A Denver-based group whose goal is to ensure that the creation of FasTracks improves accessibility to affordable housing, good paying jobs and educational opportunities – especially for those with low incomes – announced today that it has received a $500,000 grant from the Ford Foundation.
The Ford Foundation awarded the grant to the Mile High Transit Opportunity Collaborative, which is comprised of some of the best-known foundations in the region.
They include the Anschutz Family Foundation, the Colorado Health Foundation, The Denver Foundation, the Gates Family Foundation and the Piton Foundation.
The stated goal of the Mile High Transit Opportunity Collaborative is to ensure that the creation of FasTracks improves accessibility to housing, jobs, essential services, education, health “and other elements of a high quality of life for all Metro Denver residents, especially those with low incomes.”
Lisa Davis, the Ford Foundation’s program officer, said that the Ford Foundation believes that “Denver’s effort to create a world class regional transportation system that benefits all its residents has great potential to serve as a model for others.”
“By uniting a strong network of leaders from nonprofits, business and government, this effort is poised to strengthen the vitality of Denver’s communities and ensure that all its citizens have equal access to opportunity across the region,” said Davis.
Davis said that the Ford Foundation is excited about the collaborative and is “happy to seed its initial work.”
The collaborative said it is providing a vision and roadmap for how FasTracks and the development around FasTracks stations can help improve opportunities for all communities, including low-income communities of the region.
It said it is convening private, public and nonprofit and community groups that have a stake in the expansion of FasTracks to ensure all communities benefit from the construction.
Patrick Horvath, of the Denver Foundation, said he was appreciative of the Ford Foundation grant:
“Through this effort we will document current inequity in our region, provide vision and leadership for improving opportunities for all communities across the region near public transit, convene regional leaders and ultimately invest further resources, so that we all can move forward to achieve equitable communities centered on the Metro Region’s expanding transit system.”
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com.
