SPRINGFIELD – Springfield welcomed its newest affordable housing units to the north neighborhood on Sept. 9. The brand-new complex at 1875 16th St. features 39 units with three studios, 30 one-bedrooms, and six two-bedroom apartments.
According to Darcy Phillips, the executive director of Cornerstone Community Housing, there are already 64 people on the waitlist for a unit at Alma Apartments. The first-come, first-served selection process puts a slightly higher priority on seniors and folks with disabilities, and also has 10 units reserved for domestic violence survivors. The affordable housing complex limits residents to those who make 60% or less of the area’s median income.
“We really wanted to put focus on seniors and people with disabilities, because smaller units tend to maybe not be suited for families,” Phillips said. “We’re really hopeful that as folks start to move in next month, we’re going to be seeing that population. That doesn’t mean families couldn’t move in.”
The waitlist was first sent out in August to Cornerstone Community Housing’s partner agencies– Hope and Safety Alliance, Catholic Community Services, and Senior and Disabled Services. In the last couple of weeks, the list was made public.
Phillips said there really weren’t any challenges with this build.
“We’re really lucky, because generally when you’re building affordable housing, you hit roadblock after roadblock,” she said. “We were very fortunate that our development team just really clicked. We were able to come in on budget and on time.”
From demo to occupancy, the project took about 12 months, almost to the day.
“We’ve been really, really lucky. I think it really speaks volumes to the team that we had in place, and just the tenacity of the team,” Phillips said.
The dark blue complex with orange doors and white trim includes raised garden beds, new appliances, in-unit washers and dryers, a modern interior, and, of course, that new house smell. There is also a designated area for hosting community activities.
Guinevere Garcia, senior resident services manager for Cornerstone, said the community space will have events like barbecues, bingo, rock painting, community gardens, health and wellness, and a “hello” party later this month to welcome new residents.
For more information, visit almaspringfield.com
