Berkshire Senior Online

by Catherine R. May

Elder Services has been notified by Congressman John Olver and Senator Edward M. Kennedy of the awarding of $3.9 million dollars to convert a portion of the Lee Central School into housing for low income individuals, age 62 or older.

After considerable discussion and collaboration with the Lee Council on Aging, the Board of Selectman, the School Reuse Committee, the Planning and Zoning Board, Town Administrator Robert Nason, members of the Lee clergy and representatives of town churches and organizations, neighbors of the school building, and other interested parties, Elder Services applied to the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for this funding to develop thirty eight single bedroom apartments in the now vacant school on High Street in Lee.

Norma Maroney, Executive Director of the Lee Council on Aging, initiated the idea to bring together Elder Services’ interest in securing HUD funds to develop senior housing with the availability of the soon to be vacant historic school building in Lee. Maroney seized on the idea in order to bring affordable housing and services to residents of Lee and surrounding communities. While both senior housing and assisted living currently are available in Lee, assisted living is not affordable for lower income persons, and the subsidized housing currently in Lee does not have enriched service packages or on-site social work services to assist frail and needy older persons to remain independent. The new housing will address these unmet needs.

Additional funding will be sought to create a new Lee Senior Center on-site, to also be used for general community purposes. Within the Senior Center space, Elder Services expects to provide daily congregate meals for residents and other elders. The portion to be used for the Elder Services housing will occupy less than half of the existing structure. The Town of Lee is exploring, at this time, uses for the rest of the former school building.

The gymnasium will continue to be available for community use, space will also be available within the school building for a small library, a chaplaincy office, and private space to meet with the on-site social worker and Elder Services employee, who will set up services for residents which might include personal care, homemaker services, money management assistance, and SHINE (Serving Health Insurance Information Needs of Elders) Medicare counseling.

At the time of this writing (11/6/02), Elder Services has not yet received the official written notification from HUD of the awarding of these funds; Congressman Olver’s office has communicated that HUD figuring of costs per unit were low, and the actual amount of the HUD award will be increasing.

Zoning of the Lee Central School is now in line with this use, and a HUD mandated environmental study of the property indicate no outstanding environmental issues. The Town of Lee will continue to own the building, and lease the building to Elder Services for a minimal fee for 75 years.

Elder Services is eager to move ahead with this exciting elder responsive initiative, but is unable to provide any timelines pending official HUD notification of the grant award and the development of the work plan to convert the vacant school space from its current condition into comfortable and secure housing for low income elders.