Community to deliver 60 affordable townhome-style rental homes in area’s first 9% Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) development in 25 years

Housing Resources of Western Colorado (HRWC), a nonprofit organization that supports homeowners, homebuyers and renters throughout western Colorado, today announced it has received a 9% Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) award through the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA) for the development of Crawford Commons Apartments, a 60-unit affordable rental community in Clifton, Colo. Located about two hours west of Aspen, Crawford Commons Apartments is being developed in partnership with Chicago-based Evergreen Real Estate Group, a leader in the development, construction and management of both affordable and market-rate multifamily properties. It is expected to break ground in spring 2027 and be completed in fall 2028.

Crawford Commons Apartments will provide much-needed housing for families and older adults earning between 30% and 80% of the area median income (AMI). The community will be constructed on land donated by Mesa County at 32 ½ Road and Friendship Drive expressly for the purpose of delivering affordable housing and represents the first development to receive a 9% LIHTC award in the community in 25 years.

“Securing LIHTC funding for Crawford Commons Apartments is the result of years of collaboration among local leaders, residents and development partners who share a commitment to expanding housing in Clifton,” said Emilee Powell, executive director of Housing Resources of Western Colorado. “We worked hand-in-hand with the Evergreen team to incorporate direct and meaningful input from local residents to help ensure this new community addresses a wide range of housing needs.”

Selected for the firm’s national development expertise and strong track record serving as a turnkey development partner to nonprofits, Evergreen Real Estate Group has an understanding of the local market through its multiple projects under construction in Denver and across Colorado. “As the need for affordable housing across the Western Slope continues to grow, Crawford Commons represents a significant investment in a community that has gone decades without receiving a new LIHTC-funded development,” said Javonni Butler, vice president of development, West region, for Evergreen Real Estate Group. “This milestone will allow us to deliver high-quality homes that support families, older adults and workers who are essential to the local economy. We are honored to partner with Housing Resources of Western Colorado to bring this transformative housing development to Clifton and the Grand Valley area.”

Crawford Commons Apartments is envisioned as an intergenerational community that addresses a broad range of housing needs in the Grand Valley, located along the Colorado River primarily in Mesa County. Its 60 townhome-style rental units are situated across six detached buildings and offer a mix of one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom floor plans.

On-site amenities, located in a separate building, will include a spacious community room, flex space and on-site management office. Crawford Commons also will offer a playground, landscaped walking trails and outdoor gathering spaces designed to promote resident wellness, connection and access to nature.

Residents will have convenient access to schools, parks, storefronts, healthcare providers and major employment centers, many of which have been newly developed as part of the recent strategic reinvestment in Clifton, including the US 6 Clifton Improvements Project.

“This development is Evergreen’s first affordable townhome-style rental community, and we’re proud to be introducing a housing type that is in especially short supply across Colorado,” said Steve Rappin, CEO of Evergreen Real Estate Group. “As with all of our affordable housing developments, we are focused on improving lives and transforming communities, and we expect this development will have a big impact on Clifton. Residents here deserve housing that is affordable but also thoughtfully designed, attractive and connected to the community around it.”

Construction on Crawford Commons is expected to begin following final financing approvals. Holst Architecture is the design architect, and Shaw Construction will serve as general contractor.

Elsewhere in the state, Evergreen recently completed Rifle Apartments, a 60-unit income-restricted rental community in Rifle, marking the first family-oriented LIHTC project built in the city over the past 20 years. Evergreen also is developing 4965 N. Washington St., a 170-unit income-restricted rental community in Denver’s Globeville neighborhood that includes 20,000 square feet of community-serving commercial space and a co-located public library branch; The Ford Apartments, a 60-unit income-restricted rental community adjacent to the Denver Health Main Campus in Denver’s Baker neighborhood; and Park Place Apartments, an 80-unit income-restricted rental community in Denver’s Sun Valley neighborhood that is one of the first projects to participate in Colorado’s first-in-the-nation Middle-Income Housing Tax Credit (MIHTC) program.

About Housing Resources of Western Colorado (HRWC):

Housing Resources of Western Colorado was founded in 1977 and serves 15 counties in Western Colorado with the mission to advance equitable housing and healthy communities through education, empowerment, preservation, and development. Its integrated programming for renters, homebuyers, and homeowners helps modest income families find, finance, and maintain safe housing, giving them a foundation to thrive. Housing Resources is a HUD-Approved Counseling Agency, a member of the NeighborWorks America Network, a Community Housing Development Organization, and an emerging Community Development Financial Institution.  For more information, visit www.hrwco.org.

About Evergreen Real Estate Group:

Founded in 2001, Chicago-based Evergreen Real Estate Group is a fully integrated multifamily company that develops, acquires, and manages affordable and market-rate multifamily apartments for both seniors and families across 12 states and the District of Columbia. Evergreen specializes in thoughtful, creative residential development solutions – from adaptive reuse of historic buildings to new development in cities and towns facing a shortage of affordable housing. The firm is led by a passionate, cross-disciplinary team of developers, architects, urban planners and attorneys who have come together to create high-quality apartment communities, often in collaboration with local municipalities and financial partners who share its vision of investing not just in real estate, but also the people who call our communities home. Evergreen currently owns and manages 14,500 units of multifamily housing. For more information, visit www.evergreenreg.com.