After months of planning and legal issues, the Yakima City Council recently approved plans to build affordable housing in the city.
At a recent council meeting, members approved the construction of the Bicycle Apartments, which will be built on North 50th Avenue in West Yakima. The project will comprise 80 units and will be financed in part by $1 million the city received from the federal government.
Next Step Housing will build the complex, which will cost a total of $19 million. The apartments are designed to provide housing for the homeless, as well as people with low or moderate incomes. The units will have one, two, or three bedrooms.
The $1 million the city received came from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Contributing that money to the project gives Yakima a vested interest in it and will give the city the power to inspect the housing units periodically. The inspections will make sure HUD standards for the project are being met, and residents are abiding by the rules. Archie Matthews, who is the manager of Yakima’s Office of Neighborhood Development Services, says Yakima’s contribution will give the city security with regard to the housing for 20 years.
Matthews has worked with Next Step Housing before, and is confident they will build and manage a project that is affordable, clean, and in compliance with regulations. Officials can use brochure printing to create descriptive materials for prospective tenants.