LONGMONT, Colo. — For Skye Beck and her husband, the decision to uproot their family of five from Nebraska and relocate to Colorado for a new job wasn't easy — especially when it came to the cost of living.
“It was looking like it maybe was not going to be an affordable option for us to come out here,” she said. “We did find one eventually, but it was still just the two-bedroom apartment, and that was just a little tight for us for the year.”
After a year of cramped living, the Beck family moved into a much more spacious apartment at Ascent at Hover Crossing in Longmont. The newest affordable housing development in Boulder County, which officially opened its doors on Tuesday, includes four-bedroom units — a rarity in affordable housing.
"I think they only have six of those [units]," said Beck. “To have that much space for the five of us is a blessing.”
Katie Pung, housing development project manager for the City of Longmont, said the larger units were a deliberate priority.
"Having those larger units for families really came together in a way that we feel like is going to be meaningful for Longmont families," Pung said.
The mixed-income apartments are available for a variety of incomes, with units ranging from 30% to 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI) — about $31,650 to $84,400 for a one-person household.
The development also includes an early childhood education (ECE) center on site, giving families an affordable childcare option.
OUR Center, a longtime local nonprofit specializing in subsidized early education for low-income families, will operate the center. The facility is set to open later this year, with availability for both residents and the broader Longmont community.
It reflects a growing statewide push to incorporate childcare into housing projects through state funding and technical assistance for developers.
A similar effort is underway in Denver's Berkeley neighborhood, where the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless is partnering with the Denver Housing Authority to develop Charity's House, a family housing development with 135 new units — also with an on-site child care center.
At least 40% of the units will be reserved for families earning 30% of the Area Median Income (AMI) — currently $37,850 for a family of three and $42,050 for a family of four in Denver. All units will be income-restricted to those at or below 60% AMI.
Cathy Alderman, chief communications and public policy officer for the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, said land partnerships help reduce both cost and construction time.
"If we can enter into a partnership with another organization that owns land, and we can build on that, that cuts our cost and time down considerably," Alderman said.
The DHA Delivers for Denver (D3) bond program, a partnership between DHA and the City of Denver, has funded 11 property acquisitions since its inception in 2019, according to Denver Housing Authority Chief Real Estate Officer Erin Clark.
“It is public partnerships like that and public-private partnerships that, even us, working with a nonprofit here, that are what deliver more housing across the community,” said Clark. “It's just people thinking outside of the box and leveraging resources and saying, ‘What do you do best, and what do we do best, and how can we work together to make all this happen?’”
Construction is slated to begin in late 2027.
Denver7 has heard from multiple experts through the years about the lack of affordable housing options for families and seniors.
Years-long waitlists and housing lottery odds often make it tougher. More than 15,000 children and youth are currently experiencing homelessness in Denver.
Colorado has been making significant housing investments since the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to more affordable housing developments across the state. But Alderman said there is still more work to be done.
"My biggest concern is that not all of that housing is being targeted for those households in the greatest need," Alderman said.
Longtime Longmont resident Karen Howerton remembers a time when rents hovered in the $600 range.
“When I came back to Longmont six years ago, I was surprised at how much inflation had happened here and how big the town had grown,” she said.
The last affordable housing development she lived in didn’t quite fit all her needs.
Now, she joins the Becks as one of the first tenants at Ascent at Hover Crossing.
"What I wanted to come over here for was a washer and dryer — I didn't have that at my other place — and the little balcony, you know," she said. "I've met a few of the neighbors already, and I can't say enough about it. It's just a great place to be, for sure."
Howerton and Beck say the little comforts go a long way toward making a place feel like home.
"I mean, everyone deserves to have a space and be able to afford it without worrying about all the other parts of life," Beck said. "I feel like here we're able to finally rest a bit and able to enjoy life, but it shouldn't be limited to just a waitlist."
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