Back to Milestones
Milestones 1996-2000
1996
• The Coalition converts a former office building near Civic Center Park into 100 efficiency apartments, creating The Forum - the first permanent, supportive housing program for formerly homeless men and women in downtown Denver.
1997
• The Coalition constructs earns Renaissance at Loretto Heights for homeless families. The development earns an Eagle Award at the Ninth Annual Colorado Housing NOW! Conference and an award for “significant achievement” from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
• The Coalition joins the Advocates Against Domestic Violence to establish the Trinidad Family Transitional Housing Program, the first of its kind to be created in Trinidad, Colorado.
1998
• The Coalition’s Renaissance at Concord Plaza opens in Jefferson County, a property modeled after Renaissance at Loretto Heights.
• The Denver Department of Human Services awards the Coalition with a contract to provide mental health services to low-income families in the City and County of Denver.
• The Coalition’s Renaissance at Loretto Heights is one of just six properties around the country to earn a Maxwell Award of Excellence first place in rental housing from the Fannie Mae Foundation.
• The Coalition earns special recognition from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for “capacity building and outstanding performance.”
1999
• Seven homeless men are found dead in lower downtown between September and November – five were beaten to death. City officials suspect a turf war between homeless youth on the 16th Street Mall and the victims.
• The Coalition’s Renaissance Children’s Center opens adjacent to Renaissance at Concord Plaza, providing high-quality, affordable, early childhood education.
• The Coalition opens Beacon Place, an 85-bed facility that provides room and board for formerly homeless residents, most of whom have chronic mental illness. Respite care is also provided for homeless individuals just discharged from the hospital.
• An all-volunteer staffed Eye Clinic starts offering basic eye exams, referrals and prescription glasses at the Coalition’s Stout Street Clinic.
• The Coalition’s Renaissance at Loretto Heights earns the Metropolitan Life Award from the Enterprise Foundation for “excellence in affordable housing.”
2000
• The Coalition, with funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, implements the Balance of State Continuum of Care. The program helps rural service providers compete for federal homeless assistance grants.
• The Denver Department of Human Services awards the Coalition a grant to serve 915 families with a range of services including rental assistance, housing searches and life-skills training between July 2000 and December 2003.
• The Coalition completes a successful negotiation and settlement with the Lowry Redevelopment Authority, acquiring 92 units of existing housing at the former Air Force Base and nine acres for construction of an additional 120 units.
• The Coalition’s Renaissance at Concord Plaza earns a Maxwell Award of Excellence from the Fannie Mae Foundation.
Back to Milestones