Before you make a judgment about a proposed program for area homeless people, ask a handful of longtime Broomfield or Highlands Ranch residents about what they think of the Altura neighborhood on East Colfax Avenue, near Laredo Elementary School.

Even metro-dwelling Colorado natives will most likely first have no idea where that is, other than somewhere along the dreaded “East Colfax Avenue.” And if you were to point the area out on a map and show them pictures of the area’s modest homes and strip-mall businesses, almost certainly most of those queried would frown on the area. They’d point out what they believe to be Aurora’s notorious crime rate, the gangs, the slummy community. And the people who live there? Altura residents are not their people.

If you live in the Altura neighborhood, you know those common and pervasive perceptions are just fiction and lies. The community is very safe. The schools are strong. The people who live there care deeply about their neighborhood and represent a wide swath of demographics, just like the rest of Aurora. It’s that dynamic mix of people, culture, means and interests that makes Aurora the intriguing, vibrant city it actually is.

Read more at The Aurora Sentinel.