Sun Valley: Modeling Community, Equity, and Well-Being in Affordable Housing

Sun Valley, a central neighborhood in the metro Denver region, is home to some of the city’s most vulnerable residents. Today, 94 percent of the neighborhood’s housing market is subsidized, with only 5 percent of the homes occupied by their owners. Additionally, over 80 percent of the population is living below the poverty line. Sun Valley residents represent over 33 different cultural backgrounds, speak more than 28 languages, and 25 percent identify as first-generation immigrants, 4 percent as second-generation immigrants, and 20 percent as refugees. In Sun Valley, Denver Housing Authority is poised to create a new model of community transformation with equity, environmental justice, and public health as its driving forces.

In addition to housing developments, the Sun Valley Riverfront Park is a planned 11-acre regional park running the length of the South Platte River. Developed in response to the priority health issues in the neighborhood, the park creates a safe space that celebrates the diversity of the neighborhood, promotes physical activity and healthy eating, provides spaces for mental restoration, and ensures all Sun Valley residents have access to quality open space.