photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Delmar Jackson, was the first to break ground at the ceremony for Delmar Place Apartments, a building that will be dedicated to low-income seniors and disabled veterans, on Tuesday, October 1, 2024.

The Lawrence-Douglas County Housing Authority and Douglas County leaders have broken ground on a new apartment complex for low-income seniors and disabled veterans, which will allow the LDCHA to serve more than 30 people waiting for affordable housing.

On Tuesday, the LDCHA held the groundbreaking ceremony for the housing project, Delmar Place Apartments, which is expected to move its first residents in by January 2026. It will feature 32 one-bedroom apartments, and its tenants will pay rent on a sliding scale based on 30% of their income.

“We have 167 seniors who qualify for assisted housing on our list,” LDCHA Executive Director Shannon Oury said. “And we intend to get to every single one, so the need is growing, but also is the community’s commitment to solving this issue.”

The building is a part of the city and county strategic plan to end chronic homelessness in Douglas County, “A Place for Everyone.” Its total cost is expected to be $4.7 million. A majority of the funding comes from $3 million covered by American Rescue Plan Act funding allocated by the county; the remaining funding will be sourced from reserve funds of the Lawrence-Douglas County Housing Authority.

“I’m excited to be a part of a community that invests in the safety and dignity of our seniors,” Douglas County Commissioner Karen Willey said.

The project features three times the minimum required number of fully accessible units under the Americans with Disabilities Act, specifically designed for seniors who use wheelchairs. The building will also accommodate devices for tenants with visual or hearing impairments and will provide support services like transportation, food delivery, recreational activities and access to on-site technology.

“By incorporating elements that suit a variety of mobility styles, Delmar Place will allow residents to feel at home, even under changing circumstances,” Willey said.

The project is named after Delmar Jackson, a maintenance employee of LDCHA who has cared for the nearby Clinton Place Apartments at 2125 Clinton Parkway since their acquisition in 2006. Oury said Jackson had dedicated 20 years of hard work and played an invaluable role for the tenants in that apartment project, and that his contributions deserved to be recognized.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Chief Executive Director of LDCHA Shannon Oury speaks at the groundbreaking ceremony for Delmar Place Apartments on Tuesday, October 1, 2024.