Construction starts on new housing for the homeless

A groundbreaking ceremony east of downtown on Wednesday marked the start of construction for new townhomes that will provide housing for homeless families.

The $6.7 million Rose Hill Townhomes, being built at Admiral Boulevard and Troost Avenue, will have 33 units for people who have struggled with homelessness. It is a partnership between reStart, a homeless services provider at 918 E. Ninth St., and the Kansas City Housing Authority.

While it will be affordable housing, it’s been designed to resemble the high-quality market-rate housing in downtown’s Quality Hill development.

“It is also the first such residential development in the Paseo West Neighborhood Association, which does not have a high residential population, and a first step in restoring the residential character of Admiral Boulevard,” reStart president Evelyn Craig said in a statement.

The opening is slated for August 2016. The townhouse design features one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, handicapped-accessible first-floor units, secure parking, full kitchens and energy-efficient construction.

The development team includes Affordable Housing of Kansas City, a nonprofit affiliate of the Housing Authority, and Brian Collins with Dromara Development LLC. The architect is Scott Associates, the engineer is Taliaferro & Browne and the general contractor is Dowcon Construction.

This story was originally published October 7, 2015 at 3:00 PM with the headline "Construction starts on new housing for the homeless."