Press Releases

U.S. Representative Brittany Pettersen (CO-07) recently traveled across the high country of the 7th Congressional District of Colorado, announcing federal funding for an affordable housing project in Leadville, meeting with constituents at a community coffee, and stopping by the newly renovated Tourism and Economic Development Office. 

At her first stop in Lake County, Rep. Pettersen attended the weekly Leadville Community Coffee to hear firsthand from local nonprofits and other organizations about updates on their work in the community. During the visit, Pettersen provided an update on her work in Congress. Despite dysfunction in Washington, Pettersen reiterated resources her office offers to rural communities like Leadville – from the Community Funding Project process to federal grants and more.    

Earlier this year, Rep. Pettersen secured $13.9 million in federal funding for 15 community projects, including $850,000 for an affordable housing development in Leadville. She recently toured the site with local leaders, including County Commissioners Jeff Fiedler, Hal Edwards, and Sarah Mudge, Leadville Mayor Dana Greene, and Lake County Regional Housing Authority Director Jackie Whelihan, and several members of the Housing Authority Board. The project, located just outside downtown Leadville, will provide walkable access to stores, schools, and the library.

To close out her visit to Lake County, Pettersen stopped by the new Tourism and Economic Development Office. During the visit, Pettersen discussed her bipartisan legislation – the Special District Grant Accessibility Act – to codify a definition of “special district” in federal law and ensure that districts are eligible for all appropriate forms of federal assistance. Additionally, Pettersen discussed the need to bring more federal dollars back home to communities in Lake County to update aging water infrastructure and ensure everyone has access to clean drinking water.      

“There’s no better place to kick off my rural tour than Leadville,” said Pettersen. “From announcing federal funding to meeting face-to-face with constituents and community leaders, it was great to hear directly from the people of Lake County. I promise to always be a voice for our rural communities and fight to ensure they have the resources they need – whether it’s funding for community-driven investments or support for critical water infrastructure projects.”