Affordable Housing

One of the things emphasized throughout the past 40 years was the need for affordable housing, not only for the ever increasing elderly population, but to attract new industry. In 1960 not one such housing facility was available. The Avenue Apartments, an old hotel converted to permanent living units, and the Grand Central Hotel were about the only commercial living units. Later conversions of large homes and two small hospitals provided some rental apartments.

In August, 1965 federal funds became available and in 1968 Valley View Homes, now commonly called the Hi-Rise Apartments, were dedicated. The money was made available through a federal organization, now called Housing and Urban Development. The apartments are administered by a local housing authority. Rent is based on income.

Next to come was a nursing home built by the Good Samaritan Society. Its construction was aided by $70,000 raised locally. It was dedicated in November, 1967 as a 68 bed nursing home. It was expanded to 75 beds in 1969 and again in 1987 to 114 beds.

Good Sam, being a care center, is not considered in the affordable housing pool but it is included as a facility that adds to the local housing mix.

A number of different funding methods have been used in the building of apartments. The Hi-Rise was all federal money and so was the next venture, Crestview Square. These 28 units, at a cost of $395,000, were built near the new shopping center and were designed for low income, not necessarily elderly, renters.

Another boost from the federal government came in 1987 when a grant of $178,500 was provided for home upgrades. Low income home owners could get low interest loans to improve their dwellings. As these loans were paid off, the money was put into a revolving fund for others to use.

Two more apartment complexes were built in the mid 1990s with federal funds. Sheridan Apartments (1993) in mid town and Westbury Heights (1994), near Good Sam, provide income-based rental units. At Westbury, residents must be age 62 or over or handicapped.

The availability of federal funds attracted large contractors into the business. A combination of HUD’s money, the contractor, and local organizations all go together to form a housing partnership. South Glen apartments and Auburn Village have been built in the past ten years. Currently a 16-unit facility, called Terrace Heights, was expected to be finished by October, 2003.

All of these are income-based rentals with government subsidies making up the difference in some cases. Some partnerships had government low interest loans issued to fund the building of their facility, but do not get rental subsidies.

The Good Samaritan Society has now opened another facility, called Longs Creek Village, which provides assisted living in 24 apartments for those who need less help than a nursing home.

In addition to converted buildings for apartments, other privately financed conventional complexes have also been built. The Witzenburg Apartments on Q Street and Country Side on Central Avenue are two examples.

So from two buildings designed for apartments in 1960, Auburn now has the original two, two conventional and seven income-based complexes, plus two care centers. The income-based facilities now total 129 units and the two care centers house up to 138 patients.