The City of Denver welcomed its newest affordable housing community as Mayor Mike Johnston and other city leaders gathered for a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday.

Developed by the Urban Land Conservancy, The Irving at Mile High Vista is a new, permanently affordable, all-electric multifamily housing community in Denver’s West Colfax neighborhood.

The 102-unit project is ULC’s first ground-up affordable housing development for households earning 20%–80% of Area Median Income (AMI), with affordability guaranteed for at least 99 years through a community land trust.

“This is a great example of what we hope to do in Denver,” Johnston said. “It’s also about the idea that as we build this city, we want to make sure this city leaves room for all of us, that we make sure the folks that have been in these neighborhoods and built these neighborhoods can stay in these neighborhoods.” 

The seven-story apartment building at 3270 W. Colfax Ave., next to the Corky Gonzales Library, houses six studio apartments, 78 one-bedroom units, 12 two-bedroom units and six three-bedroom units.

The crisp new apartments include a refrigerator, stove/oven, dishwasher, garbage disposal, air conditioning, blinds, carpet and ceiling fans, as well as on-site management and laundry facilities.

“This investment we make today is going to affect many generations,” ULC President and CEO Aaron Miripol said. “That’s why we designed The Irving to be energy efficient and all electric with low operating costs, rooftop solar and heat pump systems for building electrification.”

With a population of more than 729,000 and growing, the city of Denver has long struggled with an unaffordable housing market and needs to create close to 44,000 affordable units over the next decade, according to the city’s Department of Housing Stability.

“If we are going to keep up with the need we have for affordability in this city, we have to plan, design, build, and open 30 to 40 of these (communities) a year,” Johnston said.

Developed by ULC, the community was one of the first to receive and break ground on projects funded by Proposition 123, a voter-approved statewide initiative that provides dedicated funding to support affordable housing across Colorado.

“The Irving is where affordability meets sustainability,” Johnston said in a statement. “This is exactly the kind of project that Proposition 123 was designed to support, and exactly what we need more of to ensure everyone who lives and works in Denver can afford to stay in Denver.”

Denver’s Office of Housing Stability provided a $4,080,000 loan for the project, according to city officials. 

The building also received a $100,000 grant from Denver’s Office of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency to facilitate the community’s all-electric design.