Stimulus bills providing financial support to outdoor recreation and affordable housing receive approval from the Senate

DENVER, CO - Today, the State Senate gave approval to the final two stimulus bills that are all a part of Colorado’s recovery package, both with unanimous support.

HB21-1326, sponsored by Senator Tammy Story, will invest $25 million in federal funds to improve Colorado state parks. Specifically, the bill invests $750,000 to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center to support backcountry avalanche safety programs; $3.5 million to the Division of Parks and Wildlife to implement its statewide wildlife action plan and the conservation of native species; $2.25 million to the search and rescue fund for use by the Department of Local Affairs in consultation with the division to support backcountry search and rescue efforts; $1 million to the outdoor equity fund for use by the division to implement the outdoor equity grant program; and $17.5 million for state park staffing and maintenance and infrastructure and development projects.

“Colorado’s state parks and great outdoors are the pride and joy of this state. However, with the stay-at-home orders and social distancing over the last year, our parks have seen a major increase in visitation and have not had adequate resources to handle the influx of visitors,” said Senator Story (D-Evergreen). “This $25 million investment will help address the backlog of upgrades and maintenance needs in our state parks and ensure Coloradans can continue to enjoy our natural environment for years to come.”

HB21-1329, sponsored by Senator Gonzales & Minority Leader Holbert, channels $550 million in federal stimulus funds toward affordable housing efforts. It immediately invests $100 million of that funding to help Coloradans who have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic obtain affordable housing. The bill requires a broad and diverse stakeholder process during the interim that will develop and make recommendations to the General Assembly for how to allocate the remaining $450 million. The funds will be used on programs or services that address housing insecurity, a lack of affordable housing or homelessness, including the construction of new affordable housing units, housing and rental assistance programs, and supportive housing programs.

“This session, I’ve made it my focus to ensure housing is a right, not a privilege,” said Senator Gonzales (D-Denver). “I’ve worked to address homelessness, tenants’ rights, and affordable housing, and I could not be more proud to channel this historic amount of funding to address both our immediate and long-term housing needs.”

Both bills now head to the House for final action. To read the bills and find updates regarding their status, visit leg.colorado.gov.