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New housing in Omaha for homeless men and women with disabilities

The Siena/Francis House campus in Omaha is growing with the addition of 48 efficiency apartments.

Homeless men and women with disabilities will begin moving in to the apartments the first week of November. They’ll pay $250 a month in rent if they can afford it. In each building, tenants have access to case management and mental health services.

Siena/Francis House executive director Mike Saklar says for some tenants, it’ll be their first time having stable housing. "Some of these men and women have never had their own apartment before, living independently, never had that opportunity to go through special education because of the developmental disabilities, and so this is really going to help them achieve their dream."

The two buildings, with 24 apartments each, are located just north of the Siena/Francis House on 18th Street. The project cost $7.25 million and was funded with a combination of state, federal, and private money.

Also under construction is a new Community Services facility. When it opens next March, it’ll provide a variety of services for the homeless, including employment and education assistance.

501 people were staying at the Siena/Francis House’s shelters as of last Thursday night. That’s an all-time record for one night.

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