The Kitchen, a nonprofit organization that works to end homelessness, hosted a ribbon cutting and offered tours at Maplewood Villas, a new affordable housing development in west Springfield.
Located at 550 N. Duke Ave., Maplewood Villas has 44 units of affordable housing — both one and two-bedroom units — designed for low-income and formerly homeless seniors, especially veterans.
Republican Gov. Mike Parson, a U.S. Army veteran, was among those who delivered remarks at the ribbon cutting Aug. 29.
“This is a special moment for a lot of people,” Parson said. “It’s always dear to me because you’ve got veterans, you’re taking care of veterans. You’re taking care of our population 55 and older. And I will tell you, I have a lot of incentive to take care of people 55 and older.”
The nearly $10 million housing project was funded by the Missouri Housing Development Commission, Midwest Housing Equity Group, CRA Investments, the City of Springfield and the Bank of Missouri.
“Because of these unique partnerships, we’re happy to say that The Kitchen did not have to divert any funds away from our homeless programs to provide this extra service to the community,” Ellen Hammock with The Kitchen’s board of trustees said at the ribbon cutting Tuesday morning. “For that, we’re truly grateful.”
The units are for seniors 55 and older. All are ground-floor accessible units and 11 have been set aside specifically to serve homeless veterans. A portion of units are set aside for extremely low-income residents.
Rent ranges from $314-$500 based on income. About a quarter of the units are set aside for extremely low income residents making 30 percent or less than area median income (or AMI). The rest of the units serve folks at 60 percent or less than the area median income. Residents may receive some type of housing assistance, but not all do.
“Over the last several years, we’ve seen an increase in seniors 55 and older experiencing homelessness, and many of them for the very first time,” Hammock said.
“Safe, affordable and desirable housing like Maplewood Villas prevents and ends homelessness for seniors.”
Pastor Phil Snider with Brentwood Christian Church also spoke at the ribbon cutting, saying a prayer and then blessing the housing development before the ribbon cutting.
“We are grateful for the expressions of God that brings us here today and for all those who have worked so hard to make this dream a reality,” Snider prayed. “We are especially grateful for those who will find a home here and for the ways that stable housing will help them experience the kind of safety, shelter and security that can be so hard to come by (and) providing them the opportunity to feel at home in a world in which sometimes it feels so difficult just to survive.”
Springfield Mayor Ken McClure offered “heartiest congratulations” on behalf of the City of Springfield. McClure took a moment to reflect on The Kitchen’s founder, Sister Lorraine Biebel. Biebel created The Kitchen in the 1980s with a soup kitchen, and later converting the Missouri Hotel on Commercial Street into a shelter for people experiencing homelessness.
“It’s hard to believe that it’s been 40 years since the vision that Sister Lorraine had for The Kitchen and the ministry that it’s going to have and how it’s evolved over time. And this is just the latest iteration of that,” McClure said. “What a great tribute.”
Mapelwood Villas has a large green space and a community building with a pavilion. In the community building, residents have access to a computer lab with internet access, as well as office space for case workers and other partners. The Kitchen provides an onsite case manager to support residents, help connect them to other resources in the community and to organize events.
“Maplewood Villas is a service enriched development to ensure residents are able to maintain their housing and will not return to homelessness,” a news release from The Kitchen reads. “Service enriched developments build a sense of community among residents and can improve quality of life for older adults living on their own.”
The construction of Maplewood Villas was completed this summer and all 44 units are occupied.
