The Boone County Commissioners on Friday said they plan to commit $5 million for the Columbia Housing Authority’s plan to replace outdated public housing units on Park Avenue.
The commitment follows a city of Columbia pledge on Tuesday of $2 million for the $22 million project.
The Housing Authority plans to use the commitment of local dollars to access $15 million in state Low Income Housing Tax Credits, said Columbia Housing Authority CEO Randy Cole. CHA has to apply for the credits by Sept. 23.
The Commission plans to officially vote on the contribution Thursday, Presiding Commissioner Dan Atwill said. All three Boone County Commissioners expressed support.
The development fits into CHA’s broader project to update aging public housing.
“We’re talking affordable housing in the community and how that deals with homelessness over time,” said Bob Hutton, chair of CHA’s Board of Commissioners.
The complex, built in 1964, has shown foundational and electrical problems, collapsing sewer lines and lacks accessibility, according to a CHA planning document. The new Park Avenue project would replace the existing 70 units with 79 modern, energy-efficient homes by tearing down the existing structures and building new ones.
Cole said the new construction will also include a community facility with food pantry space and a computer lab with internet access for residents.
The construction project would create 50 jobs, Cole added .
“The biggest benefit is it’s going to provide quality affordable housing for our low income minority communities that need this,” Cole said.
Hutton said the Missouri Housing Development Commission suggested new construction instead of renovation for the units on Park Avenue, as either choice would result in similar costs.
“Both staff and residents and the board felt that that would be the best way to have some properties that we think will stand the test of time,” Cole said.
CHA put together the plan through collaboration with the community: one-on-one meetings with residents and outdoor gatherings. When plans were drawn up, staff put on a carnival to gather residents for feedback.
The Housing Authority will cover all relocation costs for Park Avenue residents during construction. Current residents have first priority to return to the new homes, Cole told the Missourian.
According to the planning document, CHA has renovated 597 units of public housing to date — replacing substandard units with safer, more accessible housing.