The Missouri Housing Development Commission has awarded $49 million to four nonprofit organizations that will develop affordable housing complexes in St. Louis over the next few years.
The funding will support projects by the Lutheran Development Group, Efficacy Consulting and Development, the North Newstead Association and DOORWAYS housing organization. The projects will focus on housing for veterans, people with mental illness, senior citizens and people with HIV/AIDS.
The community development organization Rise will work with the four organizations and help develop the properties. The housing developments will be a significant contribution to affordable housing in the city, said Mark Stroker, director of real estate development for Rise.
“It's going to be catalytic,” Stroker said. “It stretches from as far north as Baden down south to Dutchtown and Gravois Park.”
Stroker said the city is providing $2 million for the housing projects. He said Rise wanted to work with organizations that specialize in aiding specific populations.
Rise will work with Lutheran Development Group to help build Marquette Homes, an affordable housing complex for veterans in the Gravois Park and Dutchtown neighborhoods. Stroke said the veterans complex will provide a wide range of services.
“Those veterans will get direct services from the VA but also be able to take advantage of some of the other services we provide, including help with transportation and mental health and life skills training,” Stroker said.
Lutheran Development Group will work with Rise on the Baden School Apartment complex, a mixed-income housing space. Rise is working with Efficacy Consulting and Development and North Newstead Association on housing for senior citizens and is expected to open the complex in the Penrose neighborhood.
The DOORWAYS housing project, Elliot Place, will provide housing for people with HIV/AIDS. The housing space will be a part of the organization's three-acre development on North Jefferson Avenue that will feature classrooms, a food pantry and counseling rooms.
“For people living with HIV, specifically, housing is health care, there is no health care without housing,” DOORWAYS President and CEO Opal Jones said. “For us, we really see this funding as being lifesaving for our clients.”
Jones said she expects Elliot Place to be completed by the end of 2023. Stroker said all the developments are expected to be completed by 2025.
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