ROGERS — Council members are expected to approve an ordinance Tuesday conveying approximately 2 acres near the Adult Wellness Center to the Area Agency on Aging for construction of low-income housing.
There is a need for more low-income housing for senior citizens in Rogers, said Jerry Mitchell, executive director for the Area Agency on Aging. The agency has a 32-unit complex near the Adult Wellness Center.
“We have about a two-year waiting list for low-income housing in Benton County,” Mitchell said.
If the council approves the land transfer, the agency plans to build a $2 million, 20- to 30-unit building on the site.
“That depend of course of us getting a grant from the HUD,” Mitchell said.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development doesn’t allow an existing low-income housing building to be expanded. Each project must be a separate 501(c) 3 nonprofit corporation, Mitchell said.
“If we are fortunate enough to get a grant awarded to us it will take 12 months to 18 months to open the doors for residents,” Mitchell said.
Providing land for low income housing for seniors is not a new venture for Rogers; there are two other senior housing projects in the city, Mayor Steve Womack said. One is on South 13th Street and one is by the Wellness Center.
Mitchell and Womack agree it is difficult for seniors living on a fixed income to find housing they can afford in Benton County.
“There are a lot of people outside the Northwest Arkansas region that don’t realize we have as many low-income seniors as we do in Benton County,” Mitchell said.
“We have a lot of seniors in this area that have trouble making ends meet; that are having to choose between getting their medication, eating or heating their homes,” Womack said.
Subsidized housing gives seniors a chance to live out their lives in a comfortable, clean environment, Womack added.
“The fact that (one development) is located near the wellness center adds value to the living arrangement,” Womack said. “If we can take property the city doesn’t have a need for and turn it into something that can make a difference in the lives of our senior citizens then I think we have win-win situation.”
Meeting Information
Rogers City Council
When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday
Where: City Hall, 301 W. Chestnut St. Enter through the door on the northeast corner of the building.
On The Agenda:
Transferring $45,621 from the Police Department to the Rogers District Court.
Authorizing a change to the contract with APAC-Arkansas for constructing a turn lane for northbound traffic on Bellview Road as it approaches Pleasant Grove Road.
Adopting the master trail route.
Regulating the placement of solid waste containers.
Restricting cell phones and other communication devices in designated school zones.