Anderson Housing Authority nearly finished with historic apartment renovations
The Anderson Housing Authority will soon begin accepting applications for apartment placement at a building that has had more than a year of intense renovations. As IPR’s Thomas Ouellette reports, this location is aimed at addressing growing housing issues in Anderson.
Kim Townsend leads the Anderson Housing Authority, which has spent the last year renovating the century-old Lincolnshire Apartments. She says a major goal for this project is to help meet the need for affordable one-bedroom apartments in Anderson. She says the agency has struggled to house single individuals for years.
“There was a list that kept saying, when I look at it, we still have 20 people on the streets looking and they can’t find anything. Sometimes the time ran out.” she said. “We knew that we just didn’t have enough. One bedrooms in this town stay full.”
Of the 32 units in the building, 21 of them will be devoted to affordable one bedroom housing. The other 11 will be slightly bigger and designed for couples or single parents.
Townsend says most units will be priced at affordable market rates, but some will also be able to use HUD vouchers.
Lincolnshire Apartments had been left vacant for about 10 years before being acquired by the Anderson Housing Authority in 2021. The agency spent years gathering funds for the renovation, which included a large amount of federal COVID-19 funds.
Townsend says the building was renovated as much as it could be while still retaining its historic foundation. Upgrades include new windows, flooring, bathrooms and the removal of lead and asbestos. The total cost of the project is about $5 million, slightly higher than the estimate made when construction began.
Townsend says applications begin April 1 and the agency is hoping to move new tenants in by June.
The AHA office has already received multiple calls expressing interest in renting a space. Townsend believes this is a good indicator for just how much the community needs these units.
Lincolnshire Apartments will have no shared ownership, falling completely under the management of the Anderson Housing Authority.
Thomas Ouellette is our reporter and producer. Contact him at thomas.ouellette@bsu.edu
