Posted on: March 5, 2026
75-unit affordable housing development includes early childhood education center
Source: Times Call; Author: London Lyle
Longmont Mayor Susie Hidalgo Fahring cuts the ribbon at the grand opening of the Ascent at Hover Crossing apartments on Tuesday.
City officials, housing leaders and development partners gathered Tuesday afternoon to celebrate the grand opening of Ascent at Hover Crossing, a new affordable housing community designed to provide family housing and childcare in Longmont.
The $39 million development at 2225 18th Ave. includes 75 mixed-income apartments and a two-story early childhood education center that will serve both residents and families from the surrounding community.
The project was developed through a partnership between the Longmont Housing Authority and Pennrose, a national affordable housing developer with a regional headquarters in Denver.
The Longmont Housing Authority is the city’s public housing agency that develops, manages, and partners on affordable housing in Longmont to serve low- and moderate-income residents. The LHA is comprised of the City Council acting as the Housing Authority board, City Manager Harold Dominguez acting as the Executive Director, and a handful of professional staff who run and support LHA’s housing programs and properties.
Funding came from a combination of federal and state affordable housing tax credits, private investment and financing from several local and national partners.
Mayor Susie Hidalgo-Fahring said the project reflects years of intentional planning and collaboration.
“Ascent is a culmination of many integral city priorities,” Hidalgo-Fahring said during Tuesday’s ceremony. “These include addressing the community’s most pressing needs, the creation of affordable housing and access to affordable, quality child care. Ascent families will benefit from both housing and childcare that are provided at a manageable cost, creating an opportunity to truly thrive.”
The development includes one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom apartments spread across two residential buildings. Units are available to households earning between 30% and 80% of the area median income. For a one-person household, that range is roughly $31,650 to $84,400 annually.
While families were prioritized during the construction process, one-bedroom units for single residents are also available. The development is also located near a grocery store, pharmacy, hospital, public transit and outdoor recreation.
Inside the apartments, residents will find modern kitchens, in-unit washers and dryers, high ceilings and additional storage space. The complex also includes a centralized community building with a fitness center, meeting spaces, indoor play areas and outdoor recreation space.
The property was designed with sustainability in mind and is fully electric. Rooftop solar panels owned by the city are expected to help lower residents’ utility costs.
Dominguez said the project traces back nearly a decade, when the Longmont Housing Development Corporation first acquired the property and began exploring family housing for the site. The project required coordination across multiple city departments and outside partners, as well as navigating the complexities of building larger family-sized affordable housing units.
“Building affordable housing is challenging,” he said. “But it really shows what can happen when everyone works together toward a common goal.”
An important component of the project is the on-site early childhood education center, which will be operated by the OUR Center, a longtime Longmont nonprofit that aims to help provide families in need with resources to move toward self-sufficiency, according to their website. The center will include classrooms, indoor and outdoor play areas and support spaces for staff and families.
OUR Center leaders said the child care facility will help address a common challenge for working parents: finding reliable care close to home.
Having high-quality child care within walking distance of home can make the difference between maintaining employment and losing a job, according to the organization’s representatives who spoke Tuesday. They added that they are still looking for additional preschool teachers to fully staff the center.
The preschool program is expected to open later this year and will prioritize families who live at Ascent at Hover Crossing before expanding enrollment to other Longmont residents. At least half of the available child care slots will be offered on a sliding scale based on family income.
The housing development was financed through multiple funding sources, including federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits allocated by the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority. Equity investments were provided by RBC Community Investments and JPMorgan Chase, while FirstBank provided construction and permanent loan financing.
Ross Kaufman, an investment manager with RBC Capital Markets, said the project highlights the importance of collaboration in developing affordable housing.
“You see these 75 units of new, high-quality, sustainable affordable housing that’s going to benefit the Longmont community for years to come,” Kaufman told attendees.
The project also comes as Longmont continues to grow. According to data from the LHA, the community’s population has increased by about 15% since the 2010 census, making it “one of the fastest growing cities in the country.”
Longmont Housing Authority will manage the property, which was built by Deneuve Construction Services and designed by Van Meter Williams Pollack.
For those interested in applying to live at the Ascent or checking out eligibility criteria, visit its website at www.ascentlongmont.com.
At the end of Tuesday night’s study session, Longmont City Councilmember Alex Kalkhofer said that being able to see the completion of the project was heartwarming. “The things that council does up here eventually come to fruition,” he said. “It’s great to see everyone’s hard work pay off.”
Read the full article, here.
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