NEWS RELEASE
May 28, 2020
DENVER – Many contractors across Colorado have taken a hit as construction projects have stalled and crew sizes significantly reduced amid the COVID-19 pandemic. But right now, the Denver Urban Renewal Authority (DURA) is actively looking to partner with more contractors as the organization prepares to resume work on dozens of home rehabilitation projects.
For more than 40 years, DURA’s housing rehabilitation programs have been helping low-income homeowners make emergency and necessary repairs to their homes through grants and affordable loans. Over the past few years, DURA has struggled to find enough contractors to work on this unique program, which aims to keep residents — primarily in Denver’s historic neighborhoods — in their homes.
DURA has put most of its home rehabilitation projects on hold temporarily due to COVID-19 but continues to accept applications from residents in the meantime. The organization is encouraging contractors to apply to become a DURA-approved vendor to prepare for the backlog of work to be done once restrictions are lifted and projects resume.
DURA encourages small-business (SBE), women-owned business (WBE) and minority-owned business (MBE) firms to apply.
“Between the projects we were working on, approved projects waiting to begin, and new ones coming in, there is going to be a lot of demand and we want to be prepared by adding more qualified contractors,” said Fred Yeazel, construction supervisor for DURA.
DURA works with a pool of qualified contractors who have been pre-approved to bid on home repair and improvement projects for DURA housing clients. Currently, that pool includes nine general contractors, and between two and five specialty contractors in each of the various building trade categories, such as electricians, plumbers, roofers, and heating contractors. DURA is aiming to double those numbers in order to meet the demand of its housing rehabilitation programs.
In 2019, DURA worked with local contractors to rehabilitate 154 homes in Denver — including replacing aging or damaged roofs, fixing electrical or plumbing problems, adding accessibility upgrades to the homes of people with disabilities, upgrading appliances, replacing sewer lines and much more. The homeowners would not have been able to afford these necessary repairs without DURA’s help.
The application process to become a DURA contractor is simple, but contractors must carry adequate worker’s compensation coverage, must be appropriately insured, and must be licensed through Denver Community Planning and Development. Once a contractor’s application is approved, they can begin bidding on work with DURA.
Recognizing the financial hardships many of its contractors are facing right now because of COVID-19, last week the DURA Board of Commissioners approved a $100,000 Contractor Mobilization Fund to support its existing vendors. The fund is designed to help reduce the burden on DURA’s contractors and provide access to cashflow necessary to complete projects under the organization’s housing programs. This loan is available to current DURA contractors in good standing.
For more information about becoming pre-approved to work on DURA projects, or to start the application process, contact DURA at (303) 534-3872 or visit renewdenver.org.
About Denver Urban Renewal Authority
The Denver Urban Renewal Authority makes Denver stronger by assisting with thoughtful redevelopment and investing in neighborhoods with affordable loans for home repairs that allow residents to stay in their own homes. DURA partners with communities and city agencies when redevelopment or revitalization needs to happen, leading a thoughtful process that brings together neighborhoods and the city as a whole. DURA also offers zero- and low-interest loans to homeowners for emergency repairs and other rehabilitation that will make their home more safe and comfortable, including making grants to renters and homeowners for accessibility upgrades to their home and to remove lead-based paint hazards in homes with children under 6. For more information, visit renewdenver.org. The funding source for this activity is the City and County of Denver, Department of Housing Stability.