A new development in Traverse City hopes to put a dent in the area’s affordable housing problem. When it’s finished, Carson Square will provide 36 new low-cost apartments.
Carson Square has been nearly three years in development but Wednesday morning, it was time to break out the ceremonial shovels.
The project is meant for people who can’t otherwise find a place to live but Goodwill Executive Director Cecil McNally says that group includes people you might not think of when you hear the word “homeless.”
“A lot of the people who are experiencing homelessness work," said McNally. "They just don’t make enough to be able to afford an apartment or a home.”
Carson Square residents will be expected to pay 30 percent of their income toward their rent.
Goodwill Industries will manage the facility once it’s built. McNally says many services – like mental health and women’s services – will be provided on-site.
“In addition to the four buildings, there’s a fifth building that … is like a community house, so it’ll have space," he said. "We will have a case manager on site four days a week, in addition to the services that are provided by other agencies.”
City Commissioner Gary Howe likes what he calls the “holistic” approach taken by Goodwill. He says it’s important for developments like Carson Square to be as close to jobs, schools and amenities as possible.
“You know, something like this ... it’s close to the core," said Howe. "You have 36 homes. If you get 1.8 people living in each home, you’re up to 70 people who now have housing who didn’t have it before.”
The $6 million-dollar project is being built with the help of tax credits from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority. Goodwill Industries expects the first units at Carson Square to be finished and available by November.