Two former city councilmen share their thoughts on long-term impacts of the pandemic, particularly on economic development and housing. Proposed zoning changes for group housing and allowing accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in single-family zoning have raised concerns among some homeowners, as evidenced by this yard sign.
Getting a good night’s sleep is one of the biggest changes in his life since moving into Fusion Studios, says Jesse Parris, who spent 13 years sleeping on Denver’s streets.
“We know there is no silver bullet. Nobody has gotten it right,” says city planner Laura Aldrete, Executive Director of Denver’s Community Planning and Development (CPD) office, when asked what can be done to fix Denver’s housing crisis.
“From what I’ve seen, people are working together and they see their destinies as intertwined,” says Nebiyu Asfaw of those he talks to along East Colfax.
Being home (whether or not in time for the holidays) will soon have a profound new meaning for over a hundred Denver residents—the Quality Inn on Quebec is being transformed into 139 affordable microhousing units.
Seniors who have lived with a spouse or partner for years face many life changes when they find themselves alone in a home they’ve always shared.
One hundred eighty units of affordable housing, The Moline Apartments, officially opened on July 10. “The work to get this apartment built will have a long-term effect on a lot of lives,” said Gete Mekonnen, executive director of NE Denver Housing, at the opening event.
Myers’ company, Thrive, has built approximately 200 homes in the affordable program, and it has had only one foreclosure. With rule changes the city made in October, his sales went from 30 in a quarter to 3. His company did an analysis and determined that 9 out of 10 buyers he had closed on in his latest project would never have been approved under new guidelines.
At the Feb. 21 Citizens Advisory Board meeting, Damon Knop, a realtor knowledgeable about Denver’s income-qualified homes program, shared concerns about a recent change in the allowed ratio of housing-debt to income for buyers.
Realtor Damon Knop has participated in over 400 affordable homes sale transactions as the buyer’s or seller’s agent in Stapleton, including multiple transactions on some homes over the years.