Boys ranch gets MHDC funds for Springfield facility

The Good Samaritan Boys Ranch was awarded a grant from the Missouri Housing Development Commission to fund construction of a transitional living facility in Springfield.

The ranch received $162,500 from the Missouri Housing Trust Fund 2010 grant program to go to the construction of a group home for the Footsteps Transitional Living Program. The nonprofit owns a 2.5-acre lot at 424 E. Norton Road, and plans are to build a campus for men ages 16-21 who are aging out of the foster care system, according to a news release.

The campus would include a 20-bed group home and 20-unit apartment complex, which would replace existing facilities on South Utah Ave. and East Monroe St., respectively.

The organization plans to break ground in the spring, and Youth Opportunities Program tax credits also are being utilized for the project, which carries a price tag of $1.4 million according to previous SBJ coverage.

Good Samaritan Boys Ranch, founded in 1959, provides treatment to abused and neglected boys and is a state-licensed residential treatment facility for boys age 12-18. Its main campus is 15 miles north of Springfield on Highway 13.