PRESS RELEASE
For immediate release
St. LEO REDEVELOPMENT TO PROVIDE AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR SENIORS
Financing Closes on St. Leo Apartments in Hilton
HILTON, NY – Providence Housing Development Corporation (PHDC) closed on the permanent financing of St. Leo Apartments, located at 171 Lake Avenue, in the village of Hilton, Monroe County, New York. Construction for a mixed-use, integrated affordable housing project for seniors 55+ and supportive housing residents will begin in December 2023. St. Leo Apartments involves the new construction of a 40-unit multi-family apartment building plus the conversion of a vacant, deteriorating former chapel building (St. Leo the Great) into a senior community center. The senior center will be available to residents of St. Leo Apartments and the community at large and will be run by Episcopal Senior Life Communities (ESLC). Governor Kathy Hochul awarded $15 million in additional financing for St. Leo Apartments through New York State Community Homes & Renewal (NYSHCR). The anticipated project completion will be fall 2024.
“There has been a tremendous need for seniors to find affordable housing in the Hilton area. We are thrilled to be able to offer safe, affordable housing to those in need, and a new community center to serve all seniors in the area,” said Mark Greisberger, Executive Director for Providence Housing. “St. Leo’s location will enable seniors to interact and socialize easily with access to programs and amenities, making it more seamless to age in place.”
All units target households at or below 60% of the Annual Median Income (AMI). Tenants will be initially selected on a random basis through use of a housing lottery in the fall of 2024, and residents began moving in at the end of 2024. 25 of the 40 apartments are designated for eligible NYS Empire State Homeless Housing Initiative (ESSHI) frail elderly residents who will be referred and served by ESLC.
PHDC will be working closely with Pike Construction who will lead the project build for the complex which will include 38 one-bedroom units, two two-bedroom units, and the community center. The St. Leo Senior Apartment building will be a V-shaped, newly-constructed building designed within the contest of the Hilton area, retaining the historic proportions, materials, and aesthetics of the community. The community center in the former chapel building will include office space, accessible bathrooms, a functional kitchen, multi-purpose room, and meeting rooms. Site work includes a newly surfaced parking area, an on-site storm water retention pond, and landscaping/plantings, walkways, and a patio for the residents. New plantings and trees will provide a screen for adjacent residents. The project will create a transitional zone between the existing single-family homes (North & East) and Commercial Zone (South & West).
PHDC is partnering on the project with ESLC who is well-known in the Rochester area for its senior services and has been operating for more than 150 years. ESLC will help seniors sustain or acquire daily living skills necessary for safe, healthy living through their Neighbor Program. They will offer case management services to eligible ESSHI residents on site at St. Leo Apartments through Comprehensive Health Assessments, and will assist with move-in and daily living activities like money management. “It’s important to help seniors find a safe place to live and help them maintain independence and daily living skills as they age. We look forward to providing these services for the Hilton community,” states Brentland Woods, Executive Director of Episcopal Senior Life Communities.
The St. Leo project was made possible as part of the state’s plan and commitment to provide seniors, Veterans, and vulnerable populations the ability to live independently with access to safe, affordable housing through their $875 Million financing award to build 3,100 affordable homes throughout New York State.
New York State Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas said, “St. Leo Apartments will provide seniors with a home and the extra support and services that they need to thrive. The funding made available through Governor Hochul’s housing plan will make difference in Hilton so that seniors have housing and resources to age in place gracefully”
About Providence Housing Development Corporation: For 29 years, Providence Housing, a not-for-profit organization affiliated with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester, has developed, financed and managed housing for individuals and families in the 12 counties of the Diocese including Monroe, Chemung, Livingston, Ontario, Tompkins, and Yates. For more information or to donate, visit www.ProvidenceHousing.org.
About Episcopal Senior Living Communities: ESLC, a faith-based non-for-profit organization, offers a full continuum of compassionate senior care services and senior living communities in the greater Rochester area. For 150 years, ESLC has supported seniors and their families through life’s transitions. They honor each person’s unique desires, beliefs and values–all so that they can fulfill their promise of “Life. Inspired every day.” For more information on services, please visit www.EpiscopalSeniorLife.org.
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News Media Contacts:
Mark Greisberger, Executive Director
Providence Housing Development Corporation
1150 Buffalo Road, Rochester, NY 14624
(585) 529-9557
[email protected]
Katie Rhodes, Development & Marketing Coordinator
Catholic Charities of Chemung & Schuyler
Office: 607.734.9784, x2133
[email protected]
