{"id":25247,"date":"2024-10-17T16:28:47","date_gmt":"2024-10-17T22:28:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/affordable-housing-with-heart-in-cortez\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T05:13:01","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T05:13:01","slug":"affordable-housing-with-heart-in-cortez","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/affordable-housing-with-heart-in-cortez\/","title":{"rendered":"Affordable housing with heart in Cortez"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Tawi
Tawi Kaan at sunset. (Matthew Staver Photography)<\/span>Matthew Staver<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n

On the afternoon of Tuesday, Oct. 15, Tawi Kaan celebrated its grand opening.<\/p>\n

Crowds of people flowed in and out of the newly built permanent supportive housing apartments at 560 E. Empire St. in Cortez, settling in its enclosed courtyard about 1 p.m. to listen to some of the people who made it possible.<\/p>\n

There are 42 units \u2013 14 one-bed, 14 two-bed and 14 three-bed \u2013 in the three-story building for people making 30% or less than the median income for the area, which is $58,355 in Montezuma County, according to the city of Cortez\u2019s website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In other words, people making $17,500 a year or less can move in.<\/p>\n

\"Though
Though empty in this photo, crowds of people gathered in this courtyard on Oct. 15 to celebrate Tawi Kaan\u2019s grand opening. (Matthew Staver Photography)<\/span>Matthew Staver<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

People who are exiting homelessness can also move in, making no income at all, said Kerri Beattie, a supervisor at the Pi\u00f1on Project, a family resource center in Cortez that spearheaded the project.<\/p>\n

Oriana Sanchez from Blue Line Development Inc., an affordable-housing developer who partnered with the Pi\u00f1on Project and the Ute Mountain Ute tribe in this project, spoke first, welcoming everyone who came.<\/p>\n

Next, Ute Mountain Ute Councilmember Darwin Whiteman Jr. made his way to the podium to lead a prayer. He remembered leading a prayer last year, at the project\u2019s groundbreaking in May.<\/p>\n

There were only 20 people there, and they were all trying to imagine what it was going to be, he said. On Tuesday, there were more people than there were chairs, and they all crowded in to listen.<\/p>\n

Whiteman said the Creator planted a seed in someone\u2019s mind to begin this project, and it grew into their heart, and grew bigger still.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes we don\u2019t look at things like that. We forget to thank the Creator for this life,\u201d said Whiteman. \u201cBless all the people, all their relatives, all their homes. Wherever they are under the sun, the sun can reach.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Some
Some of the many people at Tawi Kaan Tuesday afternoon listen to Ute Mountain Ute Councilmember Darwin Whiteman Jr. lead a prayer. (Cameryn Cass\/The Journal)<\/span>Matthew Staver<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Two drummers from the tribe played a song together, and one of them sang. Some tribal members in the audience chimed in, singing and harmonizing as they played. After they finished, Whiteman requested another song to honor veterans.<\/p>\n\n

Bringing community together<\/div>\n

Paul Beckler, the vice president of the Pi\u00f1on Project\u2019s board of directors, said he remembered something Whiteman once said about how love carries many keys to the doors of boundaries.<\/p>\n

Beckler said he hopes this is a place of love that breaks down boundaries.<\/p>\n

One thing most all the speakers highlighted is how Tawi Kaan, which is a Ute word for \u201cour home,\u201d is for everyone in the community.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s important we support one another,\u201d said Ute Mountain Ute Treasurer Alston Turtle in his speech to the audience.<\/p>\n

Turtle said we are all one community \u2013 Cortez, Mancos, Dolores and Towaoc \u2013 and with this development, we all move forward together.<\/p>\n

He underscored how all humans face the same kinds of struggles, and how we ought to give extra care and support to those who need more help than others.<\/p>\n

With the help of Rita King, Ute Mountain Ute elder Alfred Wall Jr. said they chose the name Tawi Kaan together. He said they changed its name three times before landing on \u201cour home.\u201c<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a home for everyone, so they\u2019ve always got somewhere to go,\u201d Wall said.<\/p>\n

He sang an appreciation song to the audience, which his son wrote. He emphasized the importance of togetherness, and the strength in it.<\/p>\n

Affordable housing crisis<\/div>\n

\u201cWe need housing options for all community members, including those working hard to exit homelessness,\u201d Lisa Pool, the Southwest regional director for U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper, read in a statement from the senator.<\/p>\n

Pool called housing a crisis impacting Southwest Colorado, and, zooming out, the rest of the state and country as well.<\/p>\n

Kathryn Grosscup, a representative from the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority \u2013 which helped finance the project with a $1.2 million tax credit award \u2013 spoke and said she remembers having conversations with Kellie Willis, the executive director of the Pi\u00f1on Project, in 2013 about this project.<\/p>\n

Grosscup said this area inspired the entire state of Colorado\u2019s thought process on advancing solutions around housing challenges.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone in Colorado deserves stable, affordable housing,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

With that in mind, these \u201cdeeply affordable\u201d units will stay \u201cdeeply affordable\u201d for 40 years to come, Grosscup said.<\/p>\n

Sanchez from Blue Line said the company has helped make 18 permanent supportive housing projects possible, 13 of which are in Colorado.<\/p>\n

She said Tawi Kaan is unique because of its partnership with the tribe, and the opportunity to honor Indigenous culture and Cortez culture simultaneously was especially appealing.<\/p>\n

Treasurer Turtle said that on the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation, they\u2019re looking to build a permanent supportive housing development like Tawi Kaan. He said that before the pandemic, 200 people were on on a waiting list for housing.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose numbers could have doubled,\u201d Turtle said.<\/p>\n

He said it\u2019s between $70,000 and $80,000 to build or renovate just one home.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s more, there\u2019s a lot of expanding soils on the reservation \u2013 which, because of clay minerals in it, expands when wet and shrinks when dry \u2013 and that makes it hard to find suitable, stable places to build housing.<\/p>\n

Indigenous influence and trauma-informed design<\/div>\n

Sometimes we forget humans live in buildings, said Laura Rossbert, the chief operating officer and housing specialist at Shopworks Architects, which designed the building.<\/p>\n

They worked mindfully to tailor the building for those who have experienced trauma. Such a design can help mediate stress and trauma because the environment inside buildings impact people.<\/p>\n

Rossbert said there\u2019s no hidden corners throughout Tawi Kaan, and it\u2019s well-lit with natural light.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s not a lot of sharp edges, either, which is indicative of English design; most things in the building are round, which is indicative of Indigenous style.<\/p>\n

Rossbert and Turtle both said the fireplace was installed tactically, to encourage storytelling and community gathering.<\/p>\n

And the \u201cbeautiful bear playground\u201d is for play, a key element in healing, for kids and adults alike, Rossbert said.<\/p>\n

To the Ute Mountain Ute tribe, bears symbolize resilience, strength and a maternal instinct, Turtle said.<\/p>\n

\"Cozy
Cozy cavities carved in the wall at Tawi Kaan. (Matthew Staver Photography)<\/span>Matthew Staver<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

The courtyard area is gated, so kids can safely play while parents relax. Plus, residents will have a list of approved visitors allowed inside to keep the space safe.<\/p>\n

Inside, there\u2019s a community gathering area, with a large, round kitchen counter, tables, chairs and couches. Cozy cavities are carved in the wall for introverts to unwind in when they don\u2019t want to be in their apartments but don\u2019t want to be in the middle of activity, either, Rossbert said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all about remembering humans live in buildings,\u201d Rossbert said.<\/p>\n

Services in Tawi Kaan<\/div>\n

Any services that are available at Pi\u00f1on Project\u2019s Main Street location are available at this one, too, said Executive Director Kellie Willis.<\/p>\n

Things like the Fatherhood Program, Successful Families program and recovery services, to name a few, are available there, Willis said.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s full-time staff in the building as well, who are \u201cadvocates\u201d for residents living there, acting as a support system in a myriad of ways. Whether it be taking people to appointments or listening to their troubles, staff will be there 24\/7.<\/p>\n

Axis Healthcare, which is across the street, will also offer services at Tawi Kaan.<\/p>\n

\u201cHousing is health care,\u201d said Stephanie Allred, Axis\u2019 clinical manager.<\/p>\n

They cannot support anyone in recovery if they don\u2019t have a safe place to live, Allred said. And so Axis is excited and honored to be in a supportive role, offering healthcare to those at Tawi Kaan.<\/p>\n

Allred said nationwide, homelessness is a problem. And small organizations like the Pi\u00f1on Project are solving that problem quietly, with determination.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Kaan, Cortez\u2019s first permanent supportive housing development, opens on Empire Street<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15922,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[28,29],"naviga_topic":[],"class_list":["post-25247","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-headlines","tag-newsletter"],"acf":[],"author_name":"dh_admin","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25247","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25247"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25247\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":78856,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25247\/revisions\/78856"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15922"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25247"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25247"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25247"},{"taxonomy":"naviga_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/naviga_topic?post=25247"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}