- Mason City Manager Deborah Stuart says the need for senior affordable housing is large.
- In May, City Council authorized a purchase agreement for a senior housing development on Temple Street.
- Video shows the timeline for a new center currently in development.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
According to Mason city officials, there is a growing need for senior affordable housing in our neighborhoods.
"I think it's a great move," said local business owner Shawn Sodman, who often hears people asking about housing.
"There's always a need for housing. I have countless people that come into the shop and say, 'Hey, is there anything for sale or any places we can rent?'"
Mason City Manager Deborah Stuart says senior affordable housing was identified as a priority in the 2023 city master plan.
"A developer approached us for land that we know to develop into affordable senior housing, which was the perfect fit."
Since then, city officials have been working to make it happen.
Back in May, the city council authorized a purchase agreement for senior housing development on Temple Street.
"The state housing authority, MSHDA, goes through a process where they provide incentives. The process has taken a bit longer than expected," Stuart explained.
This delay in securing incentives has pushed back the project timeline, but Stuart is optimistic about the near future.
"They believe they will be completed within a year or year and a half."
Once completed, the center should open its doors within two years.
Sodman says he feels reassured knowing more affordable housing options are on the horizon.
"I mean, we've got obviously the boomer generation, and with a declining birth rate, we have fewer and fewer people that are able to take care of their parents."
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