Hope Communities

Programs: Real Estate Development, Affordable Housing with Deeply Supportive ServicesHope Communities was established 42 years ago, in 1980, by visionaries Ray and Marilyn Stranske. It was initiated as a means to provide training, support services and housing to low-income individuals and families either experiencing or at the brink of homelessness. They quickly realized that people had a difficult time advancing toward self-sufficiency if they did not have a safe place to call home. They began a quest to offer quality, affordable housing with supportive programs and services, which has been vitally important ever since. Over the years, Hope has built, purchased or renovated nearly 800 rental units for low-income renters.The organization's genesis occurred in the historic Five Points neighborhood, though over the years they expanded their inventory to provide rental units in multiple neighborhoods in Denver. They were the first to build a new mixed-use, mixed income TOD building on Denver's Welton Street light rail line with 9% Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC), renovated a 130-unit apartment complex in East Denver and purchased 93 townhouses in North Park Hill. Most recently, Hope purchased and renovated an historic building in Five Points to use as a community center with Historic and New Market Tax Credits.Hope currently holds 278 affordable units across Denver. The organization continues to seek opportunities for future housing development in a city that desperately needs affordable homes for its current employees and others migrating to the Mile-High City. They continue to offer a full array of programs and services that are customized by property, informed by resident need and geared to support equitable access to opportunity.

Programs: Housing Stability, Education, Resource Navigation, basic needs, employment, health &wellness, refugee integration programs and Services for Adults and Children.We create and offer residents and individuals from area neighborhoods qualityeducational and enrichment opportunities unique to the individuals we serve. Westrive for Hope's residents to be empowered, self-sustainable and active members ofthe greater community. We provide both direct programs and services as well asleveraging third-party service providers to assist Hope Communities residents andneighbors. Hope provides housing, programs and services to more than 1,850individuals per year.*Housing Stability: Hope provides affordable housing to more than 640 individuals at 4 properties across Denver. Additionally, navigators help clients from the broader community to secure and retain stable housing.*Resource Navigation many clients who live on Hope properties and from surroundingneighborhoods need assistance securing basic needs and getting resources to advanceself-sufficiency and improve their quality of life. The percentage of clients servedby Hopes program team that do not live on property increased dramatically in 2020 to 42%. Many of those clients need assistance finding housing, in addition to basicneeds and resources to improve work, school and health.*Employment: Hope provides extensive support for hard-to-employ clients to improvetheir technical skills and work through the employment process. Hope provides directservices and resource navigation for associated career needs, and also leverages theresources of area employers and training programs.*Refugee Integration Programs: Hope provides resource navigation and specializeprograms to refugee clients across the community to help them successful integrateand thrive. The organization has employed staff with cultural competencies and more than a dozen languages to support these families and individuals. Communitynavigators work with clients in Denver, Aurora, Northglenn, Lakewood and otherlocations across the front range.*Adult Education - Hope Communities residents are diverse. Education and opportunity are keys to economic mobility and self-sufficiency. Hope Communities provides programs and services that encourage and engage adult learners to acquire and advance skill sets. Some of these include: Computer Classes, Career Exploration and workforce training, Health Literacy, and English Language Learning Classes (Reading, Writing, Multi-Level Classes), parenting, cultural competencies and leadership development. The organization has added more programs and services for seniors to help them access basic needs, healthcare, reduce social isolation and secure the other resources they need to stay independently in their homes.*Youth Education - Hope Communities offers early childhood education, healthyparent-child relationship programs, as well as after-school and summer enrichment,academic support, tutoring, leadership development and programs/activities to advance social-emotional development. Some specific programs include: Ready Tots, Homework Help, Youth Mentoring and Summer Enrichment Programs such as Big City Mountaineering Overnight Camp, Health & Nutrition, Youth Garden Program, BOYZ in the Gardens and the Girls Empowerment Group. Hope aims to help children and youth be school ready, have academic success, further social/emotional development, make healthy choices and build character.*Health and Wellness Hope uses on-site health fairs; health literacy, patientnavigation and a myriad of other programs to aid residents in improving health and wellness. In the last year, many more services were expanded to support foodinsecurity, provide basic needs, increase understanding of COVID 19 and strategiesrelated to the virus. The organization also increased outreach programs to supportmental health and emotional well-being during this trying time. Hope Communitiesoffers direct services and partners with programs to fulfill health and wellnessgoals.*Case Management - Individual and family case management services support the basicneeds of residents and outside community members. Resource navigation is provided tohelp residents work effectively with key contacts in the community (such as theirchildren's school, health clinics, employers, etc.) and to assist withproblem-solving, legal issues and individual goal attainment. On-site interpretationservices are available when needed. The Spring Institutes Project Shine programoffers individual and family health-specific patient navigation assistance.*Holiday Treasure Store - Hope Communities provides an opportunity for parents toshop for their children each December through the Holiday Treasure Store. New,donated gifts are provided to parents free of charge to pass on to their children who live at our properties.