colorado budget bill, with money for housing and school projects, clears committee

Colorado could see the construction of more affordable housing if a bill providing incentives for such projects wins final approval in the State Legislature.

Members of the legislature’s Joint Budget Committee have approved up to $1 million in grants and loans in incentives for the construction of housing units for lower-income residents.

The same committee has also given the green light to some $35 million in state funding to help Colorado’s public schools implement facility security upgrades.

Those two items are part of a larger $28.9 billion budget also approved by the committee.

As the legislature nears its adjournment date in early May, members are finding themselves tasked with deciding what specific transportation infrastructure improvement projects should receive money from a fund Colorado has already set aside for such purposes.

Lawmakers are trying to decide whether to use that funding primarily for new road and highway upgrading projects or to delegate most of the money for the creation of more multi-modal projects.

One bill, that has not been finally decided, is calling for up to $500 million for the Colorado Department of Transportation to fund highway construction projects. That same legislation would also set aside $250 million a year for the next two decades for ongoing transportation projects.

By Garry Boulard