Apex Austin will be looking for matching funds to purchase transitional housing.

Wednesday, March 20, 2002

Apex Austin will be looking for matching funds to purchase transitional housing.

The Downtown Motel isn’t an option, Joe Fuhrman said at the Apex meeting Tuesday afternoon.

It seemed like the solution to a growing housing problem for immigrants and refugees at the January meeting. But Fuhrman said it would take a lot of leadership to make that idea work.

He told Apex that Housing and Redevelopment Authority director Kermit Mahan is anxious to purchase flood buyout housing. Fuhrman said two houses have been relocated across from the proposed arena site and that the purchase price was about $50,000 each.

Welcome Center director Lilliana Silvestri said, "We have 14 families and you are saying two houses."

Transitional housing needs to be safe, in a good environment for people until they can get a job and move on, Silvestri said.

She said immigrants and refugees face obstacles that other renters don’t face.

When landlords notify Silvestri that they have apartments to rent, her clients cannot meet the stringent rent qualifications. They have no referrals, references or credit. "It’s hard," she said.

"The need is there. What are we going to do about it? From day one there has been a need," Silvestri said.

Mostly, affordable housing is an issue.

Fuhrman said that it is cheaper to buy a house than rent an apartment in most cases.

Development Commission of Austin director George Brophy told Apex that the Salvation Army is interested in partnering with Apex in the management of transitional housing. He recommended that the Apex housing committee identify reasonable sources to participate in matching an Apex grant for the housing as soon as possible.

Fuhrman said the committee would "find money, houses and apartments" and contact the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency requesting matching funding.

He said housing for singles and families is a necessity.

"I think it’s a little of everything. We need a variety (of housing)," he said.

Call Ailene Dawson at 434-2235 or e-mail her at ailene.dawson@austindailyherald.com.