WAGEES - Hazelbrook Community Center

Hazelbrook community affordable housing development

What is being proposed by ParadigmONE/Hazelbrook?

An affordable housing development with apartments for rent. Located on what is currently a vacant parking lot of Aurora Town Center, the site is at E. Alameda and S. Sable Blvd. The first phase will provide 48 affordable rental housing units, a mix of 1, 2 and 3-bedroom apartments.

Where is the parking for 48 new apartments?

We are currently proposing 67 parking spots for these apartments.

Do you need to go through a rezoning process for this request?

No, Mixed Use Regional is an acceptable use for Multifamily Rental Affordable Housing.

What kind of amenities and services will be offered onsite?

Each apartment will have its own kitchen, bathroom and laundry. The first floor will offer diverse amenity spaces – including a leasing office for Brothers Property Management, meeting spaces, computer lab, gym/fitness room, library and offices for ParadigmONE/Hazelbrook staff and community partners. We intend to offer voluntary services form Hazelbrook and partner organizations on the first floor – which could include helping residents who do not have a job in obtaining employment, financial counseling and benefits, and offering various services that assist individuals in accessing healthcare (physical and mental health), and substance abuse counseling.

Is this a shelter or a halfway house?

No, this is an apartment building– just like those in the neighborhood. While this is affordable rental housing – meaning, people have to qualify based on income, and their rent is capped based on those income limits. All residents will hold a lease and will be expected to follow the terms in the lease, like any traditional apartment. Leases may be renewed from year to year, for as long as a resident chooses to stay and are following the terms of their lease. There will be 12 units that have rental vouchers; people in these units will pay no more than 30% of their income, and the voucher will cover the remainder of the rent.

Who will be eligible to live here?

Anyone who meets the eligibility criteria may apply to live in these apartments. Income eligibility is based on Area Median Income (AMI) levels for people earning up to 60% of AMI. This amounts to between $19,620 – $58,860 for a family of one (1) and between $30,280-$97,560 for a family of six (6).

Here are some Sample Salaries in Arapahoe County (based on recent job postings):

First Year Teacher: $51,394
Firefighter: $68,027
Community Service Officer: $52,582
Park Worker: $43,825
City Custodian: $35,360

When will the project be completed?

ParadigmONE/Hazelbrook is still in the process of doing due diligence on the land and securing financing for the project. The plan is to close on the land by the end of 2026 and depending on when all funding is received, construction could begin as early as April 2027 with a completion date 14-18 months later. We will update the timeline as we go through the process. The biggest timeline is the application for low-income housing tax credits. The application deadline for this is February 2 nd – and we will know if we receive that funding by early Summer, 2026.

WHAT IS WAGEES?

Work and Gain Education & Employment Skills (WAGEES) is a successful community-based program that facilitates reentry for people under the Colorado Department of Corrections supervision (i.e. parole, transition from Department of Corrections) or within one year from their discharge date. Intakes must be completed within 30 days of release from DOC in order to qualify for Hazelbrook Community Center WAGEES.

As a WAGEES Community Partner, Hazelbrook Community works in partnership with the Colorado Department of Corrections to help coordinate services and provide opportunities and support for successful reentry. Reentry back into community depends on successful transitioning. WAGEES Community Partners can help provide you with the knowledge, skills, and supports needed to put you on the path to reentry success.Whether already out on parole or getting ready to come back home, Hazelbrook Community Center WAGEES can help.

WAGEES SERVICES

Hazelbrook Community Center WAGEES is a unique program that provides services designed to help people on their reentry journey to successfully connect with their communities and families. WAGEES provides services such as:

Employment Preparation and Placement
Work Clothing and Tool Assistance
Individual Mentoring
Identification Acquisition (i.e. fees for Driver’s License, Birth Certificate, etc)
Vocational Training Cost Assistance
Transportation Assistance (bus passes or tickets to help attend work and WAGEES activities)
Medical Benefits Acquisition (medical and mental health)
Housing Assistance (limited housing assistance)
Education Assistance (limited financial support for classes and books)
Active Care Management
Valuable connection to community partners and resources
And much more!