Grant may provide senior living in Noxon

NOXON – The Sanders County Community Housing Organization is in the initial stages of getting a planning grant that would allow them to purchase and renovate a motel in Noxon into an affordable senior living center.

According to Executive Director Deb Achatz the building would be the first of its kind in Sanders County. Although the county offers numerous senior assisted living centers, this project would give seniors an in-between choice.

The living center would have an on-site manager that would be able to assist the seniors with daily activities if needed. Although no medical help would be available on site, help with making meals and cleaning would be provided for those who needed it.

“It’s the halfway point between being on your own and being in assisted living. There are a lot of seniors that want to downsize and need a little bit of help,” said Achatz.

Achatz explained that assisted living is not cheap, ranging upward from $3,000 a month.

“The need is here but the money is not,” Achatz said, explaining this center would help assess that need.

“There’s nothing like this in the county and we think we can do seniors a big favor by providing them a nice clean, small affordable unit with assistance if they so desire,” Achatz explained.

The planning grant SCCHO is hoping to obtain would be for $15,000 and would help assess whether or not the project is feasible in this area. Achatz explained the planning grant and the feasibility study go hand in hand.

“It will tell us if this can work,” Achatz explained. “Then we will use all the information from the planning grant to go for a much bigger grant to actually purchase the property and to completely remodel the building.”

The building would include five units, one of which would be housed by the on-site manager. Above the units there would be an area where the seniors could socialize.

Since the project is in the very early stages, it is unknown what kind of rent would be charged.

“We haven’t gotten that far yet but we want to make it as affordable as possible,” Achatz said.

Lake County Community Development has been helping SCCHO spearhead the project. General Projects Manager at LCCD, Roland Godan, said the project aims at a new demographic, helping a group that does not always have many options. The senior may have a little too much responsibility on their own, however, they are not in need of medical assistance as of yet.

“We’re trying to come up with a program that addresses that demographic of individual,” Godan explained.

The housing would offer what Godan explained as “care on demand,” where the individuals would pay for the extra services they needed.

The units would be designed for individual occupancy.

“I think there could be a huge demand for it and I think it’s an attainable goal,” Godan said of the project.

According to Godan, projects like this typically span a five-year window before completion. The steps include concept, approval, application for planning, a search for funding, acquisition, execution and closeout.

Applying for a planning grant is typically a very competitive process, however, Godan said this project is a perfect candidate.

“If you have something unique and new and can show a need for it and there’s funding available then your chances increase dramatically for funding, especially with community support,” Godan said.

He said this project is something that would relate to a variety of different people in the area.

“We all have or will have or will be ourselves in a position of need someday,” Godan said, explaining this type of an arrangement would allow people to remain close to their loved ones and hometown while allowing the individual to keep their dignity and independence.

Achatz explained the building would probably end up serving people on the west end of the county because most people like to stay close to their friends and their area of residence.

“Right now it’s in the early stages, it’s just a little dream,” Achatz said.

Achatz said her organization has met and looked at a few places to polish up their grant requests and according to Godan, the SCCHO board itself is very enthusiastic about the project.