DOLA Announces Latest Round of Energy/Mineral Impact Assistance Fund (EIAF) Awards

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Media Contact: 

Shannon Gray |  shannon.gray@state.co.us | (970)-505-7937

The Department of Local Affairs’ (DOLA) Division of Local Government (DLG) awarded $43,826,950 across 60 projects in Energy/Mineral Impact Assistance Fund (EIAF) grants during Cycle 24-11, which closed August 1, 2024. 

This funding will support crucial community projects including drinking water system improvements, public facilities, comprehensive plans, housing, energy, and downtown revitalizations. 

“These grants support communities in addressing core needs of today while anticipating future growth,” said Maria De Cambra, Executive Director of the Department of Local Affairs. “These projects emphasize co-benefits across sectors creating better supported, resilient Colorado communities.”

Cycle 24-11 included two special initiatives: More Housing Now and Land Use Initiative (MHN) in addition to  the Climate Resilience Challenge (CRC). 

  • The More Housing Now set-aside awarded $13,962,097 for 13 projects that address the demand for local government infrastructure that supports attainable housing goals and develop housing needs assessments.
    • The Town of Frisco was awarded $923,041 to develop infrastructure for 52  workforce housing units, which will offer residents easy access to public transportation, their workplaces, and crucial amenities.   
    • The City of Alamosa will use their $123,000 award for sidewalk replacement around the historic Boyd School to support adaptive reuse of the school into 50 affordable housing units.
  • The Climate Resilience Challenge awarded $5,154,261 for three bold projects that advance cutting edge climate work and encourages projects that align with multiple goals, including climate adaptation, climate mitigation solutions, and social equity.
    • Kremmling Memorial Hospital District will use their $1,154,261 award to develop the Wellness Center Resiliency Hub, or a physical space to expand community services that benefit the health and well-being of the community now and in the future.
    • Larimer County was awarded $2,000,000 to construct a geothermal designed emergency services facility which will improve response times to emergency calls in Poudre Canyon.

The EIAF program was created to assist political subdivisions that are socially and/or economically impacted by the development, processing, or energy conversion of minerals and mineral fuels. Funds are derived 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, the grant fund facilitates essential community improvements.

Application Cycle 25-03 of the EIAF grant is open through December 2, 2024. Applications are accepted for Tier I projects (up to $200,000) and Tier II projects ($200,001 to $1,000,000). This application cycle will once again have funding set aside for the More Housing Now and Climate Resilience Challenge initiatives. Applicants must 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. 

Learn more about the Energy/Mineral Impact Assistance Fund Grant (EIAF) program.


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