Archway and Former City Chief Laura Brudzynski Want to Change Denver's Housing Game

Denver may be in the throes of a homelessness crisis while also suffering from a lack of affordable housing, but the city is actually quite rich in nonprofit services and homeless aid programs. Just ask Laura Brudzynski.

"There are critical partnerships across public, private and nonprofit entities that help serve people in need," the former chief Denver housing officer and onetime head of the Department of Housing Stability tells Westword. "Those partners work really closely together to help build a pipeline of affordable housing and services."

Brudzynski is the new chief operating officer of Archway Communities, one of the oldest nonprofit affordable-housing developers and service providers in Denver. Archway is looking to become a major player in both arenas, something the faith-based nonprofit had in mind when hiring her.

Originally founded as the Mountain United Church Housing, the group has been around since 1974, assisting a diverse array of communities in need of supportive services, including seniors, low-income families, veterans and refugees. However, it now appears poised to expand its reach, contending with well-established affordable-housing builders in Denver that also offer support services.

According to Brudzynski, one of her first orders of business will be to "pursue innovative tools that can help and support both housing and services." As an example of the kind of partnership she has in mind, she mentions Archway joining Enterprise Community Partners to offer access to a Renter Wealth Creation Fund. The fund employs such innovative elements as a cash-back program for tenants who are consistent with rent payments, and shared appreciation of a property for long-term renters if the property is sold.

She also mentions gap financing (short-term loans to make bigger investments) and accepting housing vouchers "that reach the deepest level of affordability" as a way "to ensure individuals stay stably housed."

Archway owns eight properties in the metro Denver area and one in Colorado Springs. It houses more than 1,200 residents in those properties, according to Brudzynski.

Looking to expand its footprint, Archway recently bought a pair of sites in Pueblo. The two properties will give the nonprofit a total of 85 units, which will be offered to low-income families to rent or own. Archway has also teamed up with the City of Gunnison to preserve sixty affordable-housing units there, as well.

The former Jody Apartments at Tenth Avenue and Sheridan Boulevard, on the edge of west Denver, have also been acquired. Archway says it will demolish the site and replace the 63-unit building with 181 units of mixed-income housing. It will name the location "The Nest at 10th," and promises that it will be "sustainable, community oriented" and "a massive value add in a location highly susceptible to gentrification," according to a spokesperson.

"I'm really excited to join the nonprofit Archway, that is really at the forefront of building affordable housing with key services that people need to thrive," Brudzynski says. "I really got into this work around affordable housing with a recognition that housing is the foundation to household stability, to economic mobility, and a platform that individuals can build upon."

The former HOST chief leaves her job with the city on September 22 after about nine months at the helm, and will start her position with Archway Communities on October 30.

Despite being older than many housing nonprofits in the area, Archway has a relatively small real estate portfolio, with the nine properties that it's built, managed and equipped with supportive services so far.

The Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, by contrast, has been around since 1984 but boasts eighteen residential properties and 2,100 units that it built, manages and services. Unlike Archway, however, the coalition originally specialized in providing health care services to homeless residents. And Archway's budget is a fraction of the size of CCH's.

While CCH boasts a $100 million operating budget for 2023, Archway's most recent tax filings show a $6.5 million revenue for 2021, and only a tenth of that comes from grants and contributions. While CCH makes nearly 70 percent of its revenue from contributions, Archway relies more on the money it makes from contracting out its services or through partnerships.

Archway partnered with other developers to convert the former Gates Rubber Factory, at 501 West Tennessee Avenue in the Athmar Park neighborhood, into 180 affordable-housing units for individuals and families. The nonprofit is helping reel in federal tax credits to turn the area into a residential district adjacent to the Interstate 25 and Broadway light rail station.

The most well-known project involving Archway is likely the transformation of the former Johnson & Wales University campus in south Park Hill into 154 units of affordable housing across four buildings. Brudzynski sees it as "an exciting example of historic preservation as well as affordability."

The historic location will be known as the Mosaic Community Campus — a nod to the range of facilities and programs it will offer, including community kitchens, career development, English language classes and tutoring for children.

Units for the Mosaic are expected to open in 2024. The total project cost was estimated by Archway to hover around $50 million. The property will be owned by the Urban Land Conservancy — another nonprofit affordable-housing developer — and the Denver Housing Authority and Denver Public Schools also chipped in to buy the property.

Despite her short stint leading HOST, Brudzynski has worked for the city for ten years. Recently, the City of Denver and local nonprofit housing organizations have had plenty of back-and-forth when it comes to their higher-ups.

Britta Fisher, for instance, was the first chief housing officer of HOST, but wound up leaving to become the second executive director of the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless. Brudzynski worked under Fisher for three years as a deputy director of operations for HOST.

The appointed interim head of the department is Sue Powers, former president of Urban Ventures — a for-profit real estate developer that builds student housing and downtown lofts. 

Similarly, the person closest to Mayor Mike Johnston's ear when it comes to housing and homelessness is Cole Chandler, the former executive director of the Colorado Village Collaborative, which specializes in building Safe Outdoor Spaces and micro-communities. Chandler is now the mayor's senior adviser for homelessness resolution.

Archway is part of the Neighborhood Development Collaborative, a nonprofit that brings together a slew of affordable-housing developers and owners, including CCH, the Urban Land Conservancy, Brothers Redevelopment and the Denver Housing Authority. 

"I see partners including Archway and others continuing to be leaders at the forefront of affordability and housing in the state," Brudzynski says. "Partnerships across different sectors, across different funding partners, have been critical in my time with the city, and I expect them to be critical in the time beyond with Archway."