Kestrel Affordable Housing Community Grand Opening Ceremony – Tuesday, May 1 (3-6 p.m.)

Media invited to attend the Grand Opening Ceremony for 200 units of new affordable housing in Louisville, Colo.

Boulder County, Colo. –  The Boulder County Department of Housing and Human Services (BCDHHS) is pleased to invite members of the media to the grand opening ceremony for the Kestrel affordable housing community in Louisville on Tuesday, May 1, 2018, from 3-6 p.m. 

The grand opening celebration to be held at the Kestrel Community Center will feature brief remarks from new residents, housing and family support experts, and elected officials, followed by light refreshments and activities for the whole family. Attendees can experience Kestrel’s award-winning design, enjoy a vintage VW photo bus, and sample local ice cream from Sweet Cow’s Moo Mobile. 

Speakers at the Kestrel grand opening will include:

• Eric Cobb, U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Region 8 Administrator 
• Bob Muckle, Mayor, City of Louisville
• Reggie Bicha, Director, Colorado Department of Human Services
• Irv Halter, Director, Colorado Division of Local Affairs
• Cindy Domenico, Deb Gardner, and Elise Jones, Boulder County Commissioners
• Frank Alexander, Director, Boulder County Department of Housing and Human Services 
• Lynn Johnson, Director, Jefferson County Human Services, who was recently selected to lead the Administration for Children and Families within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 

The award-winning Kestrel community has been recognized at the municipal and federal levels for its forward-looking approach to incorporating safe, affordable, and beautiful homes with free transportation, environmental sustainability, active lifestyle opportunities, and other on-site supports and services. Kestrel community’s 200 below-market-rate rental homes are located at Highway 42 just north of South Boulder Road in Louisville. The community is now 100 percent leased to multi-generational, local low-income residents and families. 

“The Kestrel Neighborhood has afforded my family the possibility to remain within our beloved community of over twenty years – close to family and friends – and continue my son’s education within Boulder Valley Schools,” said new Kestrel resident Shana Nair. “For me, it is like a blank canvas with so many possibilities to be a part of helping create an amazing, inclusive, and enjoyable community.”

Kestrel features high quality permanently-affordable housing for 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 regional bus transportation. Kestrel residents also have access to many other supports – including food assistance, health coverage, and help with child care- to ensure they have a better chance to thrive for many years to come.

“The Kestrel community enriches our city and county by providing a home to people of all income levels…something that has been in demand for many years,” said Louisville Mayor Bob Muckle. “We are proud of our investment in this forward-thinking project and grateful for the partnerships which created Kestrel as a place for our new residents to thrive.”  

The Kestrel affordable housing community has increased Louisville’s housing options for low-income families and seniors by 33 percent. Kestrel also makes a significant contribution to the Boulder County Regional Housing Strategy, which seeks to create 300 affordable homes each year as part of an effort to meet a 12 percent total affordability goal for the region by the year 2035. 

The multi-year Kestrel project included a rigorous community engagement process, launched when Boulder County purchased the 10-acre Alkonis property in 2013. The Boulder County Housing Authority partnered with city council representatives and city staff from Louisville as well as community members to develop a collective vision for affordable housing on the site. A series of community and City of Louisville meetings provided helpful feedback and input that BCHA and the city incorporated into Kestrel’s design and unit makeup. 

“The grand opening of the Kestrel affordable housing community represents the collaborative effort and input of countless community, private, municipal, and county partners, as well our collective dedication to building high quality, inclusive and resilient communities,” said Board of County Commissioners Chair Cindy Domenico, speaking on behalf of herself and fellow Boulder County Commissioners Deb Gardner and Elise Jones, all of whom have enthusiastically supported this project from start to finish. “We are proud to see the outcome of all of this, and to see this innovative community thriving.”

The Kestrel Grand Opening ceremony will take place on Tuesday, May 1, 2018, from 3-6 p.m. at the Kestrel Community Center in Louisville (1890 Kaylix Avenue, map). More information about Kestrel is available at www.BoulderCountyKestrel.org. For additional information and for press RSVP to the event, please contact Jim Williams at Boulder County Housing and Human Services at jcwilliams@bouldercounty.org.  

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