STANLEY Lutheran Social Services and Stanley community partners held a ribbon cutting ceremony Monday for a new apartment complex that was converted from what used to be the former Stanley hospital.
There are 17 apartments in the Linden Corners Apartments, located at 502-3rd St. SE, in Stanley, ranging from studio apartments to one-bedroom to three-bedrooms. Former hospital employees pointed out where the surgery or admissions desk once were, though the building no longer bears much resemblance to a small-town hospital.
"Almost every floor plan is unique," said Jessica Thomasson, director of Lutheran Social Services housing program, based in Fargo.
Half of the apartments are earmarked for "moderate income" families that meet federal income guidelines for low-cost housing. The other half of the apartments can be rented to anyone of any income level. Thomasson said the rent on the apartments will vary depending on size. Rent-controlled studio apartments will rent for a bit more than $300; the rent-controlled three-bedroom apartments might rent for $600 to $700. The apartments that rent at market rate might rent for $200 to $300 more, said Thomasson, which still puts the rent in the moderate range for the Stanley region, where rent and housing prices have soared in the past few years due to the oil boom and where many families live year-round in recreational vehicles.
Thomasson said all 17 apartments have already been rented and there is a waiting list for all of them. The length of the waiting list depends on the size of the apartment needed.
Thomasson said Stanley could easily use at least three more rent-controlled apartment complexes of similar size.
"It seems like a drop in the bucket," she said, but every apartment represents another family in need that has been helped.
Lutheran Social Services will soon be breaking ground for another affordable housing complex in Tioga.
The new renters can move in next month. Thomasson said the renters include families with young children as well as singles. Lutheran Social Services is committed to providing housing with mixed income levels.
The project resulted from a public-private funding partnership with support from the Scandia American Bank & Trust of Stanley, North Dakota Housing Finance Agency, North Dakota Department of Commerce, Otto Bremer Foundation, American Lutheran Church of Stanley, City of Stanley, Mountrail County Housing Authority, Mountrail County Job Development Authority, CommunityWorks ND and Enterprise Community Partners.
Gary Nelson, of Scandia Bank, which helped fund the project, said Stanley has seen unprecedented growth in the last few years.
"I think this (the Linden Corners Apartments) will be a nice addition to Stanley," he said.
