VIP DEDICATES REGENCY HOUSE TODAY

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Regency House, a 20-unit apartment complex for the mentally and physically handicapped, will be formally dedicated today.

The house, located at 141 North Silver Springs Road in Cape Girardeau, is owned by VIP Industries. It opened for residency in December.

It offers the handicapped assisted living and is government subsidized.

"It gives (the handicapped) an independence they've never had before," said Hillary Schmittzhe, president of VIP. "It lets them live in the least restrictive environment possible."

The dedication will be held at the house at 1 p.m., followed by tours of the house and the neighboring group home, also owned by VIP. The open house will last until 4 p.m.

Both facilities are specially designed to meet the needs of the physically or developmentally disabled. Anyone 18 or older who is mentally retarded, developmentally disabled or physically disabled and has the capability of living in a semi-independent, supported environment can apply for an apartment.

Twelve residents live in the Regency House, Schmittzhe said, though several more are in the process of moving in. Each one must have some type of job or education program that keeps them out of the house for at least six hours a day, he said.

Though some residents are enrolled in some type of schooling, others work in nursing homes, sheltered workshops run by VIP or fast-food restaurants, he said.

Residents are required to contribute one-third of their income to living expenses. Schmittzhe said VIP, which employs handicapped workers, is one of the first companies in the nation to run such a non-profit housing operation.

"We're trying to help write the book on what the handicapped can do with some support," he said. The house was built with 1988 grant money from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Not all residents will live in the assisted environment indefinitely. Some will move on to independent living, he said.

Each apartment contains about 530 feet of living space. The units are connected by an interior corridor and will have a central laundry facility and recreation room.

Some residents receive 10 to 15 hours of assistance per week, while others receive less. Each resident is treated on a case-by-case basis.

VIP is in the process of constructing three other assisted-living apartment complexes in Jackson, Marble Hill and Perryville.

The Jackson facility, located along Highway 61, will be ready for occupancy in four to six weeks, Schmittzhe said.