A new 156-unit affordable housing development called "Central at Columbus Park" will break ground on January 15, bringing more income-based rental options to South Omaha.
Watch Hannah's story:
The Annex Group, an Indianapolis-based developer with affordable housing projects across the Midwest, is behind the development. The rent prices are tied to Area Median Income, or AMI, which measures the middle point of local household earnings and can change year to year.
"At that 30% range, we're projecting from 1 to 4 bedrooms between $558 to $825. And then at the 70% AMI it's between $1,250 and $2,170, so a pretty wide range, obviously, but it's affordable to an individual at the specific income that they come in at," David Wesner, Vice President of Development for The Annex Group, said.
The complex will include luxury amenities such as a fitness center, dog run, and in-unit laundry facilities.
Tyler White-Welchen, who lives in an apartment next to the construction site, welcomed the development coming to his neighborhood.
"There are so many families that can't afford, you know, paying $1,500 a month for rent when they have to get groceries, schooling, and everything like that," White-Welchen said.
He praised the project's approach to affordable housing design.
"Having it be affordable while also looking aesthetically pleasing and having all those luxury-esque amenities is just gonna make those people feel just more comfortable," White-Welchen said.
The project is expected to be completed by late summer 2027. Wesner expressed interest in developing additional affordable housing projects in Omaha.
"We would love to continue to do more projects. We think there's plenty of demand, and, you know, we hope that we're able to continue to use creative financing to make these projects happen. So we appreciate the support from the city as well as local nonprofits, and, you know, we're excited to get this one underway and hopefully have many more to come," Wesner said.
The development supports Omaha's goal of building 30,000 affordable housing units by 2030.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
