CDBG community improvement projects selected

Published on March 29, 2021

To help with improvements in municipalities across Weld County, the Board of Commissioners approved three community improvement projects presented by the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Advisory Committee.

CDBG funds will aid in the expansion of Firestone’s Via Transit Service from three days to five per week. The service provides transit to doctor’s appointments, health clinics and trainings located in surrounding communities for Firestone residents who are disabled, 60+ in age or low- to moderate-income individuals. Roughly 332 households are served each week, and this project will help even more residents each week. The project totals $90,000.

The Evans Water Efficiency program will partner with Weld County’s Youth Conservation Corps (WCYCC) to assess low- to moderate-income owner-occupied homes in replacing toilets and water fixtures. As many as 50 houses will benefit from these upgraded amenities. Fifty thousand dollars will be used to pay for the new fixtures in each home and WCYCC members’ stipends.

The third project brings improvements to Idaho Street in Evans – two blocks of which are currently unpaved. These two blocks will be paved, a water line will be replaced and storm drainage along with sidewalks will be added to the street. The project, costing $1.8 million, will be partially funded by a $693,000 grant from Weld County’s CDBG program and will help improve the neighborhood for 50 households.

“These projects will not only help these communities flourish by providing needed services and improved infrastructure, they help the county as a whole,” said Weld County Commissioner Chair Steve Moreno. “We as a board are excited to see what new life is breathed into these communities when they’re completed.”

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded $1,041,930 to the CDBG program to help fund these projects and pay for CDBG administrative costs from April 1, 2021, to March 31, 2022.

For more information about Weld County’s CDBG program, visit https://www.weldgov.com/Government/County-Programs/Community-Development-Block-Grant.