More housing coming to Hastings

HASTINGS, Neb. (KSNB) - Housing is a desperate need across Nebraska, and Hastings is trying to find solutions.

Innate Concepts will be developing apartments in east Hastings known as Elm 26. For over a year, Hastings Economic Development and Innate Concepts have been working on this project.

It will bring 250 units to Hastings, comprised of one and two bedroom apartments along with duplexes. Phase one will bring 132 units.

"You know finding a house that's temporary until you're ready to buy or build or what have you is really important; and we know that students are looking for housing," said Hastings Economic Development Executive Director, Shannon Landauer. "We know that business professional that relocate here are in need of a place to go. So we really feel like this project compares to what you see in the metro; that people are use to in Lincoln and Omaha and some of the larger cities."

Landauer said developing housing allows more workforce to come into the area. Adding, there are over 1,000 job opening in Hastings. Innate Concepts has a unique way of designing apartments.

"When we design apartments, we design apartments just not on 'Hey you need this bedroom and this living room at a certain size,'" said President of Innate Concepts, Scott Rief. "We design them off of feeling. We want people when they walk into our apartments they feel like home and it's a place that they want to be there for the long term."

Innate Concepts is based in Grand Island, Rief said the housing shortage has hurt individuals because they can't obtain the housing environment they want. Adding, it hurts businesses with retention and recruitment. The first phase is scheduled to start in January 2025 and complete by late summer.