Columbia Housing Authority breaks ground on new complex amid waiting list of over 1,400 households
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Columbia Housing Authority broke ground Thursday on its new apartment complex, Kinney Point Apartments.
Chief Executive Officer Randy Cole said the complex at 7 Sexton Road in Central Columbia will expand CHA by 34 homes and serve an estimated 425 people waiting for affordable housing over the next 20 years. Cole tells ABC 17 the homes will be made up of one to four bedroom places. As of Wednesday, Cole said, CHA has a little over 1,400 households on its waitlist.
"The expansion of CHA’s impact on affordable housing in Columbia at Kinney Point is a direct result of the broad and generous community support for our efforts,” CHA Chairperson Bob Hutton said.
According to CHA, it provides shelter to over 2,000 households or 4,500 people each year. CHA says it owns 750 properties.
"You'd have to be living under a rock if you are not familiar with the idea that Columbia has a housing crisis," Hutton said on Thursday. "Our goal is to address the housing crisis by providing affordable housing rather than doing homeless shelters for example, that's our niche."
CHA says the $13 million project is being paid for by the Veterans United Foundation, the City of Columbia, the Missouri Department of Economic Development and Missouri Housing Development Commission.
Cole said the construction timeline is 327 days, or just under 11 months.
