CHEYENNE, Wyo. – The State Loan and Investment Board (SLIB) voted today to fully fund more than $8.8 million in Business Ready Community (BRC) grants, greenlighting two major infrastructure projects designed to eliminate housing constraints and clear the path for local business growth.
The unanimous decision releases critical funding for the City of Douglas and the Town of Wright. Both projects recognize that the housing shortage is a direct workforce infrastructure barrier, capping community competitiveness and preventing employers from hiring.
“Wyoming businesses are ready to scale, but they hit a hard ceiling when there is nowhere for their workers to live,” said Wyoming Business Council (WBC) CEO Josh Dorrell. “By investing in the physical foundations these towns need to build homes, state leadership is directly supporting business success. We are grateful to the SLIB members and the Team of Thousands across the state who spoke up to show that workforce infrastructure is an economic necessity.”
The approved investments include:
- City of Douglas ($5,701,748): Funds publicly owned infrastructure improvements at the Seven Trails Commerce Center – including a sewer main extension, road upgrades, a water main loop, and water treatment plant improvements. These upgrades make Douglas investment-ready for private development and workforce housing.
- Town of Wright ($3,179,648): Funds the construction of roads and utility infrastructure to enable 31 new single-family housing units on property owned by the Wyoming Housing Network, directly serving the local workforce.
Leadership Perspective
State Auditor Kristi Racines shared that she took a deep dive into WBC statutes and rules to analyze the fit of the BRC program for housing infrastructure.
“It comes down to the right fit for the right community, and I think that both of these projects really highlight that,” Auditor Racines said. “These are market-rate homes that are enabled by this infrastructure, and these are our teachers, our law enforcement officers, our skilled young people. So many of those individuals aren’t going to meet income limitations for affordable housing – they’re in the middle – and we need the ‘middle’ housing.”
WBC staff presented community data during the evaluation process showing that housing availability remains one of the single largest hurdles to retaining young talent and attracting capital to Wyoming. Because the state lacks a dedicated housing department, these BRC community readiness tools serve as a vital mechanism for towns to build their capacity.
With final SLIB approval secured, infrastructure work in both Douglas and Wright is expected to transition to the construction phase over the coming months.
