Officials tomorrow will celebrate the opening of Cooper House in Roxbury.
“We must continue to support affordable housing in our neighborhoods, with great projects like Cooper House in Roxbury,” Boston Mayor Martin Walsh said in a statement. “By investing in affordable housing for seniors, we are helping our residents to remain in and revitalize Boston’s neighborhoods.”
Walsh and Jamie Seagle, president of Rogerson Communities, will attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony for Cooper House, located at Walnut and Columbus Avenues. The building adds 37 new units of affordable elder housing to market and completes the renovation of what was a blighted three-acre parcel into an attractive block of housing that now includes four buildings, with a total of 161 low- income housing units.
The total cost of developing Cooper House was more than $10 million. Private contributions include grants from the Charles H. Farnsworth Charitable Trust, Bank of America N.A., Trustee, The Hyams Foundation and The Boston Foundation. On-going rental subsidy is provided by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Other funding for Cooper House included $5.7 million from HUD, $1.5 million in HOME funds from the city of Boston’s Department of Neighborhood Development, $400,000 from a HUD planning grant and $155,000from a CEDAC pre-development loan.
Cooper House is one of three original structures located on the historic site of the Home for Aged Couples overlooking Franklin Park in Egleston Square. Rogerson Communities took on the redevelopment plan for the buildings in 1999. A fourth building, Spencer House, is new construction developed by Rogerson Communities. Spencer House opened in 2007 with 46 units of affordable housing and a state of the art Adult Day Health Center.
Tag: Senior Housing
State Approves Funding for Affordable Senior Units in Beverly
Beverly will gain 30 affordable units for low-income seniors as part of more than $15 million in state funding announced by the Patrick Administration on Friday.
Department of Housing and Community Development Undersecretary Aaron Gornstein announced the funding, which will create more than 235 new units of “supportive housing for veterans, homeless and very low income households” across the commonwealth. The Patrick Administration has now funded 3,065 “supportive housing units,” according to a press release.
“Governor Patrick has made permanent supportive housing a high priority because it is a key part of the solution to reducing homelessness over the long-term. By providing a range of support services — which may include workforce development, education, child care, or mental health services — our local non-profit partners can help to ensure a successful and sustainable tenancy,” he said.
The Beverly portion will fund Harborlight House, which is a “supportive housing project serving frail low-income seniors who need various services in order to live with some degree of independence. The sponsor is an experienced non-profit, Harborlight Community Partners. When rehabilitation is finished, the project will house 30 seniors in a prime Beverly location,” according to the press release.
According to the press release by the Patrick Administration:
“Supportive housing helps individuals and families that are homeless or facing homelessness, institutionalized or at-risk of institutionalization, people with disabilities and the elderly. Additionally, the agencies continue to assess the extent of public cost-savings generated as a result of providing permanent supportive housing and will recommend strategic reinvestments.
“In addition to a providing housing for families, supportive housing, which is operated in conjunction with a network of non-profit agencies across the Commonwealth, can include services such as childcare, access to job training, mental-health care and other opportunities that give participants a hand up towards stability and success.
“Alongside these new supportive housing units, the Patrick Administration also awarded 149 project-based vouchers from the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP). The vouchers are available to owners of existing, affordable rental properties, who provide services or partner with an agency that has experience with successfully stabilizing homeless or very low-income households.
“The MRVP vouchers allow homeless families to move into existing housing developments with long-term affordability restrictions. The non-profit agencies that own the properties provide participating families with comprehensive supportive service programs to help ensure that they do not fall back into the cycle of homelessness and emergency shelter, while helping them move toward stability and self-sufficiency. Funds for supportive services in the amount of $2,500 per unit will be used to provide a wide array of services, including job search and training, financial literacy and planning, self-sufficiency training and coaching, counseling, parenting, early education and childcare, mental health and addiction treatment, adult education, and GED and skills training.”
“The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has recognized the importance of creating quality supportive housing for communities in need and has been pro-active in creating an active pipeline for these projects,” said Roger Herzog, executive director of the Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation (CEDAC). “The awards that have been granted today will make sure that both much-needed housing and services are available to homeless families and individuals, persons with disabilities, veterans, seniors, and youth, among others.”
Ludlow selectmen pleased that Stevens Memorial Senior Housing is now open
Selectmen say they are pleased that the newly renovated HAPHousing’s Sevens Memorial Housing project for senior citizens is now open.
“This is a welcome addition to the town,” said Selectman William Rooney.
Located in the center of Ludlow, the Stevens Memorial Senior Housing offers 28 affordable rental apartments for senior citizens, ages 62 and older, in the newly-renovated historic building.
The Stevens Memorial Building was built in 1906 by the Ludlow Manufacturing Co. as a recreation facility for its employees. It was acquired by the town of Ludlow in 1949 and operated as the Ludlow Boys & Girls Club until 2005.
Stevens Memorial Senior Housing was made possible by funds provided by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development, MassHousing and the Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation.
Rooney said selectmen were frustrated with the slow pace of the building, but are very happy that it is now open.
“The building is impressive and the integrity of the building has been maintained,” Rooney said.
Ribbon Cutting this morning for HAPHousing’s Stevens Memoiral Senior Housing on Chestnut Street in L
A ribbon cutting and grand opening will be held this morning at 10 a.m. at the newly renovated HAPHousing’s Stevens Memorial Senior Housing at 12 Chestnut Street.
Located in the center of Ludlow, the Stevens Memorial Senior Housing offers 28 affordable rental apartments for seniors citizens, ages 62 and older, in the newly-renovated historic building.
The facility now includes community and activity rooms, a laundry room and four fully handicapped-accessible apartments. HAPHousing has made all apartments energy efficient, including the replacement of original windows with energy efficient windows.
A tenant selection lottery was held in July, and initial occupancy is scheduled for October.
HAPHousing served as developer for the $7.4 million conversion of the historic brick building and is managing the 28-rental apartment community for senior citizens. The nonprofit organization acquired the Stevens Memorial Building from the town of Ludlow in August 2013 and began construction in September 2013.
The Stevens Memorial Building was built in 1906 by the Ludlow Manufacturing Co. as a recreation facility for its employees. It was acquired by the town of Ludlow in 1949 and operated as the Ludlow Boys & Girls Club until 2005.
HAPHousing Executive Director Peter Gagliardi said, “It is gratifying to see this historic building come to life while providing the much needed additional affordable housing to serve seniors in this community.”
Stevens Memorial Senior Housing was made possible by funds provided by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development, MassHousing and the Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation.
Studio One of Springfield served as architect for the project. Lupachino & Salvatore Inc. of Bloomfield, Conn., served as general contractor.
HAPHousing provides a broad range of housing services to meet the needs of low and moderate-income households and is the region’s largest nonprofit developer of affordable housing.
Speakers this morning will include U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, D-Springfield, state Sen. Gale Candaras, D-Wilbraham, and state Rep. Thomas Petrolati, C-Ludlow, as well as Manuel Silva, chairman of the Board of Selectmen, Maurice Barry, director of project management for the U.?S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and Thomas Gleason, executive director of MassHousing
57 low-income elderly housing units unveiled in Dudley Square
March 23, 2012
57 low-income elderly housing units unveiled in Dudley Square
By Matt Rocheleau, Town Correspondent
ROXBURY – A $15 million housing complex with 57 one-bedroom apartment units for low-income seniors officially opened in Roxbury’s Dudley Square this week, officials said.
Developed by local nonprofit Central Boston Elder Services and built by Suffolk Construction, project officials said the 50,500 square-foot Dudley Elderly Housing Development Dudley, drew applications from more than 450 seniors who wanted to live there.
“What a heartbreaking day it was when we held the lottery to pick our new tenants and hundreds and hundreds of seniors showed up,” the elderly services organization director Catherine Hardaway said in a statement. “It truly points to the dire situation our low-income seniors in Boston find themselves in.”
The seven-story complex built next to CBES’ headquarters at 2311 Washington St. is reserved for residents 62 and older. It was formally unveiled at a ribbon-cutting Monday afternoon attended by Mayor Thomas M. Menino and other local elected officials and community leaders, officials said.
Rents range from $254 to $1,156 a month. Each apartment at the elderly housing facility is about 540 square feet with some larger handicapped-accessible units. There are private baths, kitchen and walk-in closets, the developer said. Common areas include a library and TV room.
“It has been a long-time coming,” Hardaway’s statement said. “Finally, after years of work, the day has come to watch our new tenants move in. The best part is the look on their faces when they see their new homes. What a source of pride for all of us.”
The creation included help from architect Chia-Ming Sze and five funders: the National Equity Fund, Inc.; the state’s housing and community development department; MassHousing; Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation and the city’s neighborhood development department, officials said.
“We are thrilled to help finance such a remarkable seniors’ development supported by one of Boston’s leaders in elder services,” said a statement from Deborah Burkart, vice president of specialized housing for National Equity Fund. “It’s so rewarding to partner with an agency that shares our vision of promoting seniors’ independence and quality of life.”
E-mail Matt Rocheleau at mjrochele@gmail.com.
—
© 2012 NY Times Co.
URL: http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/roxbury/2012/03/57_low-income_elderly_housing.html
Residents welcome new elderly housing on the Neponset River
February 8, 2012
Residents welcome new elderly housing on the Neponset River
By Patrick D. Rosso, Town Correspondent
HYDE PARK, MATTAPAN: Senior citizens in Mattapan and Hyde Park cheered Tuesday as Mayor Thomas Menino cut the ribbon to the Residences at Neponset Field, a $10-million affordable housing development.
“This property is great,” said Thomas Tibbs, a 55-year-old Mattapan resident who lives in the new building with his wife Sarah. “We came out of a house that was hard to keep up with and this new building is wonderful. Everyone deserves a house and a home.”
The 31 affordable units on a 3.5-acre site along the Neponset River are meant to provide elderly residents with a stable community at an affordable price.
The building, which is LEED certified “silver”, cost approximately $10 million to construct. Workers officially broke ground in 2010, but the project has been in the works since 2007.
“This is advancement for the city to make sure we provide affordable housing,” said Menino. “We will always continue to provide housing in Boston.”
The new space, which sits on a once-vacant lot, provides residents with amenities such as elevator service, laundry and common rooms. Construction for the project was funded in part by the city of Boston, the state of Massachusetts and the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The units, which have all been filled, provide rental units for residents 62 or older who are earning at or below 50-percent average median income.
According to the city, the project provided 72 construction jobs and three new permanent jobs.
Future plans for the site include the creation of a single family or townhome development, but at the end of the day many who live at Neponset Field were ready to kick back and enjoy their new home and community.
“When I came here I met people who truly cared about me,” said Sarah Tibbs, 63. “There is a real community here and it is just so wonderful.”
Email Patrick D. Rosso, patrick.d.rosso@gmail.com. Follow him @PDRosso, or friend him on Facebook.
© 2012 NY Times Co.
URL: http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/mattapan/2012/02/hold_residents_welcome_new_eld.html
Builders break ground on Townsend Woods
Builders break ground on Townsend Woods
By Anne O’Connor, Correspondent
Nashoba Publishing
Posted: 06/04/2010
TOWNSEND — Teamwork is the key word for the people working on Townsend Woods, an affordable, senior-housing development on Dudley Road in Townsend.
“The team effort is going to create a better project,” said architect Gregory Zorzi of Springfield’s Studio One Architects.
Funds were raised, plans drawn up and now construction has begun.
RCAP Solutions, the builder and owner of Atwood Acres, another elderly-housing development in Townsend, worked with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to secure funding for the second affordable senior housing in Townsend.
“The program is fiercely competitive,” Warren Mroz, senior project manager at department said. “Just getting it to this stage is a lot of work,” he said. The federal government can no longer provide complete funding, so the state granted funds through two different offices; a HOME grant from the Department of Housing and Community Development, and Housing Innovation Funds from the Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation.
Townsend Wood’s designers at Studio One Architects specialize in designing senior housing. “You won’t know it’s affordable,” Zorzi said. Features are designed to enable seniors to age in a safe and attractive home.
Scooters will be able to be recharged right in front of the apartments. Common areas will provide friendly gathering places and a portico will keep people dry as they exit a vehicle into the building.
Walking distances will be minimized and fixtures will be designed to become handicap accessible as needed.
With molded oak hand rails, wall sconces and a fireplace, Zori promised the building would be attractive. The roof might be a “green” roof with plantings.
Townsend Woods will be extremely energy efficient and use environmentally-friendly building materials, he said.
Barr Construction, of Putnam, Conn., was chosen through a competitive bid process because of its experience building affordable senior housing.
The site is cleared, the slab poured and rough plumbing ready. John Darigan, the vice president of Barr Construction and project manager, said the construction is over 20 percent done.
Many of the contractors the firm is using for the project are local Darigan said. The flat site and gravel in the soil provides a stable base for the slab. Rich topsoil scraped off for construction will be reused in the landscaping.
Chris Novelli, project manager from Studio One, said the building is on schedule and on budget.
The construction has a minimal impact on residents at Atwood Acres. They continue to garden in front of the building site and have promises of more garden space when Townsend Woods is completed next spring.
The traffic pattern will be changed very little. Residents of the new 36-unit building will enter through the grounds of Atwood Acres. Darigan said the traffic pattern around Atwood Acres will remain one-way. Traffic in Townsend Woods will be two-way.
Affordable senior housing started to be built 40 to 45 years ago, Mroz said. The age of the residents in these buildings has risen. The average age in 1990 was 60 to 65. He said the new average of a resident in senior housing is closer to 80 now.
Copyright © 2010 MediaNews Group
URL: http://www.nashobapublishing.com/townsend_news/ci_15226710
Senior Living at Prouty Open House a Success
Senior Living at Prouty Open House a Success
May 15th, 2010
Nearly 300 people hailing from Spencer, other Central Massachusetts communities beyond came to Senior Living at Prouty for an Open House held on May 14. The well-attended event sponsored by Newton-based MHPI, Inc, included tours of the converted school as well as remarks from a number of special guests.
The day was the culmination of six years of hard work on the part of many as MHPI, Inc. converted the historic school building, which dates back to 1888 into 36 units of affordable housing for very-low income seniors. Along with its development team, MHPI worked tirelessly to preserve many of the timeless elements of the building while still managing to equip it with a host of modern amenities. The building represents MHPI’s first of hopefully many forays into Central Massachusetts.
Funding partners for the project, which cost approximately $8 million include the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development, MassHousing and the Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation.
“The pride I feel is undoubtedly shared by so many people here today,” MHPI President Sheldon D. Bycoff said. “This project has truly been one that recognizes the dire need of housing for the very low income elderly. To be able to transform a fabulous historic setting into a place for residents to call home is my mind an incredibly gratifying experience.”
Amongst the speakers addressing the standing-room only crowd were Bycoff, United States Congressman Richard E. Neal and newly-appointed Housing and Urban Development Regional Director Richard A. Walega. Also taking to the stage were State Senator Stephen Brewer, Department of Housing and Community Development Director of Housing Programs Andrew Nelson and Donald Berthiaume, Jr. the Chair of the Spencer Select Board.
Studio and one-bedroom apartment units are still available on a first-come/first-serve basis. To request an application, please contact Jane Karoway, Occupancy Specialist at 617-431-4924 or via email at jkaroway@mhpi.net.
Hyperlink: http://mhpi.net/2010/05/15/senior-living-at-prouty-open-house-a-success/
CHOICE Housing Complex breaks ground
CHOICE Housing Complex breaks ground
By Chloe Gotsis/ staff writer
GateHouse News Service
Posted Apr 05, 2010 @ 9:18 PM
Chelmsford — With a silver shovel in hand, Chelmsford Housing Authority Director David Hedison told a tale Monday afternoon of a dream he and his deputy director had 10 years ago: To create a campus setting for seniors of all economic backgrounds.
On a warm Monday afternoon, a group of town and state officials gathered next to a crane parked in a dirt lot behind the two completed senior housing buildings for the groundbreaking of Chelmsford Housing Opportunities for Integrated and Community Endeavors or CHOICE’s 37-unit affordable housing complex for seniors.
“This represents $9.6 million of funding from over a half a dozen sources,” said Hedison.
Town Manager Paul Cohen congratulated the efforts of Hedison, the Housing Authority and its nonprofit arm CHOICE, organized to help fund the senior housing complex.
“When we are getting limited developments [during these times] David and others keep soldiering on,” said Cohen, adding that Hedison will be asking Town Meeting to support two new housing developments at Town Meeting next month fand he fully expects these to pass as well.
Leslie Bos of the state’s Department of Housing and Community Development called the CHOICE center a unique approach to affordable housing and commended Hedison and CHA for following through with the project during harsh financial times.
“Thank you for making this important project a reality,” said Bos.
In addition to housing the North Village Complex will include an on-site medical center and laboratory through a partnership with Saints Medical Center and an All Care Adult Health Center with on-site 24 hour staff care for residents.
Tony Fracasso of MassDevelopment Finance Agency, who is financing the project with tax-exempt bonds said the state’s finance authority was honored to help fund this project.
“It takes many many sources to produce affordable housing and that’s a reality,” said Fracasso.
The bonds were purchased through Enterprise Bank and Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston.
Hedison worked closely with Enterprise Bank throughout the process of applying for funding for the development, which will include 32 one bedroom units and five two bedroom units.
“What’s important about this project is the passion,” said Ryann Dunn of Enterprise Bank. “David is obviously very passionate about the elderly in this community.
The project will be built and designed by Mostue & Associate Architects, Inc. and Landmark Structures Corporation. The project was funded by a culmination of funding from American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the state DHCD, MA Affordable Housing Trust Fund, MassDevelopment, Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation, Chelmsford Community Preservation Funds, Enterprise Bank and Charles Farnsworth Trust.
Copyright 2010 Chelmsford Independent. Some rights reserved
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