Kennewick’s newest affordable housing community, Nueva Vista, is open and accepting applications.

The housing complex at 386 N. Union St. near Winco in Kennewick has 32 apartments. Half are earmarked for low-income families and individuals without homes while 20 percent are set-aside for those who are disabled and living on a limited income.

All who apply for housing at Nueva Vista must fall below the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development median income for this area, said Lona Hammer, executive director of the Kennewick Housing Authority.

For those living in the Tri-Cities, that’s a cap of $24,650 for one person, $31,650 for a three-person household and $38,000 for a five-person household.

“That’s for any combination of children and adults,” said Hammer.

The community includes a tenant services building, which has a four-station computer lab, two offices, a laundry and a meeting room.

“The offices and meeting room are places where tenants can meet with the family sufficiency coordinator to learn new skills to increase the household income and other life skills,” said Hammer. “The computer lab will be a place where adults can hone their job skills and children can do their homework.”

The family sufficiency coordinator won’t live at Nueva Vista, but will be available for one-on-one meetings and for life skill classes of five to six tenants to help them improve the quality of their lives in the long term, said Hammer.

To apply for an apartment contact Hilary Hull, 586-8576, ext. 116, at the Kennewick Housing Authority, 1915 W. Fourth Pl., in Kennewick. Hours are 9 a.m. to noon and 12:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., Monday-Thursday; closed Friday-Sunday.

The facility will be managed by Cascade Management.

“It’s a private management company skilled in tax credit properties. The company is based in Portland with staff based in the Tri-Cities,” said Hammer.

The owner of the apartments is Kennewick Affordable Housing LLP, Hammer said.

Long-term plans are to add another 20 housing units to the property the city has purchased adjacent to Nueva Vista.

The Housing Authority has received funding from the Washington State Housing program to build the additional apartments, but the money won’t be available for another three to four years.

“This is long-term financing,” Hammer said. “We want to have a track record with the state and to have a chance to look at where we’re going and to the people who will need to be served years down the road.”

Neuva Vista is at 386 N. Union St. in Kennewick. To apply for an apartment contact Hilary Hull, 586-8576, ext. 116, at the Kennewick Housing Authority, 1915 W. Fourth Pl., in Kennewick. Hours are 9 a.m. to noon and 12:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., Monday-Thursday; closed Friday-Sunday.