Cornerstone Apartments ready for new occupants

By Jomay Steen, Journal staff | Friday, January 25, 2008

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When Sunrise Construction of Rapid City had completed the $2.7 million Cornerstone Apartments, Cornerstone Rescue Mission’s program director happened to glance out a top-floor window and see 12 homeless camps hidden within a copse of trees and bushes on the north side of the building. Rather than feeling despair for their circumstances, she was filled with hope for their future.

On Jan. 16, Cornerstone closed on its newest property, a 24-unit apartment complex at 1220 East Blvd.

For Vicki Linn, who has worked with the mission’s Women’s and Children’s Home and now is the organization’s program director, it brought a fresh wave of hope of breaking the cycle of homelessness in Rapid City. With people already in the application process, families may be arriving at Cornerstone Apartments by Feb. 1, Linn said.

“In just a few physical steps, they could go from homeless to home,” Linn said of people living in the neighboring makeshift camps.

“It’s a big step for our community,” she added.

Jim Castleberry, executive director, said the new complex will be part of a two-year transitional housing program for families at the Cornerstone’s shelter, Women’s and Children’s Home and Rapid City’s domestic abuse shelters, and for those who qualify for South Dakota Public Housing assistance.

“We’re excited to give people a way to turn it around to go to self-sufficiency,” he said.

The two-bedroom apartments have 754 square feet of floor space while the three-bedroom opens into 1,005 square feet. The building is a nonsmoking area. Alcohol or other controlled substances are not allowed.

Each apartment includes a kitchen with self-cleaning stove, refrigerator, cabinetry and linoleum floors; wiring for cable, computer and phone services; full bathroom with combination bath and shower; carpeted living space and bedrooms; and queen- and twin-sized beds, as well as some other furnishings.

Rent will range from $480 to $625 and includes utilities with access to coin-operated laundry facilities on each floor. Since there is no elevator, all handicap-accessible living quarters are on the first floor of the building.

The apartments offer the safety and security of a home, Castleberry said.

“But they must be willing to work with us       to become financially independent,” he said        of the tenants.

Linn agreed.

“Our goal is to serve families who are ready to break the cycle of homelessness,” she said. “Everything in their lives has been short-term and unstable. What we want to do is work to help them make good choices that lead to stability.”

To be eligible, applicants must be homeless, she stressed.

“If you’re already living in an apartment, you can’t live here,” Linn said.

The tenants will have to abide with a curfew, required classes and weekly residential inspections. In addition, they will meet with case managers to meet weekly educational and employment goals.

To help with the process, staff members Ari Andersen, program manager, and Rebecca James, family case manager, will arrange for classes on financial stability, employment skills, healthy family living, parenting skills, nutrition on a budget and healthy relationship and boundaries skills. They will follow up with self-sufficiency plans, Linn said. “They will know up front what’s required.”

To be eligible for the 24 apartments, families must:

n Be homeless — share a single-family home with other relatives or friends or live in a hotel room or car, and be recommended by an organization, church or community member.

n Apply at the Pennington County Public Housing Agency to determine income eligibility for Section 8 public housing assistance, available at Pennington County Housing, 1805 W. Fulton St., Rapid City, SD 57702 or call 394-5350.

n Fill out a Cornerstone Apartments program application, available at Cornerstone Rescue Mission, 30 Main St., Rapid City, SD 57701 or call 341-2844.

Cornerstone Apartments staff will contact applicants within seven work days to discuss the application, eligibility requirements and benefits of the program. If accepted, families will be able to live in the apartments for two years.

While living at the apartments, weekly meetings will ensure that the head of household is maintaining employment, addressing any addiction issues, attending parenting classes and completing education classes.

But they also will benefit simply by living there, Linn said. Workers recently began moving in dressers, couches, dishes, towels, linens and bedding for the new apartment dwellers so that they would feel welcome.

“We’ve worked to provide everything that we can for them,” Linn said.

Contact Jomay Steen at 394-8418 or jomay.steen@rapidcityjournal.com.