Archway Housing & Services, Inc.

Background Statement

As a result of the housing crisis in Colorado in the early 1990s, many low-to-moderate income families found themselves living in substandard housing or becoming homeless. Members of the United Church of Christ (UCC) decided to address the need for affordable family housing and in 1995 Archway Housing & Services, Inc. (formerly Rocky Mountain Housing Development Corporation) was incorporated. Archway Housing & Services, now Archway Communities, is affiliated with the Rocky Mountain Conference of the UCC, and is a faith-based affordable housing nonprofit. Although founded by church members, there is no religious programming, and eligibility for living at the sites is based on income level and not religious background.

While the initial goal of the organization was to increase the number of housing units for low-to-moderate income families, board members and staff began to recognize that families need more than affordable housing to stabilize their lives - many were struggling with challenges like recovering from chronic homelessness, unemployment, and single parenting. Through the creation of our Family Services Program in 1998, Archway began to offer supplementary services to provide the support families need to improve their quality of life. Archway was founded on a "services enriched" model, which aims to build healthier communities by offering quality affordable housing with as-needed supportive services. Once immediate shelter and human needs are secured, Archway's Family Services Program addresses the long-term economic and earning limitations plaguing chronically homeless families, and families at-risk of becoming homeless. Our Family Services Program distinguishes Archway from other low-to-moderate income housing developers in the Denver Metro area.