AURORA | Area officials cut the proverbial ribbon Friday on an affordable housing development that will soon become home to 60 homeless veterans and their families.
The apartment tower, called Veterans Renaissance Apartments, is the latest addition to the Anschutz Medical Campus at 1919 N. Quentin St. It’s several blocks away from the Rocky Mountain Regional Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
That’s one of many ways homeless veterans will become tapped into a network of medical care, mental health supports and case workers while living off the streets. John Parvensky, chief financial officer for Denver-based Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, said once-homeless vets will be able to walk from their one-or-two-bedroom apartments to see a case worker in their own lobby.
The veterans will start moving into the 55,000 square-foot apartment complex next week, Parvensky said. Amenities like big windows, a library and a “nature walk” will make the sleek complex feel like home, he said.
When the veterans move in, the coalition and a slew of private firms and government agencies will have housed a portion of the some 600 Denver-area military veterans who spend their days in shelters or on the streets. In Arapahoe, Adams and Denver counties alone, 538 veterans were counted as homeless in this year’s Point in Time survey.
Parvensky said it’s important for people to remember that there are still local veterans without homes, along with “hundreds of additional veterans throughout the state and thousands more throughout our country.”
Residents will have to pay no more than 30% of their annual income — if they make anything. A network of housing vouchers will cover the rest of the cost, and Parvensky said staff will help veterans find work or tap into federal income benefits.
The coalition’s property management wing, Renaissance Development Corporation, will run the building, which was built by Alliance Construction Solutions and designed by Studio Completiva in a public-private partnership.
The National Affordable Housing Trust contributed $13 million with Bank of the West. The state Department of Local Affairs provided a $2 million loan with 0% interest. Other private and public funders contributed as well.
From the get-go, the Aurora Housing Authority had held the land for veteran-centered services after originally purchasing it from the U.S. Army.
Parvensky and government officials, including Governor Jared Polis and Aurora Congressman Jason Crow, held a virtual opening for the building Friday.
They lamented the fact that so many veterans get locked out of housing opportunities and land on the streets. Crow is himself a combat veteran of post-Sept. 11 wars.
Research has shown that many U.S. veterans, especially those who fought in 21st century wars, struggle to find sustained housing for a host of reasons. These veterans often suffer from traumatic brain injuries impacting social interactions and cognition or develop drug and alcohol addictions after their service. They’re also less likely to advance their education or careers.
The Veterans Renaissance Apartments are also the latest Aurora-area investment in veterans’ wellbeing.
In August, the city of Aurora joined with Adams and Arapahoe counties to fund a city-based staffer focused only on veteran’s issues. The Aurora City Council also moved to create a Veteran’s Treatment Court to help provide services and diversionary programs for veterans charged with crimes. The city worked with organization Justice for Vets in planning for this more holistic court system.