If you build it, will they come?

CORNWALL — An informational meeting on the senior housing complex proposed by the Cornwall Housing Corporation (CHC) brought out more than 100 people to Town Hall last Saturday morning, Sept. 18.

A standing-room-only crowd listened to a presentation from CHC board members before offering a wide variety of questions, concerns, denouncements and endorsements. They heard also from David Berto, a consultant with Housing Enterprises Inc.

The recent awarding of a $1,505,800 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grant marks the  beginning of the construction design phase for a 10-unit apartment complex in the center of Cornwall Bridge.

While the HUD application included specific plans, CHC is allowed to make changes. That applies to major options, such as placement on the lot and choosing between attached residences with separate entrances or a single apartment building.

HUD requirements

The 5.56-acre property purchased there will also support two Parcel Program lots.

The subsidized housing for independent living would be built on a portion fronting on Route 7, between Baird’s Store and the firehouse. What the project will defnitely offer is one to two handicapped-accessible units, with the remainder handicapped-adaptable. Each would have at least one bedroom, living room and dining area and a kitchen. There would be common areas for activities such as socializing and laundry.

A tentative timeline is for spring 2012 occupancy, with the initial application due about two months prior.

Residents must be at least 62 years old and/or disabled and meet income guidelines.

Rent would be equal to 30 percent of a resident’s income. HUD would fund rent subsidies and a reserve maintenance fund for 40 years. A property manager/resident services coordinator would work on site.

Preference for locals?

The HUD grant requires the housing be available to anyone who meets the above requirements, no matter where they currently live. Even if that were not the case, the Fair Housing Act would still dictate non-discrimination.

The latter is a hot button issue, sparking passionate comment on both sides.

Urging the selection committee to grant “extreme prejudice to local people, and perhaps those willing to serve on the ambulance squadâ€� was  Rescue Captain Skip Kosciusko. He said that volunteer ambulance  squads in towns with facilities for seniors find that to be a great burden.

CHC President Margaret Cooley said she asked and was advised that the Cornwall Volunteer Fire Department has about 13 members between the ages of 62 and 80.

It was also noted repeatedly that the project would likely free up homes at Kugeman Village, CHC’s rent-controlled development, allowing for more young families to move in.

Charles Hepprich and Joanne Wojtusiak both talked about how CHC  originally stated as its goal, and raised money for, senior housing for Cornwall residents — suggesting supporters had been misled.

Cooley explained that many years of searching and unsuccessfully negotiating to buy property showed how difficult it is. Not wanting to pass up a chance to finally move forward, CHC ended up purchasing twice the amount of land at twice the cost it had planned for. That left no choice but to seek grant funding — and that meant adhering to the grant requirements.

CHC board members cited statistics that show applicants may come from far and wide, but most who chose to move into such housing are from that town.

“It doesn’t bother me that we might be housing people from other towns,� said CHC board member Ella Clark, “because they have been housing our people for all these years that we haven’t had senior housing.�

CHC has established a Cornwall Elderly Housing Corporation board of at least eight and as many as 15 members. They do not have to be Cornwall residents. Anyone interested should contact a CHC member.