Senior Housing Groundbreaking Date Set for Flemington
FLEMINGTON – A groundbreaking ceremony for Susquehannock Heights, an affordable elderly housing complex in Flemington, will take place later this month. It will be held Tuesday, July 30 at 10 a.m. at 200 Youngs Ave., Lock Haven, near the Flemington/Lock Haven boundry.
The public is invited to attend.
The 32-unit senior housing complex will be located with an address of 813 Linden St., Lock Haven but will be constructed across the municipal line in Flemington. A release announcing the groundbreaking said the units will offer affordable housing to seniors so they can safely downsize, while generating tax revenue for the area.
It will feature community, craft, and exercise rooms, a library, central laundry, computer café, and outside sitting areas. The monthly rent will be $550 for a one-bedroom apartment and $660 for a two-bedroom apartment for senior citizens ages 62 and older. This includes all utilities except telephone, TV, and internet service.
The complex will be built using over $800,000 in low-income housing tax credits and over $395,000 in PennHOMES funding.
Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) Executive Director and CEO Brian A. Hudson Sr. said this is a needed and worthwhile investment.
“PHFA is proud to be a funding partner for the construction of Susquehannock Heights,” Hudson said. “This new development will provide much-needed affordable housing for seniors in Clinton County.”
The Clinton County commissioners are contributing $182,859 in Community Development Block Grant funds and $17,141 in local Act 137 funds. The Clinton County Housing Authority is contributing over $120,000, plus a $530,000 rental subsidy fund. Jersey Shore State Bank and Woodlands Bank have tentatively committed over $7.5 million. The project developer is the SEDA-COG Housing Development Corporation.
For applicants not able to afford the rent, the Clinton County Housing Authority will set aside $530,000 to create an internal rent subsidy fund used exclusively for Susquehannock Heights residents.
Clinton County Commissioner Jeff Snyder said this affordable senior housing complex was developed because of identified need.
“In 2013, I was getting calls from seniors who wanted to downsize and move into some kind of senior housing facility. They could not find anywhere in Clinton County that met their needs,” Snyder said. “We worked with multiple partners to complete a study that confirmed what the callers were saying. We are so thankful for those who worked on the study and SEDA-COG for developing the project.”
The study that showed the need for additional elderly housing in the county was led by the Clinton County commissioners, the Lycoming-Clinton Counties Commission for Community Action (STEP Inc.), Clinton County Housing Authority, and Clinton County Planning Department, and was supported by SEDA-COG’s Housing Development Corporation.
The study identified that only 264 units in the county were designated as senior or disabled units with 135 people on the waiting lists at the time. It also showed a need for rental assistance to make Susquehannock Heights feasible for residents.
The Clinton County Housing Authority will provide day-to-day management at Susquehannock Heights, and the SEDA-COG Housing Development Corporation will maintain oversight responsibilities.
Clinton County Housing Authority Executive Director Jeff Rich also spoke of the necessity of this affordable housing.
“The Clinton County Housing Authority is proud to play a role in the development of more affordable housing in Clinton County. Susquehannock Heights will provide more affordable housing opportunities to seniors – one of our county’s most vital and vulnerable populations,” Rich said.
SEDA-COG’s other nine senior housing complexes are in Danville, Lewistown, Montoursville, lower Northumberland County, Selinsgrove, and Williamsport.
SEDA-COG Assistant Executive Director Mike Fisher, who led the development, said the right mix of people, passion, and pursuit came together to make this happen.
“The value of these tax credits and partnerships to work together to truly meet the needs of our senior citizens is tremendous. This is what happens when excellent partnerships matches up with the drive to help people – this is a great day,” Fisher said.
