Job Point to host ribbon cutting, celebrating the completion of Garth Ave. Affordable Housing Project
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Just over a year since groundbreaking ceremonies, Job Point will host a ribbon cutting and open house on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. to celebrate the completion of its latest Affordable Housing Project on Garth Ave. and recognize the community partnerships that helped make the project possible.
Blueprints on display during the ground breaking ribbon cutting in June 2025.
Guests are invited to tour the home constructed by students in Job Point’s YouthBuild and Construction programs before or after the ribbon cutting ceremony coordinated by the Columbia Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors.
Refreshments will be served while guests tour the home, learn more from students about the construction process and hear how Job Point’s training programs connect classroom learning with hands-on experience.
Funding for this project was made possible through the public/private partnership with the City of Columbia, Ameren Missouri and other community partners. The impact of this project goes beyond the creation of new affordable home, which guests will have the opportunity to tour; it also provided an unparalleled opportunity to support this community and address the ongoing labor shortages in the trades through on-the-job training.
Working on the foundation of the home in early 2025.
Through Job Point’s YouthBuild and Adult Carpentry Programs, students worked alongside industry professionals as they built the home from the ground up. They learned about all aspects of the building process, from surveying the site, working through the City permitting process, designing the home, working with contractors and the precision required when actually constructing the home. Since 2003, Job Point students and staff have constructed or renovated 43 homes in central Missouri.
“Without the support of great community partners, this project would not have been possible,” John Scalise, President and CEO of Job Point said. “We are grateful for the public/private partnership that created this opportunity for our students to gain unparalleled hands-on experience as they worked alongside our talented instructors to build this home.”
As the cost of construction materials, interest rates and home prices have been on the rise, for many, the lingering dream of homeownership has been slipping away. Even this modestly designed 3-bedroom, 2-bath home in Columbia’s Ward 1 cost more than $200,000 to build. But thanks to the generosity of Ameren’s Charitable Trust and other sponsors in Job Point’s Affordable Housing Initiative, this home was put on the market at a much more affordable $150,000 with down payment assistance for income-eligible homebuyers.
The team completed construction on the home earlier this year and after a short time on the market, it is currently pending purchase.
Funds allocated from Ameren’s Charitable Trust come from corporate earnings and are not part of a business expense charged to customers.
Event Details
What: Ribbon Cutting and Open House
Who: Job Point, Ameren Missouri, Columbia Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors, City of Columbia, Elected Officials, Community Partners and invited guests
When: Wednesday, August 26, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.
Where: 903 N. Garth Ave., Columbia, Mo.
Details: Short program followed by refreshments and tours
About Job Point
Job Point is Missouri’s premier employment center and Community Development Corporation. Since 1965, we have been linking people and jobs by providing career planning and job placement assistance. We specialize in preparing individuals to enter the workforce, while meeting a critical need of the business community. The organization is headquartered in Columbia, Missouri, with services extending to Moberly, Boonville and the surrounding communities. Job Point provides employment services, vocational training, community development and educational opportunities to central and western Missouri, helping people overcome the barriers in their lives to achieve long-term economic stability. Since 2003, Job Point’s YouthBuild program has helped over 1,100 youth and young adults reclaim their education and build the skills they need for life-long learning, leadership and personal and professional success. For the fiscal year ending September 2025, Job Point served 405 people in all programs, with job seekers entering employment at an average hourly wage of $17.51. Eighty-seven percent of adults maintained employment for at least 90 days. Ninety-seven percent of customers were satisfied with our services.
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