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Week of January 26, 2023
JEFFERSON COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 14 | CALENDAR: PAGE 13 | SPORTS: PAGE 24
VOLUME 18 | ISSUE 32
Our in-depth look at the housing crisis
Parks crew uncovers 50-year-old tennis practice wall City, historical society considering possibility of restoring wall BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Racial Inequities: Black Coloradans often face barriers in homeownership Some now look to build equity for future generations BY NINA JOSS AND HALEY LENA NJOSS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM; HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
A few years ago, Aurora Warms the Night, an Aurora-based nonprofit serving people who need housing, ran into a challenge when assisting its Black clients in applying for apartments. When
the applicants visited properties, landlords denied their applications. This happened over and over again. So the team decided to take a different approach, sending in White volunteers to check out the apartments first. “I would send one of our employees or people that were White to look at the apartment — to get the pricing, get everything, to make sure everything was available,” said Brian Arnold, who was executive director of the group at
the time five years ago. “After that, we did the application online and sent it in without them being able to see the person.” Once the application got approved, the team at Aurora Warms the Night would let the real estate agents see the client was Black. Arnold said this process worked almost every time and became the organization’s own way of making a dent in the discrimination that people of color may face, but find 1SEE INEQUITIES, P16
A parks maintenance crew in Arvada stumbled upon a historical artifact recently when they uncovered a 50-year-old tennis practice wall at Alice Sweet Thomas Park while performing regular maintenance. Arvada’s Director of Vibrant Communities and Neighborhoods Enessa Janes said her department was considering the possibility of restoring the wall. Janes said the wall was discovered during renovation of the tennis courts at Alice Sweet Thomas Park. A team was removing damaged siding and exposed the wood paneling underneath it, revealing the old practice wall. “I’m not familiar with the historical significance,” Janes said. “The tennis courts were built in 1974; we have parks maintenance workers who’ve been here for three decades — this was a surprise. My hunch is it’s been covered up for a long time. “It’s very cool and retro-looking,” Janes continued. “The unique look of the wall has generated interest into the city’s plan.” Janes said that plan is still up in the air. The wall is assembled using a tongue and groove method, which generally requires a more unique skill set to restore. Janes added that some of the wood has rotten and would have to be replaced. The wall was likely used to practice tennis individually. “Right now, we’re exploring and gathering information to determine how much it would cost to restore 1SEE UNCOVER, P3