When Brothers Redevelopment broke ground on Valor on the Fax, our newest affordable housing community on East Colfax, we made a promise to the neighborhood: this building would be more than just homes. It would be a hub for housing support, with our team on-site and ready to assist any household in the area.
Fulfilling our promise to the neighborhood, we hired a dedicated housing navigator, Jose Navarro, in March 2024 — shortly after Valor on the Fax opened its doors. Navarro works right inside Valor on the Fax, connecting residents and neighbors with vital housing resources such as rental assistance, housing counseling, our Home Modification and Repair Program, our Paint-a-Thon Program, and other crucial services designed to help individuals and families maintain stable housing.
“The most rewarding part of my job is people don’t know that help is available. I think a hardship brings you down, and it’s hard to ask for help, especially in the community — it’s hard to say that you are struggling,” said Navarro. “So just being able to be there for somebody and giving them hope that we’re able to help them is rewarding. And if we’re not able to help them, then we will find a resource that will.”
This past year, Brothers Redevelopment has served 2,503 individuals in the East Colfax neighborhood through our housing helpline, Colorado Housing Connects (1-844-926-6632). Navarro’s role requires him to provide housing navigation services to neighbors living in the 80220, 80010, and 80011 zip codes.
The East Colfax area Navarro serves is a vibrant hub of cultural diversity, home to significant populations of immigrants, refugees, and day laborers. Within Denver’s East Colfax neighborhood, renters make up a majority (63%), and the City of Denver has recognized the area’s need for attention through its neighborhood equity stabilization analyses in both 2018 and 2022.
This neighborhood has seen a dramatic 40% increase in median rents over recent years, reaching approximately $1,500 per month, as indicated by U.S. Census Bureau data. Alarmingly, around 60% of residents were identified as being at risk of displacement in 2019, with roughly 30% living at or below the poverty line.
By far, the most common reason East Colfax residents reach out to Brothers Redevelopment is for rental and utility assistance, accounting for 59% of inquiries in the area this past year.
“It’s a factor of many things, it’s not only just because rent is so high. That is a big factor, but there are other factors that people face when paying rent,” said Navarro. “It might be health issues or even a landlord selling their place because they get more money.”
Brothers Redevelopment is able to employ a housing navigator who focuses specifically on East Colfax because of a two-year grant from The Colorado Health Foundation. Additionally, The Colorado Health Foundation awarded Brothers Redevelopment $35,000 in funding to support housing needs in the East Colfax community. This funding will be used on rental/mortgage assistance, home repairs/modifications, home painting, housing counseling/education, tenant/landlord mediation, and other resources necessary to help community members stay stably housed.
If you or someone you know is struggling to maintain housing, call Colorado Housing Connects or visit coloradohousingconnects.org.
