The Bridge Home breaks ground on $5.5 million apartments to help displaced Ames residents

Since 1985, The Bridge Home has provided shelter for displaced Ames residents. That impact will be felt on an even broader scale by constructing an 18-unit apartment building.

Officials from The Bridge Home and the Iowa Finance Authority gathered Wednesday for a ceremonial groundbreaking on the $5.5 million project under construction at 207 S. Sherman Ave.

Construction of the new housing units was largely possible due to a $4.16 million National Housing Trust Fund Grant from the Iowa Finance Authority.

“We are incredibly excited about what the future has in store for The Bridge Home,” Jodi Stumbo, president and CEO of the organization, said in a news release. “Demand for shelter has tripled over the last few years. The need is truly greater than ever, so we can’t wait to serve more people and make an even greater impact in our community.”

The Bridge Home provides shelter and programs for people needing a home. The organization strives to help individuals and families regain independence by providing support in various ways, including immediate assistance and long-term.

In the last year alone, The Bridge Home has served more than 3,740 people, provided 13,900 nights of shelter and had more than 20,000 requests for assistance.

More: Habitat for Humanity builds homes at former Ames Middle School location

Who will qualify for housing in the 18 units?

The housing project, called Project Hope and A Home, will bridge the gap between the displaced and a lack of housing, Andrea Gronau, development manager for The Bridge Home, told the Ames Tribune.

Located in central Ames, on the block's west side behind Dollar Tree, the building is intended for “family supportive housing,” meaning that at least one person in the family has physical or mental disabilities. However, that person does not have to receive government disability benefits to qualify.

With various floorplans, units will provide shelter for individuals, couples, single-parent families and two-parent families.

Tenants will pay 30% of their income for rent, which will help set them up for success, Gronau said.

The project is not officially designated as low-income housing because tenants must be unhoused to qualify.

“It is one more step in helping get more affordable apartments for folks that are struggling,” Gronau said.

Tenants will receive support to help their success

Project Hope and A Home will help people in need find critical housing in Ames, but it offers even more.

It will provide essential supportive services such as mental health assistance, employment resources and community services, Debi Durham, Iowa Finance Authority director, said in the news release.

“Tenants will have a caseworker to help them navigate things and can connect them with agencies that can help,” Gronau said. “So it would depend on what their journey is, and that caseworker is helping put all the pieces together.”

Providing stable housing first has been proven to save lives, provide shelter to chronically homeless individuals and reduce the number of calls and stress on local community services, Durham said.

“The individuals who will be assisted by these projects are individuals who habitually cycle through emergency rooms, criminal justice systems and emergency shelters,” Durham said in 2022 in a news release announcing the grant and others like it.

Annually, it costs a community nearly $40,000 for each unhoused individual, according to Stumbo.

“Through The Bridge Home’s work, it only costs $10,000 a year for that individual,” she said.

The new 18 units will not be intended for long-term use.

“It is for as long as they want. These are more efficiency style apartments — they’re not fancy,” Gronau said. “It’s not meant to be a permanent home per se, because we want them to feel comfortable enough to go out and integrate into the community. The units are enough to get you stable for the moment, and then you can go on and find something that you really want to live in.”

Ronna Faaborg is a reporter for the Ames Tribune. Reach her at rlawless@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: In the battle against homelessness, The Bridge Home breaks new ground