Denver is offering $500 to people who can improve their surroundings. Here's what they need to do
The improvement in personal well-being and mental health thanks to living in better surroundings is an incentive in itself, but sometimes people need some extra motivation. No matter how many programs authorities might come up with, it is the participation of individuals that makes the difference. But it often becomes hard for people to remain motivated about their surroundings because of a lack of help. Hence authorities in Denver have decided to provide incentives to civilians so that they feel motivated to work towards the improvement of their surroundings. As reported by Denverite, people willing to come forward with projects to help the community will be awarded $500 to fulfill their goals.
Denver Community Active Living Coalition (CALC) collaborated with the Department of Transportation & Infrastructure (DOTI) and Denver Streets Partnership (DSP), to realize this investment. As per the program's website, the objective of micro-grants is to “encourage active living, active transportation, mobility safety, or use of the built environment.” The grants can be used for a multitude of things like investing in long-time small businesses, providing education regarding safety gear, neighborhood clean-ups, or improving public arts. The grants can be accessed by individuals as well as organizations, the only condition being that they get their proposed plan passed by the authorities. For individuals, the limit is $500 but for groups it is extended to $1500 depending on the scale of their proposal.
To get a grant, the project must be completed within 90 days and be located within the City and County of Denver. After completion, the individual or group should be able to submit reflections detailing the success as well as drawbacks of the proposal. Finally, it is the responsibility of the candidates to gain the required permits for the project. Residents can submit their proposals through the official website as well as by phone. They need to contact the city at 720-865-8716 to give the authorities the whole plan and applications will be reviewed by officials on a rolling basis. This means that the grants will be given the whole year round, until and unless the funds attached to the project are spent. The reaction to the project has been heartening, with the authorities receiving more than 100 applications. The authorities are going through each and every one of them, and will soon give their decision regarding the funds.
It has been hard for the city to pick itself up after the pandemic, but with the investment, the authorities are hoping that everything will get back on track. As reported by KDVR, it is the city's mission to “restore downtown vibrancy and stimulate economic growth.” In order to get the city to recover, the authorities will invest almost $500M over the next decade. Problems like lower foot traffic, businesses closing, and a lack of new housing development have been a huge roadblock to the city's overall growth. This investment will mainly tackle these issues and getting the civilians involved will not only result in a quick resolution but also create a sense of camaraderie within the community.