12/5/2023 0 Comments Denver housing bubble 2021![]() And for folks within the LGBTQ+ community, it’s more likely that you may be living with someone that you’re unmarried to. “It’s the principle of it and what it actually represents. It also prevented places like group living homes and rehab centers from being in areas zoned to be transit and resource-friendly.Įrger also highlighted how the group living limitations enabled discriminatory housing practices. While the law was not often enforced, it created a looming threat for people who needed to live in roommate scenarios, making them less likely to do things like contact their landlords for essential maintenance. Prior to that, it was illegal for any more than two unrelated individuals to live together. She acknowledged that group living is not only good for the individuals involved, but it presents one of many essential housing alternatives in today’s climate.Įrger shared that co-living is now legally possible after Denver’s group living addendums were updated in February 2021 by City Council. So for me personally, that was a beautiful gift.”Įrger is an associate with LiveWork Denver and is passionate about housing solutions. “At the time my housemates were essentially strangers, and they let me show up kind of not knowing me. After the breakup, she needed to return to Skyland, and was nervous how she would be received.Įrger teared up recalling the relief of being welcomed with open arms. For a while, she was living in a different home with a long-term partner. And then I found this place and these people, and I found that I was going to be able to preserve joy in my life.”Įrger holds similar sentiments. ![]() I thought that I was not going to enjoy the next year of my life. “I really thought that it was going to be a struggle. Weed found Skyland House during an overwhelming move to Colorado on a $1,200 a month AmeriCorps stipend. And I think that’s especially important when maybe the family that you’re given doesn’t feel like a safe place to come home to.” ![]() “I think the great thing thing about an intentional community is it can serve as family. “I think I as a young person that I’m desperately seeking community at this stage in my life and looking, like, ‘Okay, where do I fit in?’” he reflected. Weed, who identifies as transgender, can attest to this. Maybe we just need to rethink how we’re occupying the homes that we do have,” said Erger. And we don’t have maybe as much of a housing shortage as everyone says. “It feels like a win-win where there’s reduced rents, there is deeper, richer relationships. In return, household members receive affordable rent, supportive community and a place to show up as their authentic selves - something that not only helps keep people housed, but can provide mental health benefits for all involved. Logistics aside, members are also asked to agree to healthy communication, whether it’s speaking up if something is bothering them or hearing out a housemate with the shared goal of resolution. They also split household chores, utilities and pay monthly rent. Members are required to complete an application and a group interview. ![]() “I think everybody wants to feel at home where you are fully able to be yourself, to be comfortable, to be seen, to know that people are going to are going to get you.” “I think people were drawn to the house knowing that they could show up,” said Erger. Erger believes this was simply because she shared that she was part of the Queer community. Erger said the home has also evolved to be a welcoming space for many LGBTQIA+ people.Īlthough holding this identity wasn’t a requirement, around 80% of the applicants identified as LGBTQ+. The main focus of Skyland House is community-building and permaculture principles. “Just unbridled joy bursting out of the seams of the backyard.” “One of my favorite memories is from this summer when we hosted a queer mixer in the backyard,” recalled Jules Weed, a Skyland House member. Skyland House also has a backyard with a stage, where they host events open to the public and showcase an array of local creatives. “Folks walk by on their way to school or on the on their way to the bus and they can help themselves,” said Bri Erger, the home’s founder and co-owner. It’s a crucial element of their housing model considering they reside in a heavily gentrified food desert. Their community garden is more than a hobby. True to their commitment to connection, members of Skyland House often collaborate on community-building outside their walls.
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