Denver, CO

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024

Project Category: Reconnecting Communities

Description: Sun Valley has been cut off for decades by the Colfax-Federal cloverleaf, which displaced more than 240 families and left residents facing isolation and safety hazards. The Cloverleaf Oral History Project trained community historians to collect oral histories from older adults whose families were uprooted, preserving them in History Colorado's permanent collection. Stories were shared through two community events, a video and a blog post, sparking intergenerational dialogue. These narratives ensure older residents voices shape future transportation decisions.

Aurora, CO

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020

Project Category: Accessory dwelling units, tiny homes and manufactured housing

Description: This project supported ongoing efforts to create 92 permanently affordable condos in Denver's Santa Fe arts district. Situated around a common courtyard, the housing development sits on the former footprint of two single-family homes. The increased housing density makes space for more people attain homeownership in the neighborhood. Energy efficient appliances, solar power and low-flow plumbing fixtures contribute to each home's energy efficiency. Since its completion, project organizers say the project has inspired affordable housing development elsewhere in Denver.