WYOMING, Mich. -- Cherry Health, Woda Cooper Companies Inc. and local leaders held a groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday for the Shea Ravines, an affordable housing community in Wyoming.
The community will be located at Cherry Health's Wyoming Community Health Center at 2929 Burlingame Avenue SW.
"To address the housing shortage in the West Michigan area, we're proud to break ground on the first phase of Shea Ravines. This project, named in honor of our prior CEO, Chris Shea, will culminate in a total of 112 affordable housing unites on our Wyoming Community Health Center campus," said Cherry Health President and CEO Tasha Blackmon. "Housing instability is a critical social determinant of health. If housing is stable, patients are more likely to show for appointments, which improves health outcomes. Partnering with Woda Cooper on Cherry Health's first housing endeavor is just another way we're meeting our mission to increase access to care for those who need is most."
The community will be a LEED-certified, energy-efficient four-story building with 40 one-bedroom apartments and 16 two-bedroom apartments. The facility will be open to singles, families and seniors who earn up to 80 percent of the area's median income. Twenty units will be reserved for renters exiting homelessness and being supported by rental assistance through the Grand Rapids Housing Commission.
Woda Cooper has developed 42 affordable housing communities in the state since 2005.
"We are pleased to have Cherry Health as our partner at Shea Ravines. They have built an excellent reputation throughout the state of Michigan for providing quality dental and medical services, and are very excited that our residents will have access to affordable, quality housing and affordable, quality health care at one location," said David Cooper Jr., president of Woda Cooper.
Construction on the project will begin in early July and is expected to be completed by September 2026.
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