2021 Annual Report

Heart, Humanity & Housing

In 2021, as the pandemic persisted and cost of living rose to a record high, Maiker remained steadfast in their commitment to keeping Coloradans housed.

And doing so with heart and humanity.

Reflections from leadership

Peter LiFari

Executive Director

Maiker Housing Partners’ commitment to socially conscious community development is about more than owning, operating and building affordable housing. It’s about people.

When I reflect on the past year at Maiker, while I celebrate the groundbreakings, grand openings, partnerships and awards our team celebrated, what resonates with me most are the people, the heartbeats that drive our mission, both Members, Maikers and our Adams County community members.

2021 was a year of housing with heart and humanity at Maiker. While the housing market presented shockingly high average rents, sky rocketing rental renewal rates and tragically, eviction rates that are returning to pre-pandemic levels, finding and securing an affordable home is hard and it’s getting harder every day. In response we at Maiker led with heart – creating systems that recognized our members’ humanity. When we put people at the center of our decision making analysis, we found that the vast majority of Maiker member tenants were laser focused on navigating the ongoing impacts of the pandemic; we were inspired by their determination, resiliency and hope. This inspiration and influence manifested in Maiker looking inward, first asking ourselves how we can gain the trust of our members—to best serve our community.

In 2021, Maiker Housing Partners remained steadfast in our commitment to creating safe and sound spaces where everyone belongs. As we look to the future, we are excited to continue this commitment through innovative strategies and unique partnerships that will make Adams County a more affordable place to live a life of vibrancy.

Because all people deserve housing with heart and humanity.

Eva Henry

Chair, Maiker Board of Commissioners and Adams County Commissioner, District 1

As I reflect on the work of Maiker Housing Partners in 2021, I think of the word compassion.

Amid the ongoing hardship of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Maiker team remained committed as ever to keeping Adams County residents housed—always treating our community members with warmth, understanding and grace. This compassion was best exemplified through the grand opening of Caraway—my personal 2021 Maiker highlight. The development of Caraway has helped to fill the gap of essential affordable housing in Adams County, especially for youth aging out of foster care.

I had the opportunity to speak with two young people who had recently aged out of foster care and moved into Caraway. They expressed their gratitude for having a place to call home after finishing high school and beginning their next chapter. As they shared their stories, I felt the impact of effective, intentional nonprofit and government partnerships. When we combine our resources, hearts and expertise, we can make a difference for the people who call Adams County home. I look forward to another year of working with compassion with Maiker Housing Partners.

Our Core Beliefs

Creating a space where everyone belongs.

Maikers believe:

Poverty is systemic.
All people have strengths and gifts.
Everyone needs a home.
Diversity, inclusion and belonging allow us all to be our true selves.
Safety, health and wellbeing are our collective responsibility.

Maikers nurture opportunity for all people in all environments.

Colorado Eviction Defense Project

When the statewide eviction moratorium ended in 2021, some Colorado housing developers began evicting tenants who were struggling to pay rent due to financial hardship. Maiker had a different approach. In partnership with the Colorado Eviction Defense Project (CEDP), Maiker supported housing stability by providing pathways to legal assistance for individuals who received a court summons for eviction. CEDP intervened in legal processes by negotiating more time and rapidly completing and processing rental assistance applications. This partnership exemplified Maiker’s commitment to identifying new and creative solutions to ensuring housing is available to all Adams County residents.

Kids First Health Care

In 2021, Maiker partnered with Kids First Health Care to open a weekly, bilingual pediatric health care clinic at Alto Apartments in Westminster. The clinic provided primary and preventative care services for children and youth up to age 21, including well-child check-ups, sports physicals, vaccines, sick visits, reproductive health care and more. Patients did not have to be members of a Maiker community or have insurance to receive care. During a time of increased anxiety surrounding community health, the Kids First clinic provided essential healthcare services to support family wellbeing.

The Senior Hub

In 2021, Maiker partnered with the Senior Hub to provide food boxes, home cleaning supplies and pet care items to aging community members living at five of our communities in Adams County. The Senior Hub delivered 150 boxes to each of these five properties per month, providing essential items to support aging Maiker members. This partnership ensured our members who were at risk of severe infection from COVID-19 would have access to the resources without having to put themselves or their loved ones at risk.

Early Childhood Partnership of Adams County

For many years, Maiker has collaborated with Early Childhood Partnership of Adams County (ECPAC) to offer educational engagement opportunities to our members and their families. In 2021, we recognized the need to expand this partnership and support dialogues around issues of systemic inequity, substance abuse and more. Throughout the year, Maiker staff attended ECPAC’s series of racial equity and substance abuse disorder trainings. These trainings continue to drive ongoing discussions on how to incorporate trauma-informed practices into our work and focus on community mental health.

Community Ambassador Program

Maiker’s on-site vaccine clinic administered 639 COVID-19 vaccine doses in four months

In early 2021, Maiker launched a community ambassador program with a grant from Rose Community Foundation and funding from the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA). The program was initially designed to recruit and train volunteer members from Crossing Pointe North and Orchard Crossing to help with vaccine information and resource navigation. Through ambassadors’ conversations with families, friends and neighbors, Maiker’s on-site vaccine clinic administered 639 COVID-19 vaccine doses in four months. In May alone, the ambassadors administered 287 doses to Adams County community members. This was all made possible with the help of our passionate members that wanted to keep their community safe.

Community Garden

The Gathering Place is located between Alto Apartments and Terrace Gardens in Westminster.

Community Organizing Institute

Emergency Rent Assistance

$ 0

distributed in rent and utility assistance

The Completion of Caraway

In 2021, Maiker completed Caraway, a first-of-its-kind project in Adams County, located at 7401 Broadway. Maiker repurposed the former Children and Family Services building into 44 units and created an additional 72 units of affordable housing, for a total of 116 total units. This was the first opportunity Maiker has had to adaptively reuse an existing office building. Once the building was complete, we commissioned a mural from Babe Walls founder Alex Pangburn which features lark buntings to honor Colorado’s state bird and caraway plants for the building’s namesake.

Land Acquisitions

In 2021, Maiker purchased a 3.7-acre transit-oriented development site near the Eastlake Station in Thornton to develop Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) housing for households earning between 30% and 70% of the Area Median Income (AMI). We also purchased a 32-acre site in unincorporated Adams County to develop a multi-phased community using LIHTC credits for household earning between 30% and 70% of the AMI. This 32-acre site will allow us to build multiple phases of housing including a lower density development that includes a small community farm.

Adams County

Following the 2020 launch of the Adams County COVID-19 Short-Term Rental and Mortgage Assistance Relief Fund, Maiker expanded the program in 2021, distributing over $7.6M in rent and utility assistance to keep families in their homes during the pandemic.

My case worker, Claudia, who worked so hard to help me with Emergency Rental Assistance, finally gave me notice of approval. She has been so helpful, and she made sure to keep an open line of communication with me. I am forever grateful and loved the fast response times.”

Maiker Community Member

Board of Commissioners Spotlight

Dawn Davis

Maiker Board of Commissioners Member

In February 2021, we welcomed Dawn Davis to the Maiker Housing Partners Board of Commissioners. Davis, President of the North Metro Area for First Bank, has been an active member of the Adams County community for years. As a former foster child and long time advocate for under resourced youth, Davis channels her passion into the community by serving on the Executive Committees for both CASA of Adams and Broomfield Counties and Adams County Regional Economic Partnership.

Davis has brought her working knowledge of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program, Private Activity Bonds and other information related to compliance regulations for affordable housing to her role as Commissioner. More than her professional expertise, however, Davis has enriched the Maiker board with her empathy, altruism and an authentic passion for the Adams County community.

Learn More

Download the complete 2021 Annual Report to learn more — including full details on revenue, expenses, total assets and liabilities.