Denver Metro Chamber Of Commerce: Breaking Down Barriers To Entrepreneurship, Homeownership

Press release from Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce:

Kelly Brough

August 9, 2021

The economy is looking better every day. Colorado’s labor force participation is third strongest in the nation at 68.5%. Our Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation’s active prospect list contains more qualified leads for companies considering expansion or relocation to metro Denver than in any of the past six years. And new business filings posted record gains in the second quarter, increasing 25.7% year over year.

Prosper CO Denver Metro Small Business Development Center China Califf

Many of our members have been working to diversify their supply chains and relationships for some time. Pinnacol Assurance, Colorado’s largest workers’ compensation insurance carrier and longtime Chamber investor, has been working with Prosper CO and the SBDC to make sure the company’s 11,000 vendors with $200 million in business are more representative of the region’s demographics. Read the case study on the Pinnacol’s work.

Pinnacol Assurance case study Comcast RISE The current deadline to apply is Oct. 16. Building Wealth Through Homeownership

Home equity is the most common way families begin to build wealth, and while we’re happy that so many people want to move to our region, we know it comes with a cost, literally – rising home prices. In July, the median housing price hit $544,400.

It’s why we’re advocating for key policy changes with our lawmakers. This last legislative session, we supported three bills that will help address housing affordability.

House Bill 21-1028: Annual Public Report Affordable Housing House Bill 21-1134: Report Tenant Rent Payment Information to Credit Agencies House Bill 21-1271: Department of Local Affairs Innovation Affordable Housing Strategies FirstBank PATH (Providing Access to Homeownership) grant program Prosper CO case study Prosper CO newsletter Lorena Zimmer

This press release was produced by the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce. The views expressed here are the author’s own.