Affordable housing units coming to east Colorado Springs
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Two Colorado organizations have joined forces to open more affordable housing in Colorado Springs. The Commons, a development made possible by Homeward Pikes Peak and Denver-based Rocky Mountain Communities, will focus on housing homeless families, homeless individuals, and veterans.
It's an idea first thought of by Beth Roalstad of Homeward Pikes Peak in 2017.
"We know when this opens next year, we’re filling a critical gap in this community,” she says.
The Commons will consist of 150 units. The affordable housing community will also provide health services to those who occupy the spaces. Some of those services include case management, health care, support groups, substance abuse recovery groups, job skills training and job search supports, recreational and socialization opportunities, personal financial management/budgeting, and many others.
"What we find with homeless individuals and families is that they have untreated health problems, untreated mental health problems, and they haven’t engaged in services in a long time," Roalstad explains. "So we’re making it really easy, low barrier to get to those services so that they can stabilize and eventually get to work."
"The timing of this project could not be more ideal as we continue to see the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on so many people in our communities. Our goal with The Commons, as with our eight other properties, is to support residents so they can live fuller, more successful lives," says Dontae Latson, chief executive officer at Rocky Mountain Communities.
Apartments will include a mix of one, two, and three-bedroom units to address the needs of individuals and families who are currently experiencing homelessness. Twenty percent of the units will be reserved for veterans experiencing homelessness. HPP will accept residents with no income or insurance, with criminal histories, evictions, and with domestic violence issues.
The Commons will open in fall 2022.
