Colorado Real Estate Journal - March 18, 2015
1175 Lee Hill is Boulder’s first “Housing First” community. Located on one acre in North Boulder next to the Boulder Shelter for the Homeless, this $7.6 million building offers furnished one-bedroom apartments and case management services for 31 residents who were once chronically homeless. The modern two-story building features energy-efficient design with private indoor and outdoor gathering spaces, raised garden beds, an upstairs common area complete with computers and media lending library, a laundry room, covered bike storage, and easy access to local hiking trails and public transit. Additionally there are six offices and meeting spaces for Housing First case managers. Since 1175 Lee Hill’s residents moved in without belongings, BHP created an Adopt-A-Room Campaign to raise money from local donors to purchase furniture, linens, and other items needed to make a new apartment a home. In addition to complex financing, 1175 Lee Hill faced strong community opposition. About 500 people signed a petition against the development and many North Boulder residents asked City Council to block approval of the project. BHP worked diligently with the neighborhood groups, listened to concerns, and ultimately created the Good Neighbor Statement of Operations (GNSO), a framework for how the building will be operated and to manage community concerns. 1175 Lee Hill is the first phase in BHP’s 10-year plan to build 100 Housing First units in the city. Developer/Owner: Boulder Housing Partners Architect: Humphries Poli Architects Engineers: JVA, CTL Thompson Debt/Equity Participants: City of Boulder, Boulder County, Colorado Department of Housing, RHFF funds, Fannie Mae funds, and 9% Low Income Housing Tax Credits granted by the Colorado Housing Finance Authority (CHFA) and purchased by the National Equity Fund Others (counsel, contractors, public sector participants): Boulder City Council, Boulder Shelter for the Homeless, Deneuve Construction Wow factor: Huge mural enlivening the façade on Broadway.