Developing Veterans’ Housing on a Former Army Base in Aurora, Colorado

Developing Veterans' Housing on a Former Army Base in Aurora, Colorado

Liberty View is a 59-unit apartment building for senior veterans in Aurora, Colorado. All the units serve individuals and households earning 30 to 60 percent of the area median income. The four-story building is one of three veteran housing developments on the grounds of the former Fitzsimons Army Medical Center. Photo credit: Jordan Spencer

Liberty View, an affordable housing community for aging veterans in Aurora, Colorado, opened in spring 2023. Developed by the Aurora Housing Authority (AHA), the 59-unit apartment building sits on a former military base approximately 8 miles east of downtown Denver. Liberty View is part of a larger campus offering a continuum of housing choices for veterans in need.

History of Fitzsimons Army Base

The Fitzsimons Army Medical Center (FAMC) opened in Aurora in 1918 as Fitzsimons General Hospital, and the facility became a permanent Army post in 1920. The hospital initially served World War I veterans recovering from tuberculosis and other diseases, and at one time, it was the world's largest military hospital. After decades of service, FAMC closed in the late 1990s, and shortly thereafter, the Army transferred 15 surplus acres from the base to the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) to provide housing for veterans. CDHS opened a skilled nursing facility for veterans on the property in 2002. The remainder of the surplus land was vacant until 2017, when CDHS awarded a parcel to the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, which opened a 60-unit supportive housing facility for veterans and their families on the land in 2020. In 2018, CDHS awarded the remaining land to AHA.

Developing Senior Housing for Veterans

After AHA acquired the site from CDHS, the Fitzsimons Innovation Community Design Review Board undertook an extensive evaluation of AHA's plans to ensure that the proposed building's design would integrate well into the rest of the campus. Following a yearlong construction process, Liberty View opened in early 2023.

The development cost approximately $20 million. The Colorado Housing and Finance Authority awarded federal and state low-income housing tax credits for the project, generating more than $12 million in equity. The development also received a $500,000 community development block grant from the city and a nearly $1 million loan from the state housing trust fund. AHA pays only $25 in monthly rent under the terms of its 75-year ground lease with CDHS.

Liberty View

Liberty View is a 4-story building with 59 apartments for veterans 62 years and older. All units are income restricted: 16 are reserved for those earning up to 30 percent of the area median income (AMI), 7 are reserved for those earning up to 40 percent of AMI, 13 are reserved for those earning up to 50 percent of AMI, and 23 are reserved for those earning up to 60 percent of AMI. Fourteen units are supported by housing choice vouchers, and some residents are eligible for HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing vouchers. Ten of the units are two-bedroom apartments, and the remainder have one bedroom. The units have modern finishes, including kitchens with ENERGY STAR^®-certified appliances and large pantries.

Liberty View's shared amenities include a community room with a kitchen, a garden, a fitness center, and a library. Residents also have easy access to other amenities and services on the former base, including the Rocky Mountain Regional Veterans Administration Medical Center. Photo credit: Jordan Spencer

The building has laundry rooms on each floor and several common amenities, including a community room with a kitchen, garden, fitness center, library, and computer lab. A service coordinator helps connect residents to nearby resources, including social events and activities. Service coordinators make aging in place possible for residents.

Integrated Into a Larger Health and Wellness Campus

The apartments are well integrated into the Fitzsimons campus. "We made a point of creating resident-friendly spaces between Liberty View and the state veterans' nursing home," said Dayna Ashley-Oehm, AHA's housing development director, who noted the public lawn, benches, and art spaces on the grounds. The trails with wayfinding signs enhance walkability, providing residents of Liberty View and the adjoining supportive housing and nursing facility easy access to nearby service providers. Liberty View is also served by a bus route and is within a half-mile of a light rail station.

Approximately half of the former Army base now houses the University of Colorado (CU) Anschutz Medical Campus, the region's largest academic health center. Since 2018, the Rocky Mountain Regional Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center has occupied 12 buildings on the campus. In addition, nearly 200 acres of the former base became the Fitzsimons Innovation Community, a large urban campus with offices and laboratory spaces for health and life science companies as well as housing and retail. Both the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center and CU Anschutz Medical Campus offer various physical and mental health services. Anschutz has several specialized centers and institutes on site, including the Multidisciplinary Center on Aging and the CU Anschutz Health and Wellness Center.

Serving Those Who Served

In addition to housing and services, Liberty View offers veterans a sense of community. Many of the aging residents suffer from loneliness, which can lead to other mental and physical health problems. "Health experts tell us that there's no magic bullet for healthy aging — no single exercise, food, or pill can guarantee a long, healthy life. But there may be something that comes close: strong social connections," said Loren Richmond Jr., the service coordinator for veterans at aging adults at AHA. Fostering social interaction can be a lifeline for these vulnerable residents.