A former historic church in Capitol Hill reopened as a new supportive housing project Friday, providing affordable housing for residents transitioning out of homelessness.
The Saint Francis Warren Residences consist of 48 dorm-style units at the former Warren Church at 1630 E. 14th Ave., the city said. The units are reserved for homeless residents who make 30% or less of the area median income, up to $22,050 for a single-person household, according to city data.
“The Warren Residences will serve as a beacon of hope and stability for many in our community for decades to come,” said Britta Fisher, executive director of the Department of Housing Stability. “We’re fortunate to have community partners like the Saint Francis Center working on many different levels to resolve homelessness.”
The units are around 150 square feet and will house one person each, the city said. The project also includes shared bathrooms, laundry facilities, living and kitchen areas.
Tenants will pay only up to 30% of their income in rent and can stay in the units as long as they need, the city said. Tenants began moving into the units last week, with around 30 tenants moved in by Saturday.
In addition to housing, the project will provide tenants with voluntary employment services and case management to help prevent them from falling back into homelessness.
“The Warren Residences model is so important because it shows the greater community what can be accomplished in support of affordable housing by adapting and reusing available community spaces,” said Tom Luehrs with the Saint Francis Center. “We can convert unused sacred spaces into active sacred spaces and transform people’s lives.”
The housing project was funded by a $2.1 million loan from the Department of Housing Stability for construction and $1 million to fund supportive services over the next 15 years.
The Saint Francis Warren Residences is the latest city-funded affordable housing project to open in Denver. Another 1,353 city-funded affordable units are under construction at 26 sites and 1,175 income-restricted units are being planned, the city said.
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