City leaders said Friday that a firm has expressed an interest in constructing an assisted living complex in Houston, and an immediate effort is under way to reach those who might become a resident or know someone who has already been forced to move to one outside the area.
The firm — which was not released and has three other projects under way in Missouri — is attempting to gauge interest in the project, whose size has not been formally decided. The announcement came Friday by Mayor Don Tottingham and Ron Reed, Houston’s economic development director.
There is no assisted living facility in Houston, and a community survey completed by residents in 2010 ranked it as one of the highest priority items they wanted to see tackled.
Reed said the facility would provide medical care and allows residents to receive a level of care between independence, such as a senior housing, and the need for a nursing home.
Some simple information is needed for residents with an interest: Name, address and telephone number. Persons can call Reed at 417-260-0033 or Tottingham at 417-260-0548.
The information will be used by the prospective company to gauge the interest as it studies the Houston project. Reed was upbeat about the discussions. “We think this is a good opportunity for our community,” he said.