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Affordable Housing Complex To Get Some Homeless Veterans Off The Streets

By Makenzie O'Keefe

AURORA, Colo. (CBS4)- Colorado is breaking ground on a new housing complex to help our state's veterans who are homeless. The new affordable housing, called the Veterans Renaissance Apartments at Fitzsimons, will open in 2020 in Aurora next to the VA Medical Center.

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The Colorado Coalition for the Homeless said on one night in January, they counted 566 homeless vets out on the streets in the Denver metro area. This new affordable housing will provide 60 units for our community's most vulnerable homeless veterans and their at-risk families.

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The apartments will not only be a permanent place to call home, but will also have on-site resources. That includes access to employment assistance, mental health services and case management to allow residents to recover and thrive.

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"If we can provide the housing that's affordable to them and the avenues to get them into work and address health and mental health needs, we can end their homelessness for good," explained John Parvensky, the President and CEO of the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless. "This will get them back in the workforce and be able to help other veterans who are like them."

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Construction will begin in 2019, and the goal is to have the apartment complex completed by 2020.

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Makenzie O'Keefe joined the CBS4 team as a reporter in 2017. Read her bio, connect with her on Facebook, follow her on Twitter at @makenziepokeefe or email her your story ideas.

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