JAN. 29-FEB. 4, 2024 SPRINGFIELD BUSINESS JOURNAL · 23 NEWS people to the nonprofit. In 2012, the client total was 75. “We have grown to over 240 clients just in Webster County,” she said, adding the group expanded services to Douglas and Wright counties around a year ago. Shortly after WC CapeAbilities was formed, Detherow said WC Partners conducted a housing needs survey with clients. “The one thing I kept hearing about from our clients was the lack of affordable housing, safety accessible housing,” she said. “We were really struggling to have good housing for those that want to live independently and not live at home all the time.” While Marshfield Seniors Apartments has 24 units in town, according to its website, Detherow said agencies such as the local senior center and the Marshfield office of Ozarks Area Community Action Corp. report a low inventory of senior housing in the community. “We want to make sure that we have integration, that it’s not just one whole place for one type of individual,” she said. “That’s why we paired seniors with our individuals because they pair well together. Some of them have the same needs.” Nearly all of the 40 units will have two bedrooms and one bathroom except for three apartments with a single bedroom but expanded handicap accessibility, such as a roll-in shower, according to officials. All have open floor plans and will meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements. The 865-square-foot units also will be fully furnished with a refrigerator, stove/oven, microwave, dishwasher, and washer and dryer. “If you didn’t have any assistance with rent, it’s $675,” she said of the monthly rate, adding there will be income requirements to qualify. “We always encourage people to go and apply for housing assistance through OACAC because that can help reduce it.” Community service Fenner said a roughly 1,700-square-foot community center also is part of the project. “Inclusion is a huge piece here, as well as activities that will involve not just these residents but the community,” she said. Aside from social gatherings, life skills classes are expected to be offered at the community center. “It might be that one day of the week we offer a social time, and another time we might offer some cooking classes because there’s supposed to be a small kitchen in there,” Detherow said. “But we’ll see what the interest of the residents are.” A separate but connected construction project is planned for the same 6-acre area, as WC Partners plans to build a new office building next to Jordan’s Place. Detherow said groundbreaking for the 5,086-squarefoot facility should be held within the next month. The nonprofit currently leases office space in a shopping center on Spur Drive but is out of room, she said. The new WC Partners building is being funded by a $1.4 million loan from USDA Rural Development that she said will need to be paid back within 10 years. Strafford-based Keltners Construction & Excavating LLC is the project’s general contractor, she said, adding work should wrap by October. That’s just a couple months before officials say Jordan’s Place should be ready for occupation, weather pending. “They should be able to start moving in as soon as construction’s done in December,” Detherow said. For Fenner, the housing development will fill a community need and provide residents with independence. Jordan’s Place will open about a decade after her son’s death. “I keep saying this place is about hope,” she said. “Just think how it makes you feel. How would you feel if you couldn’t have that?” • Marshfield: Community identifies need for more affordable housing Continued from page 7 Putting the Human apluspayroll.com Back in Resources. Scalable HR & payroll solutions for end-to-end workforce management that empower you to focus less on paperwork and more on peoplework. Joyce Fenner: Jordan’s Place fills a community need for affordable housing. provided by WC PARTNERS A community building will include space for social gatherings and life skill classes.
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