DENVER — As many Denver residents find themselves priced out of the neighborhoods they grew up in, local organizations are exploring innovative solutions to affordable home ownership.
One option is tandem homes, which allow for two homes on a single lot owned by two different people, aiming to maximize land use and affordability.
A tandem housing project recently completed in Denver's Globeville neighborhood showcases how the housing model can work, but it faces many challenges, such as rezoning delays.
The project is a collaboration between the Globeville-Elyria-Swansea Coalition, Tierra Colectiva Land Trust, and Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver.
"What we're doing is, we're making it accessible to people that make under 80% of the area median income. And so that's the population that Habitat serves," said Kory Whitaker, vice president of Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver housing programs.
Whitaker gave Denver7 a tour of a 576-square-foot tandem home on Friday.
“This home behind me is going to be sold for $200,000,” he said, emphasizing its affordability in a city facing housing challenges.
Take a tour inside one of the homes in the photo gallery below:
Denver's Department of Housing Stability (HOST) has already funded three tandem homes, with plans for five more across the city.
Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver collaborates with groups like Tierra Colectiva Land Trust to make these tandem home projects happen.
“We were losing a lot of home ownership within the neighborhood overall," said Nola Miguel of Tierra Colectiva, referring to the Globeville neighborhood.
The land trust looks to buy properties on larger lots, sell existing homes, and use those funds to build tandem homes.
Despite these efforts, Miguel said the path to rezoning properties for tandem homes is challenging.
Miguel explained that rezoning can be lengthy and costly, often taking up to six months.
However, Denver is addressing these hurdles with a new initiative called Unlocking Housing Choices, which aims to incentivize the development of affordable housing units, including tandem homes, in areas with available space.
As families get ready to move into these tandem units in Globeville, local leaders see this initiative as a critical step toward increasing affordable housing options across Denver.
“This is a chance for them to not only stay in this neighborhood but live and have an ownership stake in this neighborhood,” Whitaker said.
Tandem homes are different than accessory dwelling units (ADUs), which are typically rental units often on the same lot as another home.
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