Award recognizes Louisville development for advancing a positive vision of Metro Denver’s future.

Boulder County, Colo. - The Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) is
recognizing the Kestrel affordable housing community in Louisville for its
innovation in a number of areas important to the future of metro Denver. A
collaborative team from Boulder County and the City of Louisville will receive
DRCOG’s Metro Vision Award on April 24, 2017, in honor of Kestrel’s forward-looking
approach to incorporating safe, affordable, and beautiful homes with free
transportation, environmental sustainability, active lifestyle opportunities,
and other on-site services they may need.

Construction on the Kestrel community, located at Highway 42
just north of South Boulder Road in Louisville, is being completed now and
leasing is already underway for many of the 200 affordable rental homes.
Kestrel features high quality permanently-affordable housing for both families
and seniors, a community center, gardens, and walking trails. It also boasts
sustainability features such as geothermal heating and cooling and low-energy-use
appliances, and each resident receives an RTD EcoPass for free bus
transportation. Kestrel residents will also have access to many other supports
–including food assistance, health coverage, and help with child care- to help
ensure they have a better chance to thrive for many years to come.

“We’re so excited to receive this recognition, as Kestrel is
the result of years of effort to create an affordable housing development that
improves the diversity and livability of our community,” said Louisville City
Manager Malcolm Fleming. “Kestrel represents what we’re able to do when
community and government come together to create positive and lasting solutions
for the issues we face.”

Boulder County purchased the 10-acre Kestrel property in
2013, and soon after the Boulder County Housing Authority began working with City
Council representatives and City staff from the City of Louisville as well as
community members to develop a collective vision for affordable housing on the
site. A series of community and City meetings provided helpful feedback and
input that BCHA and the City incorporated into Kestrel’s design and unit
makeup.

“The high cost of housing in our community is a tremendous
and growing concern, and we’re working hard to address it through the development
and preservation of affordable housing,” said Boulder County Housing Authority
Director Frank Alexander. “At the same time, we’re also committed to creating
high quality, environmentally sustainable affordable housing that helps build
and support community. This recognition from DRCOG tells us we are
accomplishing both of these goals, which is great news.”

Each year, DRCOG recognizes projects for their work to
improve the quality of life of metro Denver region residents. This year’s Metro
Vision Awards honor collaborative projects that help further DRCOG’s shared
aspirational vision of the future of the metro area, including initiatives that
foster local innovation around transportation and personal mobility, growth and
development, community resiliency, and access to opportunity and aging and
disability resources. The 2017 Metro Vision Awards celebration will be held on
Wednesday, April 26 at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Denver.