DES MOINES, Iowa — The groundbreaking ceremony for Anawim Housing’s Monarch apartments project is being held Tuesday

The Monarch Apartments project will renovate the old Days Inn off of Merle Hay Road and turn the building into supportive service housing apartments.

Cynthia Latcham, the President of Anawim Housing, said that supportive services housing provides long-term solutions to homelessness.

“Our housing retention rates are at 92% so that means that when people enter into our housing they remain in our housing long-term and receive all of the supportive services utilizing evidence-based practices so harm reduction, person-centered case management. All of those types of things that we know work with this population,” Latcham said.

Anawim Housing expects the Monarch Apartments project to finish construction around this time next year.

The groundbreaking ceremony begins at 11:30 a.m. at 4845 Merle Hay Road.