More affordable housing for homeless individuals, veterans and families coming to Colorado Springs

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) - More affordable housing for homeless individuals, veterans and families is coming to Colorado Springs.

The Commons, an affordable housing community, is holding its groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday. Through a partnership between Colorado Springs-based Homeward Pikes Peak (HPP) and Denver-based affordable housing nonprofit Rocky Mountain Communities (RMC), The Commons will be built at 3770 E. Uintah St. near the Citadel Mall.

“We haven’t created this kind of supportive housing for families that experience long-term homelessness before, so this will be unique and fulfill a big gap in our communities housing programs,” said Beth Roalstad of Homeward Pikes Peak.

The Commons is expected to have about 120 units built in two phases. Twenty percent of the units will be reserved for veterans experiencing homelessness. The community will also provide 24-hour staff, who provide resources like substance abuse recovery programs, budgeting skills, job assistance and more.

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. HPP said they will accept residents with no income or insurance, with criminal histories, evictions and with domestic violence issues.

“People who are on the margin, who earn very low incomes, they can cycle into a crisis more frequently and then they don’t have a cushion of a savings account to help them bounce back,” said Roalstad.

The location on Uintah and Academy was chosen for its proximity to schools, bus stops and job opportunities along Academy, as well as a low-income childcare and after school program at the church next to the lot.

“Every individual who moves in will be referred from the Pikes Peak Continuum of Care. So, a community partner has worked with this individual, helped them fill out a vulnerability assessment and identified the needs of the family and then they will apply for an apartment. They will have rental assistance vouchers from the state of Colorado Division of Housing,” said Roalstad.

The Commons is expected to open in Fall 2022.

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