Denver leaders on Wednesday broke ground on a 102-unit affordable housing development at 3270 W. Colfax Ave. which took advantage of a $4 million loan from the Department of Housing Stability and a $100,000 grant from the Office of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resilience.

In addition to money from HOST and CSAR, “The Irving” is using money from a statewide affordable housing fund set up by Proposition 123.

The multifamily development, called “The Irving at Mile High Vista,” will be restricted to residents in the 20-80% area median income bracket. The all-rental development will feature apartments ranging from studios to three bedrooms and is billed as being an all electric, “climate-friendly” design, according to a city news release.

The new building was constructed with multiple energy efficient policies in mind, as Denver officials say they want the city to become more “sustainable” in light the planet’s changing climate. To the council, the issue has become so pronounced it asked Mayor Mike Johnston to declare a climate “emergency” in its letter outlining budget priorities for 2025.

The city said the climate-friendly features at the Irving include a rooftop solar array, efficient appliances and lighting, electric vehicle charging stations and heat pumps.

The new construction is also part of an ongoing effort by Johnston to “build and sustain” thousands of affordable housing units in his first year, and tens of thousands if he can remain in office for two terms.

“Affordable housing is not just about providing shelter; it’s about creating a Denver where the people who serve, work and live in this city have a fair chance to thrive,” Johnston said in the release. “The Irving represents our city and partners’ dedication and commitment to creating inclusive neighborhoods where residents of all backgrounds can call home.”

Recently, Denver appears to be shifting its approach to addressing homelessness by focusing more on permanent housing and providing services, rather than simply sheltering them. The city has long struggled to transition homeless people into permanent housing, as opposed to temporary shelters.

Broadly speaking, Denver’s metro area successfully found permanent housing solutions for only 21% of those exiting homeless programs in 2022, well below the 33% rate that was the average that year for the 48 most populated metro regions, according to federal data. And a review by The Denver Gazette of homeless provider contracts, invoices, performance outcomes and federal data showed that metro Denver trails many other major metropolitan regions in tackling homelessness with permanent housing.

The Denver metro region has added more homeless individuals than any other metro region in the country since 2018, according to key metrics collected by the federal government. Other metro regions, including Seattle and Houston, have had greater success during that period prioritizing permanent housing rather than the quick fix solutions critics said simply perpetuate homelessness.

Insofar as Johnston’s push to get 2,000 people out of the city’s streets by the end of the year, the latest update shows roughly 1,500 people moved into shelters. Of those, 45 moved into leased units, 26 found “other shelter,” seven transitioned to “stable” housing options and four began substance treatments.

However, 10 have died, 28 are in jail, 47 people’s status is unknown and 165 — more than 10% — are back in the streets.

The city is pushing for more affordable housing, and the press release from HOST said more than 2,200 units have received city financing. There are also 25 sites throughout Denver being built or preserved by the city. Efforts to increase the affordable housing inventory has run into several roadblocks, including layers of bureaucracy and a City Council that has delayed certain projects.

“The Irving” is being developed by the Urban Land Conservancy, which purchased the land next to the Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales Library branch and Del Norte’s Avondale Apartments, completing the development of the Mile High Vista, according to the press release.

“The Irving is the culmination of the community’s long-term vision for Mile High Vista, a mixed-use development that offers affordable housing and library services,” said Sarah Harman, senior vice president of real estate at ULC. “Because of the ongoing displacement of longtime residents in the West Colfax neighborhood, we believe it’s more important than ever to deliver affordable housing here.”