The city of St. Peter and the surrounding region realized a need for safe, affordable housing for people leaving inpatient treatment for chemical dependency
“It’s very difficult to be successful overcoming tough barriers in life if you don’t have a place to live,” said Mary Tingerthal, commissioner with Minnesota Housing Finance Agency.
After five years of working through bureaucracy, design and construction, Solace Apartments was completed in January 2019.
The unique 30 unit apartment complex is designed for those who are coming from local treatment courts and out of chemical dependency treatment.
This project offers many unique aspects that are not present in many housing facilities. The overall appearance of the facility works to integrate itself into the traditional design language of the city of St. Peter and provides many warm and homelike features including front and back porches, large living room windows, a balance of masonry and siding on the exterior facades, and a residential scale. Even though the building is very long, the façade has been broken into distinct parts that give the feeling of separate houses.
A few units on the main floor are handicapped-accessible. Seven are set aside for people who have been in long-term homelessness. The building is secure with 24/7 staffing and spaces for group and individual therapy. An upstairs alcove gives occupants access to therapists and a group therapy room. A downstairs community space has children’s activities and a kitchen.
The backyard is fenced to provide a safe environment for children to play freely and also to maintain resident privacy. The backyard area includes a basketball court, playground, open play fields, and resident gardens.
Solace Apartments was recognized by The Structural Insulated Panel Association (SIPA)
