DENVER — As the City of Denver works to get people off the streets, one nonprofit is seeing success in its model of helping single parents find stable housing.
Warren Village served 115 parents and 178 children with its $7.7 million budget in 2022. According to the nonprofit, 93 percent of their residents secured permanent housing after moving on from their program.
“I really like to think that we are a part of the solution for homelessness in Denver,” said Ethan Hemming, president of Warren Village.
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Hemming said single parents are resourceful at keeping their families out of encampments. They often resort to living out of their cars, with family or at shelters before seeking Warren Village's services.
The nonprofit is not a shelter. Instead, they operate an apartment building in Denver's Capitol Hill neighborhood. Residents' rent ranges from just $25 a month to 30% of their total income.
“The goal for everyone is more education or workforce credentials or support with their job to make more money. But to get to that point, you have to have mental health support, you have to have a safe place for your kiddo to be so you can focus on your areas of growth,” Hemming said.
The key to Warren Villages success is wrap-around services, which helps parents set and meet goals for their future. They offer counseling, education, career development and childcare.
Joy Carter, a teacher who has been with the Warren Village Early Learning Center for nine years, told Denver7 the children they serve come from diverse backgrounds.
“It’s the base of their learning experiences, their introduction to things in the academic realm, as well as just social, emotional. All kids deserve that opportunity,” she said.
The learning center provides two meals a day for kids six weeks old to five years old. Warren Village said 89 percent of learning center children are meeting or exceeding education benchmarks.
“It's nice when the light comes on and, you know, they just have those aha moments,” Carter said.
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Demand for their services means Warren Village has a waitlist. The nonprofit recently broke ground on their third facility on West Alameda Avenue.
The facility, which should open in November 2024, will provide 89 units of affordable housing as well an education campus.
Warren Village is celebrating 49 years of helping parents transform their lives with their Aspire Gala Friday.
“We're getting more attention. And honestly, folks throughout the year come to us from around the country with questions about our model and how we do it,” Hemming said. “Local people, national people, we're an open book. We will show you the great things. We will also tell you the lessons we've learned.”
If you would like to support Warren Village, click here.
