A philanthropic intent to provide more affordable housing in the Roaring Fork Valley that’s been three decades in the making is finally about to become a reality.

Officials from the Denver Archdiocese Catholic Charities Housing were joined on Aug. 7 by state and local housing advocates and relatives and friends of the late Fritz and Fabienne “Fabi” Benedict of Aspen for the grand opening of the 34-unit Benedict Apartments for seniors in Glenwood Springs.

The Benedicts, among their many financial gifts to various institutions and causes in the Valley, had intended for some of their money to go toward affordable housing, via the Catholic Charities housing fund.

That was some 30 years ago, explained Justin Raddatz, the executive director of Catholic Charities Housing for the past 10 years.

Several previous attempts to build a local housing project using those funds didn’t pan out, he said. 

That was, until one of their board members, local real estate advisor Darryl Grosjean, suggested the narrow slice of property fronting the 27th Street and Midland Avenue roundabout, next to Roaring Fork Senior Living, which had come onto the market.

It wasn’t easy, given the small, half-acre size of the parcel, Raddatz said. But with the efforts of Shopworks Architecture out of Denver, and FCI Construction of Grand Junction, they were able to design and build a four-story, 34-unit apartment building that has elements of Frank Lloyd Wright-style architecture — appropriate, said Raddatz, since Fritz, a renowned architect himself, was an understudy of Wright.

“I have to say, this is probably the project that I’m most excited about … It’s just a beautiful project,” Raddatz said during the grand opening event. “And we get to honor a couple of folks who were really special in the community for so many years as the building’s namesake.” 

The Benedicts’ daughter-in-law, Jan Benedict, said Fabi in particular would have been proud of the accomplishment.

“I think it was truly Fabi’s vision to have something like this in the Valley,” she said during the grand opening event. “Whether [Fritz and Fabi] were doing something for affordable housing, or open space, or their efforts with the [Aspen] Music Tent or the 10th Mountain Division [hut system], they did it for the community.

“It was always about the people. It was never about them.”

Raddatz noted that, across Colorado, 35% of households are considered cost-burdened when it comes to housing — meaning more than 30% of their income goes toward housing — and 13% of senior citizens are severely rent-burdened, paying more than half of their income toward housing. 

In Glenwood Springs, 44% of senior households are considered cost-burdened, he said.

To help combat that, the Benedict Apartments are offered to senior households (ages 55 and up) earning between $20,000 and $91,000 per year, or between 30% and 80% of the Area Median Income. The project is supported by federal low-income tax credits that allow for rents well below market for the area (between $550 and $1,600 per month, based on the latest calculations), explained Shirley Diaz from the Colorado Department of Housing.

Also making the project possible was $1.7 million in construction funding through the state’s Affordable Housing Impact Fund, she said.

As a result, “there’s going to be a very broad range of seniors who will be able to have a home, who’ve been previously priced out of the market,” Diaz stated. 

“Affordable housing for seniors can be really overlooked in broader housing conversations, but the truth is that it’s one of our fastest-growing populations in Colorado, and one of the most at-risk when rents rise and incomes remain fixed,” she said.

Also on hand for the grand opening was Glenwood Springs Mayor Marco Dehm, who spoke to a planning process that he said wasn’t rushed, but involved “smart, forward-thinking decisions every step of the way.”

He added, “From the very beginning, it was guided by a clear vision to create high quality, affordable homes for seniors; homes that offer dignity, accessibility and a sense of community.” 

Glenwood Springs resident Kathryn Grosscup oversees the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority’s Housing Tax Credit program, and was also involved with the project. 

“This has been a tremendous community endeavor that will benefit not only those who will live here … but all of Glenwood,” she said.

The Benedict is just awaiting some final inspections before it will open to its first tenants, Raddatz concluded.