CODE Inc. and STEL are hoping a new name and a few additional units are enough for the Blooming Garden Project to succeed where past north side affordable housing projects have failed.

Non-profits have been trying to push affordable housing projects across the finish line for almost a decade. The problem has been attracting enough state funding to make the projects economically viable. Matt Long of Long Associates told Planning Commission members that the project will change from past iterations when funding applications are submitted to the state.

The most recent version of the north side housing project involved rehabilitation of 34 units by CODE Inc. and construction of four units that would be owned by STEL. The next version of the project will add seven multi-unit houses on Spring Street just south of Crossman Street. The parcels, which are currently vacant lots, would have two units each of one-bedroom housing and be managed by STEL.

We have seen how the lack of affordable housing has manifested itself in an increase in homelessness and use of county-backed emergency housing. It is obvious that we need more affordable housing in the city to decrease the pressure on taxpayer-backed emergency housing. Unlike some of the other problems Jamestown faces, affordable housing has had plenty of projects to alleviate the pressure on the housing market. This is a problem that can be solved entirely with money.

We hope the Blooming Garden project is as close to securing state funding as consultants on the project think.