Work may soon begin in the northern Arizona town of Page, seeing the transformation of the former site of the Antelope Canyon Inn into modern residential housing.
Page, sitting on the shores of Lake Powell, came into existence in 1957 as a housing community which saw the immediate building of some 200 homes for construction workers building the nearby Glen Canyon Dam and quickly leading to a population boom of around 2,900 people.
In recent years the city, whose population is now just over 7,400, has been challenged by a poverty rate nearing the 30% mark, according to the most recent U.S. Census figures. Conversely, the town has enjoyed a thriving tourism due to the natural resources of Lake Powell and the nearby Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, among other attractions.
The new housing project belongs to a group called Housing for Hope, which is based in Phoenix and dedicated to securing housing for those who are financially challenged.
Launched in 2011, the nonprofit Housing for Hope has been able to parlay public and private giving into the purchase of property throughout metro Phoenix for use as permanent residential housing.
With the help of a $150,000 grant from the Arizona Housing Fund, the group has now purchased the Antelope Canyon Inn property, which sits on a half-acre site at 75 South 7th Avenue.
With more substantial support to the tune of just over $6 million coming from the Arizona Department of Housing, Housing for Hope wants to build a 20-unit complex at the site which will include one and two-bedroom units as well as studio apartments.
Uniquely, the project will also provide access to substance abuse counseling and medical and mental health treatment services for its residents.
Called the Pinyon Pointe Apartments, the project will address a need for “more housing options in Page in general and particularly affordable housing for individuals and families who are at risk of homelessness,” said Steve Capobres, Housing for Hope executive director, in a statement.
The project has sparked the spirited support of local officials in Page. During a Page City Council meeting in which a conditional use permit was approved to build the Pinyon Pointe Apartments, member David Auge said the potential residents of the complex “want a place to live as anybody does.”
According to the Lake Powell Chronicle, Auge additionally remarked: “We need to have a place to help people have a place to live, where they have a place to call home, and where they can lock the door and that type of thing.”
By Garry Boulard
