What began in 1963 as an organization encompassing 13 churches with 143 studio apartments for seniors has evolved through the years to include nursing homes and, more recently, assisted living and independent living offerings.
Now, faith-based nonprofit St. John’s United has six campuses and a variety of services in order to best fit the needs of a wide range of older adults.
“We try to make sure that we have a balance of affordable housing, middle market housing and market rate upscale housing,” David Trost, St. John’s United CEO, told Senior Housing News. “Our mission says we serve all people.”
The greatest challenge the Billings, Montana-based nonprofit faces is serving residents in the middle-income price point of senior housing, where they make too much to qualify for subsidized housing but not enough to live in market-rate housing. That group tends to range from 60% to 120% of area median income.
To better accommodate this group, St. John’s United is in the process of renovating sections of its original legacy campus in Billings from offering skilled nursing to independent living units with a targeted investment of up to $150 per square foot rather than spending at least double that to build new, Trost said. The company is saving and repurposing existing infrastructure where needed, such as mechanical equipment and boilers, to help lower the cost of the renovation project.
By keeping costs under control by using the existing infrastructure while maintaining a modern aesthetic, Trost said, it should be able to have offerings for this group of prospective residents.
The organization is setting aside $2.5 million to build out 20 units. Two units are currently under development, with an anticipated timeline to completion by next summer, if the full project is approved at an upcoming board meeting.
The renovations are combining multiple 250 square feet skilled nursing units into independent living units ranging from 450 to 900 square feet.
“Everything we’re doing also has to revolve around our expectations of workforce,” Trost said. “Independent living is a little bit less staff intensive, and as our society and as our community grapples with workforce, then that gives us a little time to work on policies and technology to continue to serve these folks.”
Alongside its efforts to attract moderate income residents, St. John’s United is also investing in developing luxury units too, with its Billings West – Aeries location, set to break ground this winter and open in 2028.
Alongside the development and renovation updates, Trost said the nonprofit is looking to increase its investment in technology products, particularly AI.
“We just have to figure out how to get creative around how that actually serves us,” Trost said.
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