Community-focused, supportive, truly affordable homes
Affordable Housing—And Much More!
Clara Brown Commons (CBC) is a beautiful, brand new housing community with 61 apartments (1, 2, and 3 bedrooms), all renting at truly affordable, below-market rates. CBC is located in northeast Denver’s Cole neighborhood, also known as The Eastside, at 3701 York Street. Beyond affordability, we all long for the experience of being at home—living and belonging in a safe place that feels welcoming, supportive, and connected. A shared sense of home is what sets Clara Brown Commons apart.
Welcoming
Each of us has gifts to bring—to care for others and break down barriers. CBC welcomes residents into a community where neighbors become friends and family. Comfy, inviting gathering spaces can be found on every floor. A place to belong.
Supporting
ALL our homes are permanently affordable for people whose income is below the Area Median Income (AMI). On-site staff support engages residents and neighbors in cultivating vibrant community life every day. A place to thrive.
Connecting
CBC is ideally located for resources, transit, school, and activities. Our robust web of friendships through the Cole neighborhood and partnerships across the city will link residents to resources and networks. A gateway to opportunity.
Distinctive Amenities
Community
Community kitchen, indoor/outdoor dining and gathering spaces, cultural and recreation events
Youth
Tutoring, mentoring, enrichment activities, playground, children’s corner
Wellness
Garden, food co-op, fitness room, chapel, connections for counseling and mental health classes
Advocacy
Adult education and employment support, resource connections including legal consultation
Neighborhood
Transit connections, partnerships with local schools, a park across the street, health center across the street, greenway nearby
Sustainability
Solar system, recycling, and other environmentally-friendly initiatives for residents
Looking for Housing ?
The apartments and property at Clara Brown Commons are managed by Ross-Envolve. For information about availability and rents, or to apply for an apartment, please contact Ross-Envolve.
Clara Brown Commons is a Fair Housing facility, and is wheelchair accessible.
The CBC Story
Years of Praying, Planning, and Building
In 2004 we began conspiring with neighbors about a neglected block that attracted crime and extremes of violence for nearly a generation. We prayed (a lot) and imagined what could happen, if only….
Today this block has been “liberated,” the painful blight is replaced, and the dreams are a living reality. Hundreds of generous individuals, families, churches, companies, and foundations helped raise money to purchase the land and build the buildings.
Construction project leads and advisors were longtime residents of the neighborhood. MHM partnered with local design firms and sought our neighbors’ input throughout the development process. It is no exaggeration to say that Clara Brown Commons was built by neighbors, for the neighborhood.
Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver built 17 townhomes on the block that are for sale to people who might otherwise not be able to afford a house in Denver’s pricey real estate market. Through a partnership with Colorado Village Collaborative, a micro-community of formerly unhoused women lived on the otherwise empty site until construction was begun.
Our neighborhood’s patience and resilience are being rewarded with the opportunity to realize something beautiful and useful to support people in our community
Who was Clara Brown?
”Aunt Clara” Brown was a Colorado pioneer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist who understood that we are all connected to one another like branches on a vine: what happens to any one of us matters to all of us. After nearly sixty years in bondage, Clara came to Colorado in search of her family and became the heart and soul of her community.
She cared for the sick and destitute, built churches, spent her own fortune to help formerly enslaved people attend college or start new lives in Colorado, all the while building a successful business, resisting discrimination, and searching for the family from whom she had been separated by their enslavers. We hope that living at Clara Brown Commons will help us all catch a spark of inspiration from Clara, so we can work together to follow her example of compassion, generosity, and neighborly love. Clara is buried at Riverside Cemetery, just minutes away from where this housing community was named in her honor.