Posted on: April 12, 2023
Source: Arvada Chamber of Commerce; Source: Marsha Barancik
Two months after opening, Arvada’s 100-unit AVi at Olde Town at 5352 Allison Street is 97% leased and expected to be 100% occupied this month, reports Kristin Gines, CPO of Foothills Regional Housing, which developed the property.
AVi, designed by Van Meter Williams Pollack and constructed by Milender White, is available for renters earning 30-70% area median income (AMI). For example, a four-person household earning 70% AMI would be earning $82,040/year. The property has 100 one- and two-bedroom units. Thirty are reserved for emancipated foster youth facing housing insecurity and 10 are reserved for veterans experiencing homelessness.
The property’s layout boasts extensive shared space, including a 52-seat training center available for education and job-training programs. A partnership with CASA of Jefferson and Gilpin Counties provides the 30 foster youth units with intensive one-on-one mentorship and guidance in key areas such as finances, social connectedness, and employment. Foothills Regional Housing also provides an on-site Service Coordinator who supports all households with resource referrals, access to Medicaid and other programs, and their overall housing stability. Red Rocks Community College utilizes the job training center to bring in programming, ranging from healthy relationships to how to access their educational opportunities.
Integrating community programs into affordable housing “is a necessary bar (to set),” according to Gines. “What we have experienced over time, especially after the pandemic, is that to keep someone successfully housed, they need more support,” Gines says. “Supporting these households’ stability not only benefits that single household,” she said, but “the community becomes more successful as well.”
Gines said the goal of all the partnerships and programming is that at least 90% of the residents at AVi have engaged in education, skill training, or another area that supports their unique needs, leading to increased housing stability and long-term success.
For more information on AVi, please contact Kristen at (303) 403-5435.
Read the full article here.
Posted in: News