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For people experiencing chronic homelessness, finding safe, stable housing is just the first step toward rebuilding a life. That’s where St. Valentine Apartments comes in — a permanent supportive housing community in Loveland created by Catholic Charities Housing. Unlike traditional affordable housing, St. Valentine combines long-term housing with on-site services like case management, clinical care and peer support so residents can recover, heal and move forward with dignity and hope.
Sandra knows why this model matters.
She grew up in a military family, speaking German and moving frequently during her father’s service in the Army. As an adult, she built a life across the country, eventually working as a case manager in Eagle River, Alaska, a community she still remembers fondly.
But in 2020 everything changed. She moved to Colorado with her then-boyfriend, who was incarcerated just months later. Alone in a new state without a support system, Sandra’s stability unraveled. She lost her identification, then her income and ultimately her housing. For four years, she lived in her car.
St. Valentine Apartments opened in late 2023 after years of planning and collaboration with the City of Loveland and other partners, offering 54 one- and two-bedroom units for individuals exiting chronic homelessness. It serves as Loveland’s primary source of long-term supportive housing, with no time limits on residency and services tailored to help neighbors stabilize after years of housing insecurity.
By the time an apartment became available, Sandra’s health had declined sharply. The stress and lack of rest that come with homelessness had taken a serious toll. While staying briefly in a hotel to recover from illness, she received a call that would change everything: one of the 54 units at St. Valentine was open.
Despite feeling weak and struggling to breathe, Sandra pushed herself to complete the paperwork. She knew she needed support. Soon after, she moved in — still unaware of how severe her condition had become.
Not long after her arrival, a security guard noticed significant swelling and urged her to seek immediate medical attention. A friend drove her to the hospital, where doctors delivered sobering news: her heart was failing, functioning at only about 20 percent.
“Had I still been living in my car at that point, my outcome would almost certainly have been much worse,” Sandra said.
Safe and housed at St. Valentine, she was finally able to rest — something she had not experienced in years. With support from on-site clinicians and staff who check in regularly, she began to recover. Today, her heart function has improved to 47 percent.
“I’m almost certain it’s because I can rest. This place likely saved my life.”
St. Valentine Apartments gave Sandra more than an apartment. It gave her the stability to heal a heart that had been pushed to its limits.
“Staff is great,” she shared in a note of thanks to the team. “I wanted you to know how meaningful this opportunity has been for me. It has quite literally changed — and likely saved — my life.”