Globeville Elyria-Swansea - Brothers Redevelopment

As Colorado’s affordable housing crisis continues to intensify, Brothers Redevelopment is bringing housing options to the table — particularly for those facing displacement in Denver and the justice involved population in Arapahoe County.

Toward the end of 2022, Brothers announced housing projects in the Globeville Elyria-Swansea neighborhood and in Arapahoe County.

In December, Brothers brought five three-bedroom townhomes to 4401 Josephine St. that will be sold to neighborhood families facing displacement and placed into the GES Tierra Colectiva community owned land trust. Shortly before the townhomes were set, Brothers and Arapahoe County announced the construction of a $3 million permanent supportive housing project for 80 to 100 justice-involved individuals in the county who are unhoused.

Collectively, Brothers counts 21 communities providing more than 850 units in its portfolio, bringing badly needed affordable housing to neighbors in six metro area counties along the front range. Here is a look at how the Globeville Elyria-Swansea and Arapahoe County projects will positively impact Colorado’s housing landscape.

Preserving the Globeville Elyria-Swansea neighborhood

On a chilly December morning, neighbors of the Globeville Elyria-Swansea neighborhood gathered with coffee and breakfast burritos to watch construction crews use a giant crane to hoist and set the townhomes. The housing was a welcoming site for an area that has seen gentrification take place because of the reconstruction of Interstate 70, rising housing costs, and real estate speculation by outside investors.

Each of the townhomes will be sold for no more than $180,000 each to qualified buyers whose incomes do not exceed 80% of Area Median Income. The homes will also be placed into the GES Tierra Colectiva — a community owned land trust that will preserve affordability for generations to come.

Since 2017, the GES Affordable Housing Collaborative — made up of Brothers, the Colorado Community Land Trust/Habitat for Humanity Metro Denver, and the GES Coalition — have been working to spur affordable housing options in the Globeville Elyria-Swansea neighborhood.

The new-five unit community increases the number of affordable homes that the collaborative has acquired and/or developed to 10. The site for the housing was acquired thanks to financial assistance from the City and County of Denver who provided $2 million to the collaborative that leveraged an earlier $2 million grant from the Colorado Department of Transportation. The Colorado Health Foundation also provided a $600,000 grant to develop housing at the Josephine site.

In the near future, Brothers has plans to bring three more housing units on a site near Fillmore Street.

“Like all parts of Metro Denver right now, housing is at a premium and the cost has skyrocketed ever since we’ve been involved in this effort since 2017. It’s been really difficult to get a foothold and secure units that can be placed into an affordable community land trust like this one — but we’ve still been working at it,” Brothers President Jeff Martinez told Denverite.

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Serving a new population in Arapahoe County

Permanent supportive housing is safe and affordable community-based housing. The model uses housing-first, harm reduction and trauma-informed care models to provide shelter and services for unhoused individuals. And it has been nationally recognized as a proven solution to end homelessness because it combines housing and supportive services that enable living stability and independence not available on the streets.

Those reasons, combined with a need for unhoused clients of justice rehabilitation programs in Arapahoe County, are why Brothers is so excited to bring permanent supportive housing to the county.

The upcoming Arapahoe County project will provide housing and services to unhoused clients of the 18th judicial district problem solving courts, the Arapahoe County Pretrial Mental Health Program, Diversion clients of the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, the Probation Mental Health Program, Project SAFER, Veterans Treatment Court, jail re-entry, and defendants being restored to competency. This facility will improve the health, safety, and rehabilitation of around 100 justice involved clients at a time by addressing rehabilitation needs for those with mental health or substance use disorders while also providing housing resources and needs.

The announcement of this project adds a new demographic of people to a long list of clients that Brothers serves.

Along with providing housing to justice involved individuals, Brothers is preparing to open Valor on the Fax early this year — a 72-unit permanent supportive housing community at 7900 E. Colfax that will serve individuals with acquired brain injury and related disability. Brothers also offers affordable housing options to neighbors with other disabilities, low-income older adults, and income qualified families at Paris Family Apartments in Aurora.

For years, Brothers has administered Community Development Block grant funding on behalf of Arapahoe County to provide housing and housing-services — like home modifications and repairs, and housing counseling.

Arapahoe County Commissioners allocated $3 million of the county’s American Rescue Plan Act funding to the upcoming permanent-supportive housing project. A location for the site will be announced in the future.

“We look forward to expanding our work with Arapahoe County to serve those who have gone through the justice system and face uncertainty along with health challenges,” said Martinez.

In 2021 — a year in which Brothers Redevelopment turned 50 years old — we went above and beyond to compassionately address Colorado’s housing needs.

Brothers Redevelopment saw its programs impact hundreds of low-income and disabled seniors, provided millions of dollars in rental/mortgage assistance, answered Colorado’s most pressing housing questions and connected Coloradans to local housing resources — all while building and developing affordable housing for at risk residents.

Take a trip down memory lane and relive some of our best stories from 2021.

Paint-A-Thon transforms 90-plus houses

Brothers Redevelopment’s signature Paint-A-Thon Program roared back in 2021 by completing 95 projects across the metro area and in Colorado Springs.

The Paint-A-Thon saves elderly and disabled residents up to $5,000 per household — money that can be used for important costs like medication and bills.

It’s always amazing to see how Paint-A-Thon volunteers transform houses that are in need of a makeover. It’s even more amazing to see a client’s reaction when they see their updated house for the first time.

Over the summer, 93-year-old Barbara Rodriguez’s reaction to seeing her freshly painted house was caught on camera. Read her story and check out the video here.

Home Modification and Repair Program proves to be handy

It’s no secret that cost of housing can leave residents with the possibility of having to leave their home. But often times, we hear from some disabled clients that they’re faced with having to move if they can’t conduct crucial home repairs and modifications. That’s where our Home Modification and Repair Program comes in.

Brothers Redevelopment’s Home Modification and Repair Program served more than 460 households in the metro area and in Colorado Springs this year. The program also received support from local governments like the City of Westminster who provided additional funding for it back in July.

In 2021, the program impacted people like Commerce City resident Arthur Saiz — a United States Army Veteran who received services from Brothers Redevelopment. Read about it here.

Brothers Redevelopment helps hundreds of households with rent

This year, Brothers Redevelopment administered funds for a variety of rental and mortgage assistance services — including the state’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program.

Through the program, Brothers Redevelopment assisted 281 households across the state with finances for rent. This year, the City of Denver also continued to trust in us by electing to award Brothers Redevelopment an additional $3 million to distribute through the city’s Temporary Rental and Utility Assistance Program.

Check out what one of our clients had to say about the impact rental assistance had on her.

Coloradans turn to Colorado Housing Connects as federal eviction moratorium ends

In August, the Supreme Court rejected the Biden administration’s moratorium on evictions, leaving thousands of Coloradans vulnerable to the possibility of losing their home. Thankfully, residents in all parts of Colorado could turn to Colorado Housing Connects (1-844-926-6632) for help.

Shortly after the end of the federal eviction moratorium, Colorado Housing Connects saw a 55% increase in inquiries. Residents like Jessica Hopf avoided eviction, thanks to the work of the housing helpline’s housing navigators. Without Colorado Housing Connects, Hopf said she would’ve lost her home.

NextFifty Initiative entrusts in Brothers Redevelopment to serve Spanish speaking seniors

At the beginning of the year, Brothers Redevelopment added bilingual staff to our Aging in Place senior services program, ensuring that more Spanish-speaking seniors across the state could get access to crucial resources like Social Security, food assistance, health care, transportation and other federal and state benefits.

The program proved to be successful by serving 269 Spanish speaking seniors in 2021, resulting in $450,563.51 in cost savings for our clients. NextFifty Initiative awarded the program a grant toward the end of this year, lending to Brothers Redevelopment’s ability to help Spanish-speaking seniors get connected to resources that can help them avoid challenges that arise with aging. Read more here.

Housing, housing…. and more housing

Brothers Redevelopment continued to fulfill its mission of developing and preserving sustainable affordable housing in 2021.

In May, Brothers Redevelopment, on behalf of the Globeville Elyria-Swansea Affordable Housing Collaborative, worked with local developer Adam Berger to set a modular duplex at 4401 Milwaukee St. The homes were designed for Globeville and Elyria-Swansea families who are facing displacement and placed into the GES Tierra Colectiva — a community owned land trust that will preserve affordability for generations to come. Brothers Redevelopment also recently broke ground on a five-unit affordable housing community at 4401 Josephine St. Those homes will also be sold to Globeville and Elyria-Swansea families who are facing displacement and will be placed into the land trust.

Finally, Brothers Redevelopment and community members gathered in the fall to celebrate the groundbreaking of Valor on the Fax — a new affordable living community that will assist individuals who face housing insecurity due to an acquired brain injury or related disability.

For Valor on the Fax, Brothers Redevelopment is teaming up with the Brain Injury Alliance of Colorado who will offer support, counseling and resources to tenants at the community. Our staff will also be on site to provide our housing services to the community’s residents. Valor on the Fax will be located at 7900 E. Colfax and is expected to be completed sometime in 2022. Read this news article about Valor on the Fax.

Prior to moving to her house, Reiko Mike had dreams of being a homeowner when she was renting her Arvada apartment.

But the rising costs of housing in Colorado combined with the fact that she is on a fixed income made her aspirations feel like a pipe dream — until she learned of an affordable home Brothers Redevelopment developed in the Globeville and Elyria-Swansea area.

In March of 2020, Mike purchased the home, becoming the first resident to close on housing Brothers developed on behalf of the Globeville Elyria-Swansea Affordable Housing Collaborative — composed of Brothers, the GES Coalition and the Colorado Community Land Trust who is now managed by Habitat Metro Denver.

To pay for the home, Mike contributed $750 of her own savings and received financial assistance from the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority and the Colorado Housing Assistance Corporation. She benefits from a small program administered by the Colorado Division of Housing that allows Section 8 vouchers to be used to cover mortgages.

“Owning the home means everything. Who doesn’t want to be a homeowner,” said Mike. “I really enjoy my home, and I’m grateful for organizations like Brothers. I wouldn’t have ever owned a home had it not been for Brothers.”

Mike has not only benefited from affordable housing Brothers has developed in the Globeville and Elyria-Swansea area. She’s also benefited from the nonprofit’s Individual Development Account (IDA) program.

Recipients of the IDA save $3,375 and Brothers matches at 2:1 to be used for repairs or improvements to an existing home. After saving the required funds, Brothers awarded Mike $6,750 to give her a total of $10,125 to be used for home repairs and modifications. She used the funding to get a driveway patio installed and to get her stairs updated.

Mike still has more than $1,000 left from the IDA and is hoping to get a fence installed outside her house. After she’s resided in her home for 36 months, the match will be completely forgiven.

“I’m very pleased with the IDA program, and I’m very lucky to have been able to use that program. I felt very provided for and cared for,” said Mike. “Brothers gave me all the support that I needed.”

In the coming weeks, Brothers and the Globeville Elyria-Swansea Affordable Housing Collaborative will break ground on a five-unit affordable housing community for qualifying homebuyers from Globeville and Elyria-Swansea. Last year, Brothers developed and sold two modular duplexes on behalf of the Globeville Elyria-Swansea Affordable Housing Collaborative.

The nonprofit’s housing units in the Globeville and Elyria-Swansea neighborhoods are placed into a land trust to preserve affordability for generations to come.

Those who are interested in the IDA program should contact Brothers HUD Certified Housing Counselor/Housing Navigator Amy Kennedy at 303-685-4202 or by emailing amyk@brothersredevelopment.org.

“There is no other program that is going to give you 2:1. I’ve never heard of such a thing, and I just thought it was such a great program,” said Mike. “And I know it would be for other people who are in my situation.”

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*CDOT awarded Brothers a $2 million grant to preserve the historic GES neighborhood amid Interstate-70 expansion

**Brothers’ Home Modification and Repair is fixing what’s broken!

***Paint-A-Thon volunteers making a difference here!

DENVER, April 25 — Alongside the disruption of construction and the tangles of traffic with I-70’s overhaul, good things are also happening for residents in Globeville Elyria-Swansea, as nonprofit Brothers Redevelopment Inc. works to preserve and stabilize their neighborhoods.

Beginning in mid-March and building momentum this April, Brothers has begun protecting and prettifying GES homes with its volunteer-powered Paint-A-Thon exterior makeovers and its Home Modification and Repair pros.

This Saturday, April 27, the Peña home at 4975 Steele Street in Denver gets a shiny coat of paint from a Paint-A-Thon volunteer team made up of alumni from the University of Central Florida. Mr. Peña has been a real team player, and we’re grateful to him for helping us get the word out that Brothers is on the ground to help out homeowners in this distinctive historical neighborhood.

Richard and Mary Ellen Pena have lived in their GES neighborhood their whole lives. They love their home, yard, garden and neighbors. Richard worked in the trades his entire life until a serious back injury disabled him.

Between blizzards in March, Brothers harnessed the power of students on spring break to paint the Montoya home in a GES Paint-A-Thon. We have another GES project already on the books for May 18 with 25 volunteers leaving the bench and bar for a Saturday Paint-A-Thon. When not sprucing up homes, this volunteer crew, the Rhone Brackett Inn of Court, promotes ethics, skills and professionalism in the legal field.

Brothers invested almost $10,000 to make over a bathroom for Mrs. Medina, a senior resident with a long history in this neighborhood. And, elsewhere in the area, HMR is hard at work improving overall conditions and safety in the basement of another elderly neighbor’s home.

This is just the start for Brothers. We are planning more projects, tapping the $2 million grant that the Colorado Department of Transportation awarded us to help prevent displacement of GES residents.

Brothers is part of the GES Affordable Housing Collaborative, a partnering with community members in the GES Coalition and the Colorado Community Land Trust (CCLT).

The generous $2 million CDOT grant awarded Brothers is for mitigation of impacts due to the expansion of Interstate 70 through the neighborhoods. It enables the collaborative to acquire single-family homes for placement in the neighborhood land trust, by which residents may own their dwellings and even resell them, while the land itself remains in trust for the community.
The partners will set aside an estimated $300,000 to rehabilitate houses and preserve the hard-earned equity of existing homeowners.
Other portions of the grant will be applied toward new construction/redevelopment of parcels/properties that also will provide affordable housing for dozens of families in the neighborhood.

Brothers announces two new housing developments in Denver/Arapahoe County