The Colorado Department of Local Affairs has awarded a $52,900 grant toward a project to help make Durango and Southwest Colorado more resilient to economic disruption.

The grant for the Rural Resiliency and Recruitment project was awarded to a partnership made up of the city of Durango, La Plata County Economic Development Alliance and the Southwest Colorado Accelerator Program for Entrepreneurs.

The grant will support economic resiliency in the Durango and southwest region of the state by developing a better understanding of the region’s economic dynamics and economic diversity. This will be accomplished through the partnership’s Rural Resiliency and Recruitment Project, which aims to bring businesses and entrepreneurs to the community and connect them with resources and technical assistance.

The project will also track data to better understand how relocation of individuals and businesses to Durango and La Plata County affects workforce, housing and other aspects of the community. This collaborative effort could grow to include a focus on housing needs and workforce housing initiatives.

The money will be administered by the city of Durango and will go directly to support SCAPE’s efforts to support entrepreneurialism in the region and to the alliance’s program to build a talented workforce in Durango.

For more information, contact Michael French at mike@yeslpc.com.