20-07-2025
New affordable housing opens in Aurora as city pushes to help those who work in the city be able to live there
Aurora wants to keep people who work in Aurora in the city. But according to the city's most recent housing strategy report, you need to make more than $50,000 per year to afford the average rent in the city. The city says that's $10,000 more than the median renter's income.
That's why city officials love a new affordable housing complex that opened Thursday.
"I love it. It's really nice living here," said new resident Alfredo Salazar.
He and his husband are newlyweds, and while they enjoyed all their wedding gifts, the apartment they got to move into right before their wedding was maybe the most exciting thing they got.
"It was a gift for us. Thanksgiving Day to move in," said Salazar.
Their home is in the brand-new Sapling Grove apartment complex at 10151 E. Jewell Ave, the city's newest affordable housing community.
Mayor Mike Coffman says building affordable housing for people like Salazar is a top priority for the city.
"What we want, in the city of Aurora, is that the people that work here can afford to live here," Coffman said. "So this- 81 units, in Sapling Grove, brings us a step forward."
Six municipalities, including Aurora, recently sued Gov. Jared Polis, claiming that a recently signed executive order unconstitutionally takes away those cities' local authority over land use and zoning.
Coffman says this completed project shows that Aurora doesn't need state oversight.
"This project went forward without any mandates coming down from the state," Coffman said. "And we've committed to building our inventory of affordable housing 15% year over year, in the city with incentive from the state to do so."
But political infighting doesn't concern most people looking for affordable housing, like Salazar and his husband, who hope that everyone can have a place of their own like they do.
"This is our place. We decorated it," Salazar said. "Every single detail that you can see on this apartment- it's been done by the two of us with a lot of love."
