Royer House
The transformation of Denver did not stop with one building; many business owners and homeowners in the area have since improved their properties, with one large and notable addition being the transformation of an empty bank building into the Unruh Insurance Agency. By acquiring the Royer House, we now have the opportunity to continue this transformation by adding two studio apartments to the third floor. These small studios are a perfect size for those who are struggling to afford an apartment of their own.
In the middle of a global pandemic, the building adjoining the Declaration House came up for sale. With a high need for affordable housing and to alleviate the risk of a building connected to our brand-new property falling into the hands of any party that might not take good care of it, REAL Life Community Services quickly purchased the building, the former Royer Furniture store. It had two one-bedroom apartments on the first floor, a three-bedroom apartment on the second floor, and a third-floor space that was never developed. We converted the third floor into two studio apartments to be used to help solve the growing housing shortage in our area. When COVID-19 hit the northern Lancaster County area, a housing shortage that was already dire became even worse. Currently, over 30 families are living in hotels in our area. Working with the area businesses and foundations, we continued to add to the quantity of affordable apartments available. The new Royer House studios are focused on low-income community members displaced by the recent loss of available rental properties.