“This is an important step in improving health care for Native American and Alaska Native families,” said Maddux, a member of the Hopi Tribe of Arizona. , never had the opportunity to offer this to our community.”

Indigenous people suffer from the worst health inequalities in the country, Maddux said, and this is linked to homelessness. “If your home doesn’t have a place to store water or food, it doesn’t help that your health care provider tells you to go out and buy diabetes medicine that needs refrigeration and buy healthy foods. When there is no place to put it.”

“This is a huge opportunity to address that barrier,” she said.

Maddux also sees the new building as an opportunity for the government to make amends. The U.S. spends about $9,200 per person on health care for people on Medicare and Medicaid. $3,300 per person About health services in India.

“Congress failed to look after the first keepers of this land,” she said. “It really comes down to prioritization.”

Indian Health Services provides medical, behavioral, and dental care, as well as nutrition and fitness classes. WellPower, the city’s community mental health center, provides case management, mental health, and other services.

Trauma and pain are deeply rooted in Indigenous cultures and contribute to health disparities, according to Maddux. This place reminds her of how many Indian children have been buried anonymously, apart from whites.

“We are all affected in one way or another by the trauma and all this pain,” she said.

Funding for this project will come from federal, state, and local sources. And thanks to the fair housing laws, communities can’t turn away non-Native Americans or Alaska Natives, anyone earning between 30% and 60% of the median income in the area is eligible, and this is He’s around $49,000 or less for one. Residents coming directly from the homeless may qualify for housing vouchers to pay rent.

But there are plans to advertise with Native communities and disseminate information through organizations that work with Native communities, such as the Indian Health Service and the Denver Indian Center, according to Sherry Marquez, president of Mercy Housing’s Mountain Plains area. . “Our team has to be very intentional about who they engage with,” she said.

The Denver community is the first of 19 properties in Mercy, Colorado, with a Native American focus.

The planned site is south of downtown in an area known as the Mariposa neighborhood, named after a 2006 master plan by the Denver Housing Authority, the first neighborhood-scale plan to create an affordable living community. is. A colorful residential project for seniors and families is now located near La Alma Lincoln Park, not far from the 10th Avenue and Osage Street light rail stations and the city’s cultural and arts district of Santa Fe. The area has 580 affordable housing units, including home ownership options. After decades of deprivation and eviction, the revival of historically Latin neighborhoods can be seen in the vibrant murals that have appeared on the walls of the city’s gardens and buildings.

Centered around Native American culture, the new building stands out among others with a central circle that resembles a courtyard. In indigenous cultures, the circle represents life that is connected from beginning to end. “From birth to death, to the seasons, everything is a circle,” said Ziegler.

Mercy has partnered with Native American Housing Circles to ensure the building looks culturally appropriate in an authentic way rather than token touches that can be offensive, Marquez said.

“How do you ensure it’s culturally relevant and culturally appropriate?” Marquez said. “What we have heard loud and clear from the community, especially the tribal community, is that this place could be theirs. We need to create spaces for children to play, one-on-one counseling opportunities. You think about color You think about artwork

Of the 187 units, 94 will be designated as permanent supportive housing. That means getting out of homelessness and going to people who need counseling, substance abuse treatment, and other services to stay home. The building’s design includes a coffee shop and community kitchen, as well as outdoor spaces for walking and gardening.

Several non-profit organizations run by Native Americans and serving Native people have set aside space within their buildings, and all staff members have learned how to recognize their daily traumas, as well as their historical traumas.

Instead of asking questions, they realize that it is not uncommon for Indigenous people who were brought up in traditional ways to take a respectful five-minute silence before speaking.

“We are being watched”

The building is a key part of Denver’s five-year plan to build 7,000 affordable homes by 2026.

Authorities provided a 99-year lease for the property, which was acquired in 2020 for approximately $4 million through a partnership between the City of Denver and County of Denver and the Authority to Purchase Land for Permanent and Supportive Residential Use. I’m here. This is the agency’s sixth development secured through a bond program funded by property tax collections from the Denver Affordable Housing Fund.

Mercy won the competitive bidding process for the project after a pitch focused on Native Americans’ struggles on homelessness and health disparities. Erin Clarke, the agency’s chief real estate investment officer, said the synergies between housing, health centers, playgrounds and mental health services are all great.

“It’s a really unique and exciting place for us,” said Clark, who can see the place through the windows of the Denver Housing Authority. “This is housing that a wide variety of people can apply for, but where possible, a specific focus on Native American communities is lacking in our overall affordable housing environment.”

Mercy Housing is seeking a low-income tax credit to finance construction, with a goal of moving residents in early 2025.

Construction costs, including the health clinic, are estimated at $85 million. The building design includes a clinic and community space on the ground floor and his five-story apartment from the ground floor to his fourth floor. There are semi-private green spaces, playgrounds, and gardening plots to support mental health and solitude.

“It’s important to take all of the above approaches towards affordable housing,” Clark said. I am really excited to see a new state-of-the-art building that incorporates housing and healthcare within the same building within an underserved community. I have.”

For Ziegler of the Native American Housing Circle, the aesthetics of the building as a whole are just as important as the programs offered within its walls.

“The Native American community needs to see a visual representation of ‘OK, this is a brand new and shiny Native American facility,'” he said. “It’s amazing and we should feel good about it. As Americans, we deserve something nice, right? From that perspective, it brings pride and value.We are being watched.”