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The Register-Guard
http://www.registerguard.com/
Housin~~iect up for review
The 16 apartments are meant to provide supported housing to people
dealing with psychiatric problems
BY MATT COOPER
The Register-Guard
Posted to Web: Sund:iy, Jut 26, 2009 08:51PM
Appeared in print: Monday, Jut 27,2009, page B3
SPRINGFIELD - A three-story, low-income housing project planned for downtown could give
stability to residents with psychiatric challenges as they work to improve their lives, a housing
official said.
Afiya Apartments, a project by Eugene-based ShelterCare, would include 16 one-bedroom units on
the largely vacant parcel in the 1000 block of Main Street. City planners will review the proposal
Tuesday.
The apartments would provide critical "supported" housing to people who currently wait as long as
two years for similar opportunities, said Susan Ban, executive director of ShelterCare, which supports
the homeless and people with mental illness.
Prospective tenants have severe depression, bipolar disorders or other conditions, but most of them
. already have been living successfully in the community, Ban said. In supported housing, they're
helped with money and medicine management, housekeeping, shopping and other daily activities.
The new building would include a multipurpose room, a game room, a shared laundry room and
management offices.
"When you have safe and stable and secure housing, that's when people truly start to put together the
pieces of their lives and set bigger goals for themselves around education, employment and
community engagement," Ban said.
The name "Afiya" - Swahili for "well-being" - was chosen by other residents in ShelterCare's
supported housin~ program.
The apartments would be managed through ShelterCare's Brethren Housing program, which already
has 14 units in two buildings near the Afiya site.
The project is immediately north of the Springfield Church of the Brethren, which owns the project
lots and is situated between the Brethren Housing buildings, Ban said. Afiya would lease the parcel
from the church for at least 50 years, according to city documents.
The size of the property is 0.29 acres and the land is zoned for mixed-use residential develo
The apartments would replace two buildings that house residential, church and small-r
project is to be paid for with funds from federal housing, the city of Springfield an
and Community Service. Date Received:
Planner: ME.NI
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City Planning Supervisor L_ Pauly called the project a "great" ad_n to the downtown
landscape. "The city is encouraging housing in our downtown as part of our downtown revitalization
effort," she said.
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7/28/2009