In 1995, three South Denver human services organizations saw an opportunity to multiply their reach and effectiveness by joining forces in their fight to help people of limited means and challenging circumstances  realize their best quality of life.

Arapahoe House, Inc., Arapahoe/Douglas Mental Health Network and Developmental Pathways collectively launched the Community Housing Development Association to promote, build and manage affordable housing in the South Denver metropolitan area. Including providing housing for those with special needs.

A Need in the Community

The CHDA founders believed that stable affordable housing provides an important foundation for the economic and social well-being of individuals, families and the communities in which they live. They saw, however, a broad gap between decent, affordable housing and many people who needed it.

Housing developers most often respond to lucrative, high-income markets. Simply put, they make more profit from high-end housing developments. This results in a dearth of decent, affordable housing for people of modest means, many of which also have special needs.

Meanwhile, the need for quality housing that’s accessible to people of modest financial means has only grown since 1995 and continues to rise.

Through the years, CHDA has worked with a growing coalition of community partners to provide quality, service-supported living opportunities for people with modest means including those with developmental disabilities, mental illnesses and substance addiction disorders in the South Denver area.

Our housing developments and operations have grown to consist of 204 units located in five properties in Arapahoe County:

• 80-unit Willow Street Residences in Aurora
• Aurora’s 36-unit Lara Lea Apartments in Littleton
• 12-unit Regal Apartments in Littleton
• 33-unit Presidential Arms Apartments in Englewood
• 43-unit Canterbury Apartments in Englewood.

All CHDA units are affordable to residents earning 60 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI) and below. And all are financially self-sufficient. We’re able to keep quality housing affordable by creating community partnerships that include public and private grant funding, Low Income Tax Credit equity and minimal, aggressively managed debt.

We take pride in managing and maintaining CHDA properties to the highest standards with utmost professionalism. We continue to evaluate additional properties to expand the CHDA housing portfolio and program services.