Polk applying for $750,000 grant for affordable housing

COLUMBUS — Local residents got to visualize what a proposed affordable housing project would look like if the county is awarded a grant.

The Polk County Board of Commissioners met Monday night and heard from Consolidated Human Services Director Joshua Kennedy and Housing Assistance Corporation Executive Director Sarah Grymes about the project, called the Columbus Village Project.

The county has held two public hearings on the grant application, for $750,000 from the Community Development Block Grant.

The project calls for affordable housing and a daycare facility on 3.5 acres of Thermal Belt Outreach property, located off White Drive in Columbus.

The project is proposed to include eight units of supportive housing, a 6,000-9,000 square- foot daycare to house 36 children and nine employees, water/sewer/road and sidewalks, and a rental housing project in phase II through a partnership with the Polk County High School Construction.

Commissioner Vice Chair Myron Yoder asked how long is the phase I time frame, and asked if the project has been presented to the town of Columbus.

Grymes said the project does not call for any rezoning, only for a subdivision, so the project has not yet been presented to the town.

“The grant calls for a 30-month construction,” Grymes said. “So there wasn’t the funding or the time to do both phases.”

Thermal Belt Outreach Executive Director George Alley said he has spoken with the high school about getting the school involved in the first step. Outreach is committed to the second phase as well.

Yoder said he really likes that the school is going to be involved in this project.

Commissioner Ray Gasperson asked how many houses are planned in phase II.

Kennedy said three per year. Grymes added that there can be at least 10 homes constructed on the property.

Commissioners held the first required public hearing on the grant application on Sept. 4 and the second Monday. The next step is to review feedback from the public hearing with partners, with the application to be submitted to county commissioners on Oct. 15 and the application to be submitted to the state on Oct. 16.

Partners of the project include the CDBG grant, Polk County High Construction program to build the homes in phase II, the Housing Assistance Corporation for construction, Thermal Belt Outreach and Steps To HOPE for services; and the Western Carolina Community Action to operate the daycare facility.