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February 2022 — Multifamily Properties Quarterly — Page 37 www.crej.com essential that residents have access to assistance that will lead them toward sufficient income. Outreach by staff can be conducted to new potential employers, and an existing network of employers can be lever- aged, to make meaningful connec- tions between resident job seekers and employment opportunities. This access to employment services is essential because, according to Rent Café’s website, the average rent in Denver is $1,877 per month. Across the U.S., the average rent is over $300 per month lower, at $1,572 per month. Across Denver, for units with rent priced at $1,000 or less, the housing stock is a mere 2%. With- out adequate income, or access to affordable housing, homelessness will increase. • Life skills/wellness classes: On- site staff provides monthly classes focused on issues impacting the population served. Often, classes are based on feedback from residents and can include financial manage- ment, understanding of community living, smart shopping, mediation, etc. For specific populations such as a senior housing complex, if the evaluation tool used on site (such as the UCLA loneliness scale) reports that over 25% of the population needs psychosocial interventions, then these classes or events are held at the property. • Mainstream benefit evaluation: It is essential to have staff on site that is SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access and Recovery certified to expedite Social Security benefit applications. Simi- larly, staff members must be exten- sively trained on accessing other publicly available benefits such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Medicaid, etc. Access to health and mental health care also is essential to keeping resi- dents safe and well. As resident needs continue to increase, it is obvious that access to quality services is essential for residents to maintain housing. The cost-benefit analysis for funding ser- vice-enriched housing can be dem- onstrated in myriad ways, including, but not limited to, decreased evic- tions, decreased use of emergency services, decreased hospital stays, decreased premature transition to nursing homes, and residents taking better care of their homes/ communities, which leads to lower owner operating costs. While objec- tive measurement of the benefits to communities cannot be calculated, the long-term benefits to families and society are priceless. s Hurtado Continued from Page 35 once established, many of them fol- low a very strong desire to buy their own homes. For example, two cli- ents, Hlaing and Htwe Than, moved from poverty in a Hope apartment to the creation of small business that helped them purchase their own home. There is clearly social impact and a nonmonetary return on invest- ment for programs that change the trajectory of clients’ lives. There also is a practical return on investment regarding the organization; engaged residents who are getting the resources they need are more stable and feel pride of ownership in the property, which results in greater safety and less damage. While there always will be wear and tear, major issues with facilities and grounds are less frequent when residents take pride in and feel accountability for their own homes. It takes significant time, under- standing, will, determination, patience and, above all, energy to develop key programs and provide meaningful services. It is much eas- ier to follow a set program for every site and resident, but that is not the method that is most effective at effecting the change inherent in self-sufficiency programs. The great- est benefit to our approach is the ease of access it provides by offering services and programing that meet clients where they are both figura- tively and literally, and in the right place at the right time to meet those needs from staff observant, percep- tive and nimble enough to accom- modate these needs. Income from affordable rents can- not support the comprehensive pro- grams and services it takes to make a difference. This level of program- ming and service delivery requires significant fundraising. We began the quest to add richer services five years ago by being intentional and building programs organically. We built a case for sup- port by demonstrating the need and secured seed money to begin programs with evidence-based out- comes and informed by the resi- dents we serve. We researched the types of programs that support our goals, began a pilot program to offer those services, tracked their impact and then, after demonstrating their value and return on investment, returned to foundations, corporate giving programs, faith-based orga- nizations and individuals to secure higher levels of funding to grow them. Organizations also will have to be prepared to keep a vibrant, dedicat- ed staff to meet client needs. In the past five years, our staff has doubled to accommodate programmatic needs. The size of program budgets has escalated each year as staff expanded, and as supplemental pro- grams arose to support rent, utility and basic needs expenditures. The time and energy devoted to a holis- tic and supportive housing program is intensive and we believe totally worth the investment. s Knight Continued from Page 35 MULTIFAMILY PROPERTIES QUARTERLY AD SPECIFICATIONS • E-mail a high-resolution PDF file to Heather Lewis at hlewis@crej.com • All images within the ad should be 300dpi or greater at full size; All fonts should either be embedded in the PDF document, or converted to outlines • Ads should be setup using CMYK process color • Please include www before your web address to properly link to your website (for example www.crej.com ) 2022 AD RATES Full-page $995 Half-page $595 Quarter-page $395 PREPAY DISCOUNT: Receive a 10% discount for four-time insertion orders prepaid prior to the first issue. 1/4: 5”w x 7.25”h 1/4 QUAD SPACE RESERVATION ISSUE DATE DEADLINE MATERIAL DEADLINE February 2 January 12 January 19 May 4 April 13 April 20 August 3 July 13 July 20 November 2 October 12 October 19 To reserve ad space, please contact Lori Golightly at 303-623-1148 ext. 102 or lgolightly@crej.com Colorado’s Only Multifamily Properties Publication While the Colorado Real Estate Journal continues to run multifamily news in each edition of the digital newspaper, Multifamily Properties Quarterly features the most interesting projects and people, trends and analyses, and covers development, invest- ment, leasing, finance, design, construction and management. Multifamily Properties Quarterly’s audience includes developers, investors, brokers, lenders, contractors, architects and apartment managers and regional managers. 1/2 PAGE 1/2: 10.25”w x 7.25” h 10.25”w x 15.5”h FULL PAGE For editorial content, please contact Michelle Askeland at 303-623-1148 ext. 104 or maskeland@crej.com