Heartside Hill Earns National Housing Honor

Fort Collins affordable housing community recognized for resilient design, resident services, and expanded housing opportunities

By North Forty News Staff | NorthFortyNews.com

Heartside Hill Apartments in Fort Collins has received national recognition for its approach to affordable housing, sustainability, and community support.

The Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition named Heartside Hill a 2026 recipient of its Recognition of Housing Tax Credit Excellence in the Resilient and Healthy Housing category. The annual recognition honors affordable housing developments that use the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit effectively while strengthening communities and improving opportunities for residents.

Heartside Hill provides 72 apartments for families earning 60% or less of the area median income. The broader nearly 9-acre campus also includes nine Habitat for Humanity single-family homes for lower-income buyers and two L’Arche homes for adults with disabilities.

Heart of the Rockies Christian Church, Disciples of Christ, donated the property.

“As the affordability crisis grows, the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit has become increasingly essential to providing families with safe, stable housing near jobs, education, health care and other community resources,” AHTCC CEO Emily Cadik said. “Each winner of the 2026 Recognition of Housing Tax Credit Excellence has made a lasting impact in the communities they serve and for the families who now have an affordable place to call home.”

Heartside Hill’s community building provides space for supportive programs, including after-school and summer youth activities and adult education workshops. It also includes an early childhood education center designed to serve more than 100 children.

According to the announcement, an established local nonprofit childcare provider will operate the center and reserve a portion of its reduced-cost childcare spaces for young children living at Heartside Hill.

The development also focused on sustainability. Design elements were incorporated to improve building durability and indoor air quality while reducing energy costs and long-term maintenance needs.

A central green space includes walking paths, benches, covered pavilions, a playground, community gardens, covered bicycle shelters, and a Little Free Library.

The development represents a partnership between CARE Communities and Midwest Housing Equity Group to preserve and expand affordable housing opportunities in Fort Collins.

The Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition said Colorado faces an estimated shortage of more than 136,000 affordable rental homes for lower-income residents.

The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, established in 1986, is the nation’s primary federal tool for financing affordable rental housing. According to AHTCC, the program has financed more than 4 million affordable homes serving 9.6 million lower-income households over the past 40 years.

More information about the 2026 honorees is available through the Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition.

Information provided by the Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition.