Community-Owned
Real Estate

Reclaiming Our Communities'
Future in Metro Denver


The real estate market has left our communities behind—community-owned real estate allows us to create a place in Metro Denver for each other. We believe that Black, Latino, Indigenous, People of Color, immigrant and LGBTQ communities not only belong in Metro Denver but are a crucial part of our social fabric—many vibrant threads of culture and experience make Denver rich, diverse, and dynamic. This program supports all communities’ abilities to live, work, do business, and remain in place, preserving the cultural essence that makes our region truly extraordinary.

The Challenge: Preserving Cultural Neighborhoods

17,000 Latino Households Lost Between 2000-2016

We are witnessing the displacement of residents and entrepreneurs from culturally rich neighborhoods through gentrification. This creates a devastating domino effect:
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We are witnessing the displacement of residents and entrepreneurs from culturally rich neighborhoods through gentrification. This creates a devastating domino effect:
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  • Systemic gentrification forces long-standing businesses and residents out as landlords sell properties to developers at unaffordable rates
  • Developers prioritize profit over community, actively dismantling established neighborhood economic and social structures
  • Historical BIPOC neighborhoods face accelerating displacement, eroding decades of community investment and cultural heritage
  • Rising property values have increased the tax burden
  • The economic pressures of gentrification systematically remove community members from their generational homes and business locations

"As these neighborhoods are destroyed, Denver stands on the cusp of losing the very cultural, economic, and racial diversity that makes it a vibrant and attractive city. The question before us is: What kind of city and region do we want Denver to be?"

Our Solution: Community Control Through Real Estate Ownership


CCWB's Community-Owned Real Estate project seeks to reverse these market-driven trends by changing the way property, particularly commercial property in legacy cultural neighborhoods, is controlled and owned. Ownership and control of real estate provide agency and stability, and can unleash creativity and growth as owners no longer have to worry about displacement as their property values rise. When real estate is collectively owned, whether by business owners, community residents, mission-aligned investors, or a mix of all three, the owners have the additional advantage of growing the wealth of the community.

When communities own their spaces:
  • Businesses gain stability and freedom to grow
  • Property value increases build community wealth
  • Cultural heritage is preserved
  • Economic power stays in the neighborhood
For Business OWners

Get support to grow your business or explore employee ownership.

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For Anchor Institutions

Partner with us to align your spending with community wealth building.

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For Community Members

Invest in transformative economic change.

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For Supporters

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Building an Infrastructure for
Community Ownership

CCWB partners with organizations like the Neighborhood Development Collaborative to create lasting solutions for community-controlled real estate in the Denver region. Together, we're building the financial and organizational infrastructure needed for successful community ownership projects.