(This is the second in a two-part series on new housing in Beulah and Hazen.)

BEULAH - A project to make living easier in Beulah will be ready to go before the end of the year.

Beulah Housing Authority found a housing niche that needs filling and spent nearly four years acquiring financing, developing plans and working through the construction details.

Their work is finally paying off.

A complex of four apartments, all step-free with attached garages, is just about ready for occupancy in a location off Highway 49 near two health clinics and other services.

Mary Lou Horning, a member of the Housing Authority, said the two- and three-bedroom apartments are available to anyone, not just retirement-aged folks, though they were designed with their needs in mind, with wide halls and doorways.

Rent will range from $735 to $915 a month, which includes a condo-style maintenance fee to cover exterior improvements and yard work.

Horning said the apartments may have appeal to retired folks who are looking at high costs of relocating to Bismarck or Arizona, or snowbirds who want simple living during their northern months.

Beulah Mayor Darrell Bjerke also is a member of the Housing Authority. He said the authority hopes to add another four-plex in the future and is always examining the potential for other projects.

"There's still a big need for independent assisted living," he said.

But looking around the four-plex, with its fresh paint and attractive carpeting, Bjerke is pleased at the evidence of the authority's work to date.

"We need these kinds of places," he said.

The $540,000 project was financed through state-authorized essential function revenue bonds, which were purchased by Union Bank at a less-than-market interest rate.

Bjerke said the city is obligated to the future upkeep of the complex, should "all things go to pot."

Horning said a recent open house generated a lot of interest and it appears the units could fill quickly.

Retaining retirement aged folks is an important strategy for any community.

To put it in dollars and cents, each person who leaves removes $50,000 annually from the town's revenue stream in money that supports doctors, retailers and other businesses.

With this complex, the Housing Authority has created four good reasons to stay in Beulah.

(Reach reporter Lauren Donovan at 748-5511 or lauren@; westriv.com.)