Columbia City Council approves affordable housing renovation plan
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Columbia City Council on Monday unanimously passed the Columbia Housing Authorities' $2 million renovation plan for the Downtown Public Housing Units on Park Avenue.
The funding will come from the American Rescue Plan Act, with additional funding coming from the County and the Low Income Housing Tax Credit, according to Columbia's Housing Authorities CEO Randy Cole.
The proposal will see the existing housing on Park Avenue demolished and replaced with newly renovated units.
Park Avenue was built in 1964 and currently has 70 units suffering from various issues, including collapsing sewer lines, foundation problems and electrical issues.
The current plan will see all 70 units demolished and replaced with the addition of nine extra units.
The new design includes:
- 22 one-bedroom units
- 36 two-bedroom units
- 15 three-bedroom units
- 4 four-bedroom units
Cole said the CHA already has a waitlist of over 1,200 households, which he says is close to 3,500 people in need of assistance in the community.
"This is going to make a big difference," Cole said. "This project is going to add some units. And then we have the additional project called the Kinney Point Project that's going to add additional units as well."
In total, the two projects would add 43 new units and will be the largest expansion since 1973, according to Cole. "This is a really good moment for our community," said Cole.
Cole said they already have a plan in place for existing residents, as they hope to begin work on the project within the next year.
"We've already been rolling out a lot of communications to our residents," Cole said. "We'll be moving people within our portfolio. HUD (United States Department of Housing and Urban Development) has also approved us moving forward with the project a couple of months ago, which allows us to not refill certain units as people move out."
The money will be provided in the form of a forgivable loan that will ensure the housing remains affordable for a 20-year period.
"I'm really excited and grateful for the project," Cole said. "We're here because a lot of people in our community, including our city council our County Commission, other nonprofits, the Chamber, and just the outpouring of support from all walks of life in our community."
