The Metropolitan State University of Denver (MSU Denver) has announced the establishment and naming of the FHLBank Topeka Affordable Housing Institute, the only program of its kind in Colorado that offers an interdisciplinary curriculum at the undergraduate level to address the dramatic growth of affordable housing in Colorado.
“FHLBank Topeka Affordable Housing Institute at MSU Denver is the only program in the state that offers an interdisciplinary curriculum at the undergraduate level to address the dramatic growth of affordable housing in Colorado and the need for skilled professionals,” said Andy Proctor, Metropolitan State University of Denver AHI director and Finance lecturer. “The vast majority of affordable housing workforce skills are learned on the job, and we want to give current students and returning professionals the tools needed to establish successful careers within field.”
FHLBank Topeka pledged a seven-figure gift to the MSU Denver Foundation to support the University in establishing the Institute and its programming. This unique undergraduate program resides in the Department of Finance within the College of Business and will have input and support from an industry advisory committee. Career-focused courses will provide practical, real-world knowledge in affordable housing finance, property management and resident services.
Matt Koupal, FHLBank’s executive vice president and chief mission officer, said he expects the AHI program to have broad, long-term impact, benefiting the community and the affordable-housing industry. “We need to energize people, get them engaged and knowledgeable about affordable housing as a career opportunity,” he said.
The Institute’s offering will complement the existing real estate program providing undergraduate students with an Affordable Housing Management Certificate with interdisciplinary coursework in both social work and real estate. Two different non-credit course options are being offered to public agencies who are looking to provide their staff with professional development opportunities. Students will gain knowledge about the affordable housing funding ecosystem and how both private and public sector agencies work collaboratively in establishing private-public partnerships. The FHLBank Topeka Affordable Housing Institute is organized to deliver knowledge and skills required to ensure students are prepared to work and manage both social and real estate aspects of affordable housing.
FHLBank Topeka, a member-owned, federally chartered corporation, is one of 11 Federal Home Loan Banks nationwide that serves as an economical funding source for member financial institutions to help them provide affordable credit in their local markets to support housing, small business and economic development. FHLBank Topeka serves 665 member banks, thrifts, insurance companies, credit unions and community development financial institutions in its four-state area of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska and Oklahoma. The Affordable Housing Program, which celebrated its 35th anniversary in 2024, has disbursed nearly $250 million in grants to create more than 42,000 homes in partnership with FHLBank Topeka members and housing partners.
