Metropolitan University of Denver’s Wednesday welcome-back-to-campus fair featured food trucks, recruiting student clubs and a visit from the feds.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Rocky Mountain Regional Office’s booth stood among rows of college-related resources, beckoning students and staff preparing for their first week back classes to learn about homeownership possibilities and debunk myths around the home buying process, said Dominique Jackson, HUD Rocky Mountain’s regional administrator.
“We’re here to help students and faculty see that homeownership is more accessible than they might imagine,” Jackson said. “People think they have to have boatloads of money, that they have to put down a ton for down payments, that they have to have absolutely perfect credit and that they can’t qualify for a loan, and that’s just not true. There are so many resources to help you.”
These HUD events, titled “House Parties,” aimed at young adults and communities of color are happening across the country, but Jackson noted their education efforts are critical in Colorado when examining Denver and the surrounding area’s housing market.
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“We all know that housing costs are continuing to rise,” Jackson said.
HUD housing counselors met with passing students on the most diverse four-year institution of higher education in Colorado, teaching them about federal housing resources including Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans. An FHA loan is a mortgage insured by the federal government and issued by a bank or lender approved by HUD. The loans often require a lower down payment than conventional loans and sometimes allow for the buyer to have a lower credit score.
However, HUD data found the FHA single-family home market in Denver is declining, with fewer homes being approved and a higher median sales price. In 2022, FHA approved 24,014 homes in Colorado and 14,073 in the Denver metro, a decrease of 33% and 36%, respectively, from 2021, according to the data.
The median price of an FHA-insured property in Denver has risen from $383,668 to $505,807 in the past five years.
Front Range foothills rise in the background behind houses in Lakewood on Friday, July 21, 2023. (Photo by Grace Smith/The Denver Post)
The average monthly income of FHA homebuyers in Colorado was $9,096 and the average interest rate was 6.04%. In Denver, the average income was $10,109 with a 5.98% average interest rate.
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“I think a lot of young people feel disheartened and discouraged,” said Denver Housing Authority’s Charlotte O’Donnell, who manned the DHA booth next to HUD’s at the college fair. “In all my years, I’ve never seen so many young people not have opportunities to enter the housing market. But what I try to tell people is maybe it’s not attainable today or six months from now, but to help them prepare and stick on the right path because things change in the market and it might be attainable soon.”
O’Donnell tells young people who want to set themselves up for homebuying success that they need stable employment with stable income that’s going to increase over time, a credit score of at least around 660 and to build savings.
Santiago Gutierrez, 21, stopped by HUD and DHA’s booth with “for sale” signs in his eyes. The MSU Denver real estate student plans to graduate in January and become a real estate agent, but he’s got his heart set on buying property of his own.
The born-and-raised Denverite acknowledged the local housing market is “unbelievably expensive” but said he doesn’t feel shut out by it. He said he knows there are local and federal resources available to help him buy the duplex of his dreams that he hopes to partially rent out to make some income. In the meantime, the budding real estate agent is saving money living with his parents while he attends school.
“There are a lot of opportunities,” Gutierrez said. “You just have to find them, so this booth was helpful in pointing me in some different directions.”
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HUD’s Jackson said Wednesday’s event wasn’t just to check a box but to get results. If young people aren’t buying property, she said, they aren’t building intergenerational wealth, particularly in low-income and communities of color.
“That’s the risk for everyone,” Jackson said.
Add Anand, left, and Kayla Bilger of HUD present housing information to Metropolitan State University of Denver cyber security student Cristal Ramirez, center, during the university’s fall welcome week on Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023. (Photo by Eric Lutzens/The Denver Post)
Cristal Ramirez, 27, dropped by the HUD booth asking what steps she needs to take before she dips her toe in the housing market.
The MSU Denver cybersecurity student who was born in Greeley said it would mean the world to her to be able to buy a home and move her mother in to take care of her.
“Growing up here, I’ve seen the market progress, and I would feel so lucky if I was able to own my own home in Colorado,” Ramirez said. “I feel excited to learn more about it, but it can feel overwhelming.”
Ramirez said she learned about working on her credit score and plans to investigate the pamphlets HUD gave her including information on HUD-approved housing counseling which the federal department said helps more than a million households annually.
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More information on the housing counseling — ranging from free to low-cost sessions covering budgeting, loan options, down payment assistance programs and beyond — can be found at hud.gov/housingcounseling.
“This is so important as people start planning their futures,” Jackson said. “I used a housing counselor to buy my first house, and people always say they wished they knew about these resources earlier.”
The Denver Broncos had three players elected to the 2025 Pro Bowl, the NFL announced Thursday.
In addition to those players, eight other Broncos players were named alternates for the all-star game.
Broncos guard Quinn Meinerz (first alternate), long snapper Mitch Fraboni (first), kicker Wil Lutz (third), tackle Garett Bolles (third), fullback Mike Burton (fourth), defensive lineman Zach Allen (fourth), quarterback Bo Nix (fourth) and safety Brandon Jones (fifth) were named Pro Bowl alternates. They will be candidates to join the Pro Bowl roster if other players drop out.
1. Quinn Meinerz delivers big pancake blocks on a near-weekly basis and his 86.1 overall grade from Pro Football Focus ranks fifth among NFL guards.
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2. Mitchell Fraboni was named a PFF second-team All-Pro last season and he had another impressive campaign in 2024. He totaled five tackles on punt coverage after snapping to Dixon.
3. Wil Lutz converted 30 field goals this season, which ranked sixth in the AFC and seventh overall. His 90.9% field goal rate ranked fifth among qualified kickers in the AFC and he was one of nine full-time kickers to go 100% on extra point attempts this fall. Lutz was a perfect 11-of-11 on field goal attempts between 40-49 yards, the best mark at that range this season.
4. Garett Bolles was credited with allowing two sacks this season and his 88.8 pass-blocking grade on PFF ranks fifth in the NFL among offensive tackles.
5. Michael Burton is the No. 1-ranked fullback on PFF this season with an overall grade of 66.8 and a pass-blocking grade of 75.8. Burton is used primarily as a blocker, but he has also picked up six first downs and scored two touchdowns with six carries and 10 receptions this season.
6. Zach Allen has recorded 73 pressures, 8.5 sacks (tied for second among AFC interior defensive linemen), 39 QB hits, 34 hurries, 15 tackles behind the line, one safety and one pass breakup this season.
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7. Bo Nix‘s 30 total touchdowns rank fourth in the AFC this season, only trailing Joe Burrow (44), Lamar Jackson (43) and Josh Allen (41). His long of 93 yards ranks third in the NFL and his 24 sacks are eighth-fewest among the league’s 32 quarterbacks.
8. Brandon Jones has totaled three interceptions this fall, tied for fourth-most in the AFC. His 114 tackles are a team-high in Denver. Jones also broke up 10 passes, forced a fumble and recovered a fumble in 2024.
The 2025 Pro Bowl Games will be held at Camping World Stadium in Orlando on Feb. 2. The NFC defeated the AFC 64-59 last season.
If you have an event taking place in the Denver area, email information to carlotta.olson@gazette.com at least two weeks in advance. All events are listed in the calendar on space availability.
Thursday
Dog Lob – Phish Tribute — 6-9 p.m., New Terrain Brewing Co., 16401 Table Mountain Parkway, Golden; newterrainbrewing.com.
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La Paloma: Tribute to Nina Simone — 6:30 p.m., Dazzle at Baur’s, 1080 14th St., Denver, go online for prices. Tickets: dazzledenver.com/#/events.
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Emily Kooi — With Genevieve Libien & Finn O’Sullivan, 8 p.m., Globe Hall, 4483 Logan St., Denver, $18.50-$23.50. Tickets: globehall.com.
Bicycle Day — With Null & Void & Jumpin at Shadows, 8 p.m., Lost Lake Lounge, 3602 E. Colfax Ave., Denver, $18.50-$23.50. Tickets: lost-lake.com.
Split the Deck Vinyl Spin — Hosted by DJ Random Temple, 8 p.m., Goosetown Tavern, 3242 E. Colfax Ave., Denver; goosetowntavern.com.
“Dawoud Bey: Street Portraits” — Through May 11, Denver Art Museum, 100 W. 14th Ave. Parkway, Denver, go online for prices: denverartmuseum.org.
Thursday-Saturday
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Shane Torres — 7:30 p.m. Thursday, 7:15 and 9:45 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Comedy Works South at the Landmark, 5345 Landmark Place, Greenwood Village, $15-$28. Tickets: comedyworks.com.
Sean Patton — 7:30 p.m. Thursday, 7:30 and 9:45 p.m. Friday, 7 and 9:15 p.m. Sunday, Comedy Works Downtown in Larimer Square, 1226 15th St., Denver, $17-$25. Tickets: comedyworks.com.
DENVER — Denver7 is investigating your concerns after we were contacted by families who said they’re dealing with ongoing mail theft in the city’s Central Park neighborhood.
Some residents say the issue has been happening for months: thieves breaking into mailboxes and stealing credit cards, checks, and other important documents.
Neighbors said it didn’t take long to realize something was wrong when checking their mail.
“It’s communal. So we’re like, ‘Hey, did you get your mail? Has it been missing?’ And so that’s how we started noticing,” said Trevor, a Central Park resident who preferred not to share his last name.
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Another woman we talked to, Sam, who did not want to share her full name, said she started noticing lighter mail and missing items.
She said the biggest revelation came when her credit card company contacted her about suspicious activity.
“A new credit card I had ordered hadn’t got here, and it was stolen on Christmas Eve, and somebody promptly went on a shopping spree,” she said, “So that’s when I started going back and looking through all my informed mail.”
A spokesperson for the U.S. Postal Service told Denver7 that it immediately replaces the damaged mailboxes. They provided this statement to Denver7 on Wednesday:
“The Postal Service apologizes to customers in the Central Park area for any inconvenience caused as a result of criminal activity… The U.S. Postal Service as well as the impacted customers are all victims in these acts of theft and vandalism. Postal Service maintenance personnel repair or replace damaged boxes and locks as quickly as possible when impacted by these criminal acts.”
However, residents like Sam said the damaged mailboxes are not being repaired or replaced in a timely manner. She’s asking for more to be done.
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I just want to make sure to bring awareness to this. With tax season coming up, the potential for identity theft with this situation is extremely high,” she said.
In addition to the statement, USPS provided the following advice for customers, to protect their mail and their letter carriers.
Don’t let incoming or outgoing mail sit in your mailbox. You can significantly reduce the chance of being victimized by simply removing your mail from your mailbox every day.
Deposit outgoing mail through a number of secure manners including inside your local Post Office or at your place of business or by handing it to a letter carrier.
Sign up for Informed Delivery and get daily digest emails that preview your mail and packages scheduled to arrive soon.
Become involved and engaged in your neighborhood via neighborhood watches and local social media groups to spread awareness and share information.
Keep an eye out for your letter carrier. If you see something that looks suspicious, or you see someone following your carrier, call 911.
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