Providing safe, affordable housing and neighborhoods free of blight is an elusive goal for many cities in the state and the nation. While they are certainly different missions, they do have overlapping interests.
"I would say they are compatible missions because part of safe, decent, affordable housing is to not have any blight," Housing Authority Executive Director Cynthia Quetsch said.
The Jefferson City Housing Authority serves that dual role in the Capital City - providing housing for low-income residents and fighting blight through redevelopment.
The Housing Authority owns and manages many parcels of low-income housing, as well as doubles as the Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority, which is tasked with promoting redevelopment of the city's blighted areas, Quetsch said.
Providing housing
The Housing Authority owns 318 housing units, which includes one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom apartments and houses.
Some of the properties are traditional public housing, and some are tax-credit properties, owned by private corporations or not-for-profit partnerships, but managed by Housing Authority.
The JCHA manages seven apartment locations in the city that are used for low-income housing, either for senior citizens, disabled individuals or low-income individuals.
Four of those apartments are available only to low-income senior citizens:
-The Robert Hyder Apartments, at 1310 Linden Drive, are available to those 61 years and older. There are 116 one-bedroom units, and rent is calculated at 30 percent of the applicants' income.
- The Ted Herron Apartments, at 1303 Edmonds St., are available to those 55 years and older. There are 50 one-bedroom units, and rent is a set fee, which can be adjusted depending on the unit.
- The Kenneth Locke Apartments, at 1012 Linden Way, are available to those age 55 and older. They have one-bedroom units with rent calculated at 30 percent of the applicants' income.
- The LaSalette Apartments, at 1210 Linden Drive, are available to those age 55 and older. They have one-bedroom units with rent calculated at 30 percent of the applicants' income.
Meanwhile, the Dulle and Hamilton Towers, at 10 and 12 Jackson St., are available to those age 50 and older, as well as individuals of any age with a disability, for a monthly rent of 30 percent of the applicants' income.
The Housing Authority also manages Capital City Apartments at 531 & 535 E. Elm St., 507-511 E. Dunklin St., 514-530 E. Elm St. and 910 E. Cedar Way.
These two- and three-bedroom apartments are available for low-income families, at 30 percent of the applicants' income.
Clustered in two neighborhoods are the other public housing properties also owned by the Housing Authority.
To the west, there is a neighborhood spanning parts of Duelle, Buena Vista, Kathryn and Elizabeth streets.
To the east, near Lincoln University, the second neighborhood can be found on Chestnut, East Elm and Linn streets, as well as one property on Locust Street.
The two neighborhoods, Dulle Tower and Linden Court, are traditional public housing, owned and managed by JCHA. The rest of the properties - Herron, Hyder, LaSalette, Locke and Hamilton Tower - are tax credit and are only managed by JCHA, not owned.
A small number of properties owned by the JCHA are being used by the JCHA for various purposes.
- 1300 Edmonds St. is used as the Housing Authority maintenance department.
- 1306 Edmonds St. is the Dorothy L. Pack Community Center.
- 914 and 915 Montana St. are used as a storage facility for the JCHA.
Additionally, JCHA owns 605 Cherry St., which is the current home of Head Start, a daycare service for low-income families.
Fighting blight
The JCHA also acts as Jefferson City's Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority. The same board members serve for each authority.
The Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority's main job is to fight blight in the city. A blighted area is defined by law as an area that, for one or more reasons, impedes the provision of housing accommodations or constitutes an economic or social liability or a menace to the public health, safety, morals or welfare of a community.
To fight blighted areas in the city, the Housing Authority, acting as the LCRA, buys and sells properties for redevelopment. One area in Jefferson City that is currently considered blighted and is being worked on by the LCRA is around East Capitol Avenue.
The East Capitol Avenue Urban Renewal Plan was approved by the Jefferson City Council, the Housing Authority and the Jefferson City Planning and Zoning Commission in 2016.
The Capitol Avenue Urban Renewal Zone is bordered by East State, Lafayette, East High and Adams streets, including some parcels on the south side of East High. In 2018, it was added to the places in peril list.
The LCRA buys or otherwise acquires properties in blighted areas and hopes to sell them for redevelopment, Quetsch said. The ultimate goal of the plan is to condemn and renew blighted property on the city's east side.
The houses currently owned by the JHCA in the renewal zone are:
101 Jackson St.
500 E. Capitol Ave.
501 E. Capitol Ave.
507 E. Capitol Ave.
511 E. Capitol Ave.
513 E. Capitol Ave.
The Housing Authority acquired the properties earlier this year through eminent domain, along with 504 E. State St. and 105 and 115 Jackson St. Quetsch said 504 E. State St. could be sold along with 101 Jackson St. because the two properties adjoin, and 101 Jackson lacks a proper yard space.
They are currently accepting redevelopment bids on all of the properties, except 504 E. State St. and 105 Jackson St. Bids are due Jan. 7, and the Housing Authority will host an open house for 501, 507 and 513 E. Capitol Ave. and 101 Jackson St. on Nov. 15.
The Housing Authority recently sold a vacant lot at the corner of West McCarty and Bolivar streets to Oakbrook Properties LLC. Ownership will transfer Nov. 15. Current plans by the developers are to build a coffee shop on the property, according to a news release by the Housing Authority.
The Housing Authority hosted an open house last week for 500 E. Capitol Ave., commonly known as "Ivy Terrace," for interested redevelopers. A total of 133 people toured the dilapidated house that once was the home of a Missouri governor. Bids on the property are due by Jan. 7.
A second open house for Ivy Terrace is scheduled Nov. 21.
Another open house is scheduled Nov. 15 for 501, 507 and 513 E. Capitol Ave. and 101 Jackson St. A structural engineer found 511 E. Capitol Ave. too structurally unsound for an open house, but bids are still open for the property.
If a property is sold to a redeveloper, that doesn't end JCHA's involvement with the property. The new owner has certain restrictions and conditions to follow, and they have to keep the Housing Authority updated on the progress of the redevelopment.
After a bid is awarded, the redeveloper has four months to begin renovations and 18 months to complete construction. Extensions can be given if progress on the work is shown.
The Housing Authority also owns:
615 W. High St.
501 W. McCarty St.
106 E. Dunklin St.
100 N. Chestnut St.
514 E. State St.
105 Jackson St.
917 Jackson St.
Previously, the Housing Authority owned Shikles Auditorium, at 1200 Linden Drive. They leased the building to the Jefferson City Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department, who then leased it to local dinner theater group Capital City Productions.
In August, it was announced they were selling the property to the Catholic Charities of Central and Northern Missouri. Quetsch said they realized the property was not helping to fulfill the authority's missions of providing housing or fighting blight.
"It's been in our portfolio for a long time, and in the last year just kind of looking at things we started looking at why is it that we have that property and is it forwarding our mission, and made the determination that it was really not forwarding our mission, and put it up for sale," Quetsch said.