Housing Authority clearing land for low-income housing
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) -- The planned demolition of a mobile home park will clear the way for low-income and fair market housing.
St. Joseph Housing Authority staff are seeking funding to demolish a mobile home park across from the organization's office at 2902 S 36th St.
“Our goal is not only to clean up the property but eventually build some low-income with mixed-income housing,” Executive Director Jeff Penland said.
The Housing Authority’s goal is to eventually build 30 units to replace public housing units sold off in the last six years. Penland said the plan for the new homes is to resemble the nearby Pickett Place Apartments.
“That's kind of what we plan on for the 30 units of low-income housing,” he said.
About 14 mobile homes currently are occupied on the property, and Penland said the Housing Authority has talked to those residents.
“We gave them the initial letter to vacate,” Penland said. “We'll provide a couple more letters throughout the process, making sure that they have the resources needed to try to vacate the premises,” he said.
Mobile home resident Christopher Lee said he is ready for the opportunity to move his family out of the area.
“I think it's probably a good thing that it’s going to go away, actually,” he said. “It’s been a blight on the city for a while, but you know a lot of people don’t have anywhere to go.”
Lee never personally spoke to a representative from the Housing Authority, but he said his neighbors have.
“They’re pretty polite from what I understand,” he said. “They just gave them a set date and said you gotta go.”
Residents in the mobile home park have been given 90 days to vacate, and Penland says the Housing Authority extended an offer to allow residents to apply for low-income housing.
“We've got about half a dozen of them that have applied, and we’ll be providing vouchers to them to try to place them in another unit,” he said.
There are around 10 uninhabitable mobile homes on the land, which will be demolished first. The rest of the demolition is planned to begin by June 1.
“It's about a $100,000 price tag for us to go in and demolish and have somebody clean that property up to even get it ready to develop,” Penland said.
