A Message From The Director
Community Housing Network (CHN) is experiencing opportunities to continue our existing partnerships and grow with new partnerships.
We are in the final stages of completing Swope Gardens, our most recent 811 building in partnership with Swope Behavioral Health. The 15-unit structure will provide semi-independent living opportunities for Swope's clients. We expect to break ground before the summer of 2010. CHN presently owns four other 811-apartment buildings strategically built across the metropolitan area. All are fully operational providing semi-independent housing, with support, to mentally ill clients. We continue our joint ventures with the major mental health service providers who provide support services at each 811 building.
The United Cerebral Palsey has contacted Community Housing Network, Inc. to transfer ownership of Penn Place Apartments. This building will be used by Swope Behavioral Health to house their hospitalized clients who are capable of some independent living. This is a HUD based property similar to an 811 development. The Department of Mental Health awarded CHN $250,000 for rehabbing this building.
We are meeting with members of the Coldwater Project, the non-profit part of Cornerstone Church in Lee's Summit, to explore developing 811's for the developmentally disabled youth in their church. They own the property and have the additional resources to support the other costs. They are interested in constructing four buildings, three for the developmentally disabled and one for senior citizens on a campus-like setting. They have asked CHN to be the owner/sponsor and act as the developer.
There are four focus areas for 2010: 1) Completion of a new 811 development with Swope Behavioral Health, 2) rehab Penn Place apartment building with a $250,000 award, 3) explore the possibility of building additional 811 buildings in 2011 with the Coldwater Project and 4) seek funding and support for an ex-offender apartment building for those who are mentally ill. They each speak to my commitment to develop new opportunities to keep CHN's mission an active reality: Providing housing opportunities for persons with disabilities, expecially mental and emotional disabilities.