Two projects building affordable housing in Columbia break ground
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Work began Thursday on two dozen new affordable housing units in central Columbia to help shorten the list of families waiting for a place to live.
Love Columbia broke ground Thursday on its new transitional housing expansion project on East Ash Street. According to Love Columbia, this housing project will consist of six three-bedroom units and four two-bedroom units to house up to 10 families at 1221 E. Ash St. as they move toward permanent housing.
Families in the Love Forward Homes Program receive four to nine months of supported housing in a transitional home environment with intensive financial, housing and career coaching tailored to the families' needs and goals.
Love Columbia board member Rantia Norwood said they want to give these families the ability to sustain themselves. "Give (families) budgeting classes," said Norwood. "Does the parents need to go back to school, perhaps finish their diploma? Do they want to go into some trade program? What's going to help them be sustainable after this year of housing here at the 10-plex?"
Central Missouri Community Action will also break ground Thursday on its Providence Landing housing development. This development will feature 14 family units to be sold to people who qualify at an affordable price.
Each unit will cost about $220,000 to build and CMCA will be looking to sell them for between $160,000 and $180,000. The organization will help maintain the lawns, landscape and outside maintenance.
CMCA Executive Director Darin Preist says "it's a great, great first step for people who are currently renting. they can they can pay their rent just fine, but they can't save up for that down payment assistance. So we're going to pay 20% of the sale price so that they can get in with that equity built right in."
The Boone County Commission gave some money for these housing projects and multiple others to help people stabilize themselves and to transition to rental opportunities and eventually homeownership. Boone County Commissioner Kip Kendrick says that with these affordable homes, families can get wealth equity in their homes until they decide to move.
"When they do decide to move on from this home into market based, homeownership opportunity, then this remains affordable in the future," said Kendrick. "And so it will help should help generations of Boone Countians achieve that goal for ownership and then being able to pass down, some of that equity to their children."
Central Missouri Community Action received $750,000 in ARPA funding after Boone County Commission approval in April and another $250,000 from Veterans United.
The Love Forward Homes Program was also partially funded by ARPA. Love Columbia Chief Development Officer Nathan Hansen said they are still working on the final number, but about $2.8 million was contributed.
Hansen said $1 million came from the county, $600,000 from the city and $1.1 million from The Crossing church.
