URBAN UPDATES
History has shown us that courage can be contagious and hope can take on a life of its own.
- Michelle Obama
February | 2022
ULC Welcomes Two New Staff Members
ULC welcomed Kyle Isaac (pictured left) and LaKesha Levy (pictured right) to our staff at the end of 2021.

LaKesha is ULC's new property manager and comes to ULC with a wealth of experience in affordable housing and multi-family property management. In her tenure, she has successfully functioned as a District Manager, Regional Manager, and has worked for Aurora Housing Authority and Adams County Housing Authority. She also has extensive experience with Housing Choice Voucher Program, Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, and has maintained her COS certification with knowledge in capital renovations project management. She is well-grounded in compliance and truly enjoys serving communities and being a part of making them thrive, with a special interest in serving underserved populations. When LaKesha is not working with ULC's nonprofit tenants you can find her reading, writing poetry, devoting her time to family and kids of special needs. 

Kyle is ULC's new Facilities Manager. Kyle comes to ULC from the construction industry, having run his own remodeling company, DBA KPI Remodeling, with particular expertise in project management, procurement, and construction skills. Kyle successfully grew his company from the ground up and focused on remodeling both individual residents, apartments, and commercial properties. We are thrilled to have Kyle’s expertise on the Assets Team. In his spare time, you will find Kyle biking on gravel roads, kayaking in reservoirs, or hiking along rivers enjoying the abundant wildlife and nature the greater Denver area has to offer. Other times you will find him in the front rows of historic live music venues along the front range, shooting videos of world-class musicians to post on his YouTube account.
Partner Spotlight of the Month: Archway Communities
Archway Communities elevates lives by providing affordable housing, food security, and the supportive social services people need to thrive. Since its founding in 1995, Archway Communities has remained steadfast to its commitment to provide service-enriched affordable housing for very low-to-moderate income families in Colorado. They are guided by seeing the humanity and interconnectedness in all that they do and aiding in creating communities grounded in dignity and respect for families, neighbors, and staff.

While Archway Communities develops exceptional affordable housing, their services extend beyond the typical developer mode. Instead, Archway Communities keeps several post-development services in-house. After creating an affordable housing project, Archway remains the property manager and provides a full array of on-site supportive services to better serve their resident families and individuals according to each property.
“We were thrilled when Archway Communities signed on to be our partner at the former Johnson & Wales Campus,” said Aaron Miripol, ULC’s President & CEO. “They embody ULC’s values of truly committing to the community for the long-term, and we know they will be a valuable asset to the Park Hill neighborhood and beyond.”

Archway has purchased Presidents & Founders Halls and plans to purchase two additional dormitory buildings on the east campus, Johnson & Wales Halls. These four historic buildings will be transformed into approximately 154 affordable housing units, creating opportunities for families below 60% of the Area Median Income. In addition, these families will benefit from a campus designed as an accessible site for multi-cultural, multigenerational uses, including high-quality P-12 education, permanently affordable housing, culinary arts training, community spaces, and services that enhance the surrounding communities.

In addition to providing affordable housing, Archway will offer a host of services through their Family Services Programming (FSP), which currently offers year-round supportive services and developmental programs for adults and youth living in all 10 of their existing housing communities.

ULC is Seeking a Communications Intern
ULC is seeking a paid Communications Intern to work with our team in supporting a variety of marketing and communications strategies across multiple departments within our organization. If you are a confident team player and possess great communications skills and a willingness to learn, apply today! See the full job description for more details about the position and application process here.
Last Chance to Help Us Rename a Denver Landmark! 
An advisory committee for the Park Hill Campus (formerly Johnson & Wales Denver University) has been created to manage the renaming of the campus. The committee consists of representatives of the new campus partner organizations as well as reps from the three former colleges on the campus and neighboring community groups and RNOs.

They are seeking suggestions that are either: 
  • Named after a person (deceased) who has demonstrated significant civic service and contribution to the area surrounding the campus, OR 
  • Derived from symbolic, geographical, cultural, or historical meanings. 
Urban Land Institute Presents: 
How would the world be different if there were equitable access to capital? If developers of color could gain access to sufficient capital to serve their communities? What types of homes would get built, where would they be built, who would build them, and what wealth would they generate?

It's impossible to grow operations or real estate portfolios when equity and debt are out of reach. This virtual event seeks to address the complex issue of equitable access to capital and provide solutions from innovative movers-and-shakers in the field.