Movin' Out affordable housing project awarded more than $1 million from City of Madison
An affordable housing project that has been years in the making got the green light for $1.025 million in funding from the city last month.
The collaboration of Red Caboose Child Care Center, a well-established day care, and Movin' Out, an organization that specializes in housing for people with disabilities, will create dozens of new, affordable apartments in east Madison.
The project will also feature an expanded Red Caboose day care space on the ground floor.
This project will be among the first to benefit from the Affordable Housing Fund increase of about $500,000 that Madison alders approved in the 2020 budget.
"Without the support from the city, we can't build these kind of projects," said Movin' Out executive director Kathryne Auerback. "All of us are able to reap the rewards of that investment."
The two organizations delayed the project last year in order to focus on a few concerns from residents, including height and parking availability. Now, the parcel of land at the corner of East Washington Avenue and Sixth Street has been expanded after two additional land acquisitions.
"For the space, that's really maximizing what we can create there," said Auerback. "We're planning a really beautiful project, so we're excited to add to the beauty of the neighborhood as well.
32 of the 38 apartments will target individuals or families that are earning between 30 and 60 percent of the county's median income. For example, a family of four at 60 percent of the median income makes about $48,000.
"By combining at the most sort of basic level affordable housing with child care, it creates a lot of opportunity for time saving and cost savings for families because residents in the apartments may have the opportunity to place their children at Red Caboose," said Auerback.
Many who qualify for income based housing also struggle with access to transportation, employment, and education. By having a day care in the same building they live, there's an opportunity to have affordable child care, housing, and cut down on some transportation needs.
They also think teachers could live there as well.
Devon Zuleger, the executive director of Red Caboose, told 27 News that they haven't had an expansion in nearly 50 years, and this partnership allows them to really help more families.
"We're really effectively meeting the needs of Madison and right there, they've allowed us to get at least 30 more full time spots from infant to 4k," she said.
They're planning for six classrooms, but they have the potential to have 12, Zuleger said.
Movin' Out will spend about $12.7 million to build the initial structure. Red Caboose is fundraising in order to raise the $4 million to design the interior of the day care center.
They've raised about $900,000 so far, and Movin' Out plans to help them raise the rest.
"We have to build those walls and foundation anyway," said Auerback. "There's a huge advantage for Red Caboose partnering with us so they don't have to build that themselves."
They are also planning to introduce environmentally friendly options into the build as well.
They plan to apply for funds from the county next year, as well as low income housing tax credits.
They expect to break ground next summer for about a year-long project.
"We know that there's still a great need in Madison of affordable housing of all kinds, and we also know that high quality education is also a need in Madison," said Zuleger. "We don't have enough spots to fill the need."