The Process of Opening Clare Midtown — May 10, 2011
“That’s a huge increase in a short time and we are elated for each new resident,” said Executive Director Lee Lewis. “We worked to bring this building to reality for nearly three years. When you know what these apartments mean to the lives of people, this goes way beyond brick and mortar. It can be life changing.” Read the story about Michael, a new resident at Clare Midtown.
The groundbreaking ceremony took place on a sunny day in May 2010. Since then Lee Lewis has been giving tours as the building started to take shape at 3105 23rd Avenue South near the light rail station at Hiawatha Avenue and Lake Street. The last building project for Clare Housing was the 32-unit apartment building, Clare Apartments, in Northeast Minneapolis that opened in 2005. When Clare Apartments opened, the waiting list was four times the number of apartments available. The application process for new residents at Clare Midtown began in October 2010. “We started with a waiting list of 80 people, but half of them could not be located. By the time the application process closed in November, we had over 200 people apply for an apartment,” said Program Director, Michele Boyer. After 45 people move into their new apartments this spring, there will still be 170 individuals and 17 families on the waiting list looking for safe and affordable housing.
Among those moving in are HIV positive individuals who are low-income, homeless or at risk of being homeless. Fifteen of the residents will receive assisted living services. Those services include nursing care, medication administration, hands-on assistance with activities of daily living and help with building independent living skills. The opening of Clare Midtown added five new full-time and five part-time jobs. Three nurses will work between Clare Apartments and Clare Midtown.
The months of March–May will be joyful months for those moving into new apartments. The amazing group of quilt makers at Zion Lutheran Church, in the Lyndale neighborhood of South Minneapolis, has made a new quilt for each new resident. Also, through the contributions of Northeast Community Lutheran Church and Grace Center, each person moving in will receive a laundry basket filled with sheets, mattress pad, blanket, and pillow. In addition, Walgreens has graciously donated toiletries and cleaning supplies.
Every resident will get off to a wonderful start in a new home!