The homes will be fully accessible and have interconnected walking paths throughout the development, according to the Neighborhood Housing Partnership of Greater Springfield.
“We’re very excited for this project, and our many partners made it possible,” said Neighborhood Housing Partnership executive director Greg Womacks during a groundbreaking ceremony on Tuesday.
Construction for the second phase — costing roughly $14.8 million — is expected to last 14 months with some units coming available as early as spring 2023. The project is slated to be fully completed by the end of that year. The Neighborhood Housing Partnership of Greater Springfield and the Buckeye Community Hope Foundation are leading the project.
Credit: Bill Lackey
Credit: Bill Lackey
Expanding a housing community amid high inflation, a pandemic and supply chain issues isn’t easy, but community partnerships kept the process going, said Ian Maute of the Buckeye Community Hope Foundation.
More than 100 people have signed up to be on the housing community’s waitlist as of Tuesday, Maute said.
The first phase of the project, which cost $10 million, built 50 two-bedroom units and was completed in 2018, creating a pocket neighborhood at the former Community Hospital site on Burnett Road and East High Street.
City of Springfield community development director Shannon Meadows said the work put toward the housing project is a continuation of the community confronting the local and national housing crisis.
“This is a pure example of stubborn grit for a better life,” she said.
The second phase seeks to provide rental units to seniors that fit into three tiers of income — those making 60%, 50% or 30% of Springfield’s median household income.
The medium household income in Clark County is $27,900 for a one-person household and $31,860 for a two-person household, as of late last year.
Many local organizations, financial institutions and government leaders played a role in developing this project. Partners in the project include Ohio Housing Finance Agency, Neighborhood Housing Partnership of Greater Springfield, Buckeye Community Hope Foundation, Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing, RiverHills Bank, the City of Springfield, Fifth Third Bank, NeighborWorks America, HUD, United Senior Services, Mercy Health, the Clark County Combined Health District, and Kapp Construction, the Neighborhood Housing Partnership of Greater Springfield said.
Money from the second phase comes from $10.1 million in state tax credits that will be sold to generate equity, a conventional bank loan of a little over $2 million, $600,000 in home funds from the state of Ohio, $750,000 in federal home funds from the city of Springfield and a little over $1 million in development fees.
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