AURORA | A planned supportive housing development for people working to exit homelessness has more than 3,000 people on its waiting list, but with only 43 units, the project is highlighting an unmet need.

The Sanctuary on Potomac, located at 1290 S. Potomac St., will be part of Aurora Mental Health and Recovery’s Potomac Medical Campus, which already has a 24-hour crisis care center. It will have 43 units of referral-based permanent supportive housing that includes services such as mental healthcare, recovery support and housing assistance. 

The building will have 24-hour staff and security. It is expected to open in November.

The project, which is a partnership between Aurora Mental Health and Recovery and the Aurora Housing Authority, is greatly needed in the community, with Martin Petrov, director of the housing authority, saying more than 3,000 people are on the waiting list.

“The need is there, but unfortunately these properties have very large operational costs that need additional funding,” Petrov said at an Aug. 18 housing committee meeting.

Tod Cavey, a spokesperson for Aurora Mental Health, said in an emailed statement that tenants would be referred through the organizations’ existing behavioral health and supportive service network, and community partners. 

“The goal is to prioritize individuals who can benefit from stable, affordable housing combined with access to supportive services,” Cavey said.

Cavey said having housing on the Potomac Medical Campus will streamline services for people receiving mental healthcare and housing support. He noted the importance of stable housing for recovery.

“Instead of treating housing, behavioral health care and crisis services as completely separate systems, the campus creates a more connected continuum of support,” Cavey said. “For someone experiencing a behavioral health challenge, being able to access care, supportive services and housing resources within the same broader campus can reduce barriers and make it easier to stay connected to care.”

The project will receive project-based vouchers for all of the units through federal Section 8 housing funding, according to the Aurora Housing Authority. It has also received a $550,000 housing development grant from the State Housing Board and the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority awarded the project a $1.4 million federal tax credit and a $700,000 state tax credit.

The medical campus already has a $44 million crisis care center called the Potomac Pavilion, which offers 24-hour walk-in crisis and detox services, same-day care services, a crisis stabilization unit and substance use intervention.

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