Denver neighborhood near Federal Boulevard to get new affordable family housing complex
A new housing project announced in Denver this week is designed to provide affordable housing for families.
The Colorado Coalition for the Homeless says there are more than 15,000 children experiencing homelessness in the Denver metro area. Now, they're partnering with the Denver Housing Authority to help. The new project is set for an area along I-70 and Federal Boulevard.
It takes some imagination to envision what was.
"It used to have a Mexican restaurant here," said Denver City Council President Amanda Sandoval, who lives in the area. "It was called El Padrino. I used to come here a lot with my family, and then on the other side, around the corner was the motel."
It also takes some imagination to envision what will be in the empty lot.
"It looks dilapidated, for lack of a better word, and in a couple years, it's going to have a thriving community with kids, maybe playgrounds facing the park, lots of different amenities, and it's going to totally look like a community that belongs in Northwest Denver," said Sandoval.
The Denver Housing Authority purchased the property in 2020 and, just this week, announced a partnership with the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, which includes granting them a long-term ground lease.
"They are going to design the site," said DHA CEO Joaquín Cintrón Vega. "They're going to construct. They will own the site, and of course, they are going to operate the site in provision for the housing stability, opportunities for the families that we are aiming to serve."
The development project, which is still being designed, will include up to 135 income-restricted, supportive family housing units, with the possibility of a childcare facility inside. Resources this community desperately needs.
"From affordability issues all the way to concentration of poverty, gentrification, displacement, this is a response for that," said Vega. "To make sure that we can provide housing that is accessible, that is affordable, and that is meaningful for the people that we serve, and for that and many other things."
The land for this new family housing project spans nearly four acres and butts up to nearby Rocky Mountain Lake Park, with convenient amenities and stunning views.
"It's a huge asset," said Sandoval. "These families will experience what I raised my children doing."
For Sandoval, the project, set to begin construction in late 2027, is a long time coming. She's been advocating for it for years.
"My community has seen rapid gentrification and displacement in my lifetime, and this is just a dream come true for my community," said Sandoval.
