Denver and Partners Celebrate New Senior Supportive Housing Community

Denver and Partners Celebrate New Senior Supportive Housing Community

Published on January 10, 2025

Mayor Mike Johnston, Denver's Department of Housing Stability (HOST), partners from St. Francis Center, and community members celebrated today the grand opening of St. Francis Apartments West, a 60-unit supportive housing community for older adults, age 55+, exiting homelessness.

"Today marks another step in creating a Denver that is affordable to all," said Mayor Mike Johnston. "I'm grateful to the many partners who brought this project to life and who care so deeply about ensuring our seniors have a home that is safe, warm, and inviting."

Located at 221 Federal Blvd. in the Barnum neighborhood, St. Francis Apartments West will offer one- and two-bedroom units plus onsite support services, such as case management, mental health counseling, and substance abuse treatment. All units will be affordable to persons exiting homelessness, with 30 units restricted to 30% or below of the area median income (AMI) and 29 units restricted to 50% AMI or below.

"This marks a significant step forward in our mission to address solutions to homelessness and provide affordable housing options for older individuals within the Denver community," said Nancy Burke, CEO of St. Francis Center. "We are grateful to the City of Denver and our other partners for their support of this important project."

The new community also has several fully accessible units for tenants with disabilities, as well as units that meet hearing and vision-impairment accessibility. The building is elevator serviced and all indoor and outdoor amenities have accessible features for people with disabilities, to ensure all tenants can enjoy the common and outdoor spaces.

HOST provided $5,050,000 toward the project, including $2,700,000 for construction costs, $1 million in land acquisition financing (that has since been repaid), and $1,350,000 toward supportive services over the next 15 years. Other public finance partners include the Colorado Department of Local Affairs and the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority.

St. Francis Apartments West adds affordable units that are critically needed in Denver. A total of 1,471 affordable units that have received city financing are currently under construction/preservation at 23 sites throughout Denver. An additional 1,060 income-restricted units are in the planning stage. Learn more about this inventory at the Denver Affordable Housing Dashboard.

• Housing Stability