New Case Study posted on HUD User

Creating and Preserving Affordable Housing in Denver’s RiNo Art District

HUD User publishes a series of case studies based on federal, state, and local strategies that increase affordable housing opportunities and support sustainable community development. The projects and community development efforts featured in these reports have demonstrated innovation through a multitude of partnerships and initiatives.

In 2005, local Denver artists created a nonprofit organization with the intention of transforming a former industrial neighborhood into a community where artists could live, work, and connect. The nonprofit shares the name of the RiNo Art District, which is home to several restaurants, bars, entertainment venues, and art-oriented businesses. Amidst increasing housing costs, civic leaders and nonprofits, including RiNo, have advocated for more affordable housing in the district. One of the first affordable housing developments in the district, Walnut Flats, is a 66-unit building that opened in fall 2020 through a partnership between the Urban Land Conservancy (ULC) and the Medici Consulting Group. ULC leases the Walnut Flats site to the Medici Group at a nominal cost in exchange for the long-term affordability of the units.

Visit HUD User’s Case Studies page to learn more about affordable housing and to view other innovative community revitalization strategies.