YOUR BUSINESS AUTHORITY
Springfield, MO
YOUR BUSINESS AUTHORITY
Springfield, MO
In a ribbon-cutting ceremony that included remarks by Gov. Mike Parson and Mayor Ken McClure, Maplewood Villas was introduced to the community Aug. 29.
Residents of the 44-unit housing development designed for people who are homeless or have low incomes and are over the age of 55 were already well aware of it, as they had begun moving into the facility in July.
That was just over a year after the mid-2022 groundbreaking for the $10 million development north of Chestnut Expressway at 550 N. Duke Ave.
Nonprofit The Kitchen Inc. developed the housing complex, with grants and loans from the Missouri Housing Development Commission, the Midwest Housing Equity Group, Community Reinvestment Act, the city of Springfield and the Bank of Missouri.
Some of the residents opened their new apartments to visitors, including the governor and television camera crews. Towels were positioned neatly on racks, while colorful spines lined bookshelves and pillows adorned couches and beds.
This is what home looks like to the new tenants, including those in the 11 units set aside for formerly homeless veterans. All units have two bedrooms and one bathroom, and monthly rent ranges $314-$500 based on income.
A model for Missouri
In his remarks, Parson praised the new low-income housing facility.
“The state has a shortage of this,” he said. “We’re putting more funding into affordable housing every day in this state because we know of the big demand.”
According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, 27% of renter households across the state are classified as extremely low income and there’s a shortage of 114,609 units for these renters.
Ellen Hammock, president of the board of directors for The Kitchen, said it was nice to see the governor at the ribbon cutting because she sees Maplewood Villas as a model to replicate across the state.
The facility is itself a copy of the 36-unit McClernon Villas, at 1320 E. McClernon St., also owned by The Kitchen. It offers two-bedroom apartments for low-income renters who are over 55.
Both the McClernon and Maplewood complexes have a community center with a gathering space, an emergency shelter, a computer room with internet and an on-site case manager provided by The Kitchen. Both are managed by Sustainable Management Inc.
Hailey Parsons is property manager for Maplewood Villas. She said the property has had a wait list almost since its groundbreaking, and that list got even longer after the high-profile opening event. She did not know the exact number on the list.
Parsons said it has been fun to see residents take possession of their new apartments.
“They’re absolutely excited,” she said. “There are mostly lots of tears of joy.”
A need exists
Locally, there’s an increase in first-time homelessness among people ages 55 and older, said Ellen Herbig, community development coordinator for The Kitchen Inc.
Herbig said homelessness can be especially frightening for older people.
“The oldest person we serve is 91,” she said. “Being homeless for the first time at that age is scary. They can have a lot of health problems.”
Herbig said a solution is to build affordable housing, like Maplewood Villas or like Beacon Village at 3902 W. Helen St., which has one- to four-bedroom apartments for all ages.
The most recent Community Focus Report, released in 2021, found housing instability and the shortage of safe, decent and affordable housing to be a red flag for Springfield and Greene County.
The report found a Greene County resident would have to work 68 hours a week at minimum wage to afford a two-bedroom rental home at a fair-market rate of $836 per month.
“Springfield has a deficit of affordable housing, as does the rest of the country,” Herbig said.
She noted people who spend more than 30% of their income on housing are considered rent burdened.
“We know that it’s that fixed income that’s just not keeping up with inflation – that’s the big thing,” she said. “When you’re on a fixed income, you can’t necessarily go out and make more money, especially if you don’t have the ability to work anymore.”
She added that rent-burdened tenants are often one event away from homelessness.
“One expense can topple everything,” she said.
In Springfield Business Journal’s 2023 Economic Growth Series survey, most of the nearly 300 respondents, decision-makers in their businesses, felt lack of affordable housing was a problem in the community.
Some 77% said a lack of Class A multifamily housing topped the list of things the city needs to remain competitive in the next five years, but affordable multifamily housing tied destination retail for second place at 44%.
Hammock said it is a sad situation that not a lot of options exist for people who are experiencing homelessness.
“Any kind of affordable housing units we can develop, we want to do that,” she said.
The process involves finding the land and the funding sources that are needed. Hammock said.
Moseley’s Discount Office Products was purchased; Side Chick opened in Branson; and the Springfield franchise store of NoBaked Cookie Dough changed ownership.
