Providing Local Residents with Affordable Living: Kahoka Senior Housing Celebrates 50 years
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send you a password reset link.
By Emily Bontrager
In 1973, Whiston Construction Company began building the Kahoka Housing Corporation apartments. The units are located near the Clark County Nursing Home at 151 Sheridan Street in Kahoka, Missouri. At that time, 28 apartments and a community building were erected to provide living needs for senior citizens in the area.
According to the May 23, 1974 issue of the Kahoka Gazette-Herald, “Each apartment has carpet in the living room and bedroom, floor tile in the kitchen, dining area and bathroom. Items furnished include kitchen cabinets, stove, refrigerator, electric heat, water and trash pick-up.”
The article lists Joe Wiss, Elva Daniel, Robert Huffman, Reid Van Vlack, and Maggie Clark as being on the board of directors for the housing units.
An open house was held on June 16, 1974 for the new senior apartments. Around 400 people were in attendance.
In the June 27, 1974 issue of the Kahoka Gazette- Herald the apartments were described as, “Completely modern, in every way, these apartments provide a lovely home, in attractive surroundings, as well as companionship, for the senior citizens.”
In 1983, it was decided that there was a need to build more apartments. Two additional new units were built next to the 1973 apartments. This added eight more one-bedroom apartments to the Kahoka Housing Corporation.
In an article in the Kahoka Gazette-Herald by Gary Bogener, “The Farmers Home Administration (FmHA) has approved a loan of $172,000 to the Kahoka Housing Corporation to finance the construction of eight one-bedroom senior citizen apartments.”
The construction of the project was to begin at the end of August of 1983 and was set to be completed by late spring of 1984. The new apartments were completed by Matlick Lumber Company.
Serving on the board in 1983, were Ann Edlen, Earl Moughler, John Huffman, Chris Lentz, and Edna Belle Mueller.
Cliff Sheffler, 70, is the current manager of the Kahoka Housing Corp. The current board of directors are Ed Wilson, John Huffman, Jed Wilson, and Brian Springer.
Sheffler has managed the Kahoka Housing Corporation since 1998 and he helped build the eight apartments in 1983.
According to Sheffler, the apartments were built because there was a need for them in the community.
“There was a need for low-income housing for people. It was based on your income and it was available through USDA. But now, we don’t do USDA because we paid USDA off in 2008,” Sheffler said.
The Kahoka Housing has a community room and laundry room available for its tenants. The community room is open for the residents only and they use the area to play cards, play Bingo, put puzzles together, to have Bible study, and many other things.
Tenants can also reserve the community room for parties. Each month, carry-in dinners are held for the tenants as well.
Today, the apartments are still vital to the community and the housing provides low rent-based apartments for people who may not have the means to pay a lot of rent.
“The housing provides the apartment, the lights, water, sewer, we mow the yard, we scoop the snow, and we provide the trash pickup,” Sheffler explained.
“I think it is very much needed. It is affordable housing for lower income families.”
The low-income housing is a great asset to the community and will be utilized for many more years in the future. At the moment, the apartments are full and there is a waiting list. For more information or to get on the waiting list, please contact Cliff Sheffler on his cell number, 660-341-8732 or his home number is 660-727-3459.
Related Posts
Uncertain Future for Kahoka Blood Drives
