Media Contact: Chynna Cowart | chynna.cowart@state.co.us
The Climate Resilience Challenge, Main Street LIVE, and the More Housing Now and Land Use Initiative will begin accepting application today, March 1, 2024 through April 1, 2024
The Energy/Mineral Impact Assistance Fund (EIAF) assists political subdivisions (such as municipalities, counties, school districts, special districts, regional councils, etc.) that are socially and/or economically impacted by the development, processing, or energy conversion of minerals and mineral fuels. Funds come from the state severance tax on energy and mineral production and from a portion of the state's share of royalties paid to the federal government for mining and drilling of minerals and mineral fuels on federally-owned land.
Energy/Mineral Impact Assistance Fund Initiatives
The Energy and Mineral Impact Assistance Fund (EIAF) has announced three new initiatives to assist communities to integrate climate resilience, renewable energy, livability and long-term sustainability through bold, transformative projects.
Climate Resilience Challenge
While current EIAF program guidelines are scored on how they incorporate resilience, renewables, and hazard risk reduction, the Climate Resilience Challenge will take this work to the next level with a $10M set aside for bold projects that move forward cutting edge climate work.
The Climate Resilience Challenge encourages and incorporates projects that align with multiple goals, encompassing climate adaptation, climate mitigation solutions, and social equity. By addressing the most critical vulnerabilities in their community or region, these projects aim to enhance resilience across these three key dimensions.
The Climate Resilience Guidance & Resources provides background on the climate resilience plans and projects that qualify.
Applications that incorporate all three of these criteria will be most competitive for the Climate Resilience Challenge. Those that incorporate one or two of these criteria may be moved to the regular EIAF program grant review, which will require a 50% match rate.
Main Street LIVE
Place-based development, redevelopment, and housing on downtown Main Streets are vital to a strong and active economy, fiscal health of local governments, and long-term and strategic growth patterns. Main Street LIVE will fund the planning, design, engineering, and construction of Main Street public infrastructure and facilities as Livability Investments for Vibrant Economies. This $15 million is an investment in Colorado's major main street downtowns, improving long-term sustainability, supporting housing development, and attracting workforce talent to create a more vibrant and livable commercial hub.
The most competitive Main Street LIVE projects will have a strong contribution to affordable or attainable housing goals on Main Street, such as projects that increase residency with infill or above-storefront living spaces, remove barriers to downtown living, or improve infrastructure to enable affordable and attainable housing. All Main Street LIVE projects should improve the livability of a community and specifically on its Main Street commercial core.
More Housing Now and Land Use Initiative
The Department of Local Affairs, Division of Local Government (DOLA) supports local government efforts to implement land use and other strategies that expand opportunities for affordable and attainable housing development. The expense of upgrading and expanding infrastructure to encourage affordable and reachable home development is a substantial obstacle to redevelopment. While these project categories are already qualified under the Energy/Mineral Impact Assistance Fund (EIAF) grant program standards, this initiative addresses the high need for local government infrastructure to support these projects.
Eligible projects for the More Housing Now and Land Use Initiative include infrastructure projects that support affordable and attainable housing goals, as well as planning projects that involve the creation and adoption of land use strategies that make it easier to develop affordable and attainable housing.
How to Apply
The Energy/Mineral Impact Assistance Fund (EIAF) Cycle 24-07 application opens on March 1, 2024 and closes on April 1, 2024.
Eligible entities to receive grants and loans include municipalities, counties, school districts, special districts and other political subdivisions and state agencies.
Applicants are required to contact their Regional Manager prior to submitting any application and must be “ready to go” in order to be accepted into an EIAF grant cycle. The Regional Manager will assist applicants in identifying additional funding sources and will provide technical assistance by engaging other state and local agencies to support the project.
Applications open today on the Energy/Mineral Impact Assistance Fund (EIAF) website.
For more information on these three initiatives and the Energy/Mineral Impact Assistance Fund (EIAF), please visit the EIAF program website.
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