Colorado State University’s GROW Institute to help support job growth and economic development. These funds will help leverage distance learning to address workforce shortages in the food and agriculture sectors.
Upper Arkansas Area: $255,000 for the purchase of six lots for the construction of new affordable family homes. The homes would be built through program participants in USDA/RD's 502 Mutual Self-Help housing program, with technical assistance in construction provided by the Upper Arkansas Council of Governments (UAACOG). These funds are critical in expanding access to affordable housing in Fremont County.
Pettersen’s other projects that received funding:
Chaffee County: $300,000 for solar power for an affordable housing and community program project
City of Westminster: $959,752 to replace a deteriorating drinking water treatment facility
City of Wheat Ridge: $2,000,000 for improvements to aging rental units in exchange for maintaining affordable rents
Idledale Water and Sanitation: $959,752 to improve drinking water and increase the quantity available to residents
Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office: $963,000 for radio technology to improve communication between jurisdictions
Leadville Housing Authority:$850,000 to install infrastructure and prepare sites for affordable housing structures
Lookout Mountain Water District: $959,752 to replace tar-lined pipes and improve drinking water
Park County:$850,000 for improving unsafe county roadways that lead to Colorado state parks
St. Vincent Hospital:$579,159 for surgical equipment for new outpatient specialists
Teller County Water & Sanitation:$959,752 to reduce the levels of radium in drinking water
Town of Buena Vista:$1,286,279 for affordable housing manufacturing and a child care building
Town of Silver Cliff: $1,380,000 for the purchase and development of a town plaza
The six-bill appropriations package for Fiscal Year 2024 that passed today also includes the following provisions championed by Pettersen:
Provides funding for Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT). Counties like Chaffee County, Colorado–with approximately 80% of the county being federally-managed public lands–depend on this critical funding stream. Pettersen introduced legislation to permanently authorize PILT.
Fully funds the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) at the administration’s requested level of $7.03 billion, an increase of more than $1.3 billion. Last fall, Pettersen led a group of members from Colorado in calling for this funding to be included in the Agriculture Appropriations bill.
Provides $119 billion in mandatory funding for SNAP, which served more than 42 million people in 2023. Pettersen called for an increase in this funding in December of last year.
Provides additional funding to continue the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law pay supplement for wildland firefighters.
Fully funds the Department of Veteran Affairs’ (VA) Substance Use Disorder Programs at $231 million.
A detailed summary of the bill is available here. Find more information about Pettersen’s projects by clicking here.
