Dixieland Gardens prepares to open
Posted on Wednesday, March 21, 2007
ROGERS - More than 100 people have joined a waiting list to live in the Area Agency on Aging's Dixieland Gardens senior housing complex, in a rush to fill the 32 low-income units before the buildings are completed.
"Rogers really needs senior housing," said Jerry Mitchell, director of the Northwest Arkansas Area Agency on Aging. "I would dare say that it has some of the highest need in the state. "
The group hopes the new housing project will help to address that need soon. Contractors will soon complete final punch-out inspections. If all goes well, the agency will take control of the buildings by April 1, Mitchell said.
Vickie Watts, director of housing for the agency, will soon work through the waiting list to determine whether applicants are eligible for the $ 2. 5 million project off Persimmon Street, which will utilize rental subsidies from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. To qualify, applicants must be 65 or older and have annual incomes of less than $ 18, 200 for an individual or $ 20, 800 for a couple.
Mitchell said the units will provide a welcome alternative to traditional low-income housing, which isn't accommodating to seniors' needs, and more expensive senior options, which frequently stretch the pocketbook.
"A lot of people can either pay rent or buy their medicine," he said.
The eight-building complex, the second the agency has built in Rogers, is unique because the ground-level units open onto common lawns. The complex was built on land dedicated by the City of Rogers. The units sit near the Senior Adult Wellness Center and they are circled by a walking trail that will one day connect with the city's trail system.
The agency plans to construct an additional project on the Wellness Center campus, Mitchell said. The 72-unit Dixieland Meadows will be a three-story building with a blend of subsidized and moderately priced units. The group has already received one grant for the project, and hopes to secure $ 5. 5 million in bond financing within the next three months.
"We think that when we open it up, we can certainly fill it up," Mitchell said.
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