Senator Borrello Announces that Project to Transform Former Silver Creek School into Affordable Senior Housing is One Step Closer to Reality

SILVER CREEK – Senator Borrello announced that an affordable senior housing project that he has championed for more than a decade has moved a step closer to reality with a grant award of $4.6 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The project is only one of 30 nationwide to receive an award. 

The proposed Silver Creek Senior Apartments project, led by Region 9 UAW Housing Corporation, would transform the former Silver Creek School into a 47-unit apartment building for those 55 and over. All units in the complex would serve seniors with incomes at or below 60 percent of the area median income. Fifteen apartments will be set aside for the frail elderly.

The grant is a part of HUD’s section 202: Supportive Housing for the Elderly Program. The initiative provides capital advances to private, nonprofit sponsors to finance the development of housing for very low-income elderly residents. 

“From the start, I saw the potential to transform this former school into critically-needed housing for our area’s seniors, despite the deterioration that has occurred during the 40 years it has stood vacant. Ideally situated in a wonderful, walkable community with services nearby, this project would serve a need that has gone unmet for decades and allow many seniors to access supportive housing in their own community, close to family and friends,” said Senator Borrello. 

“We are proud to have worked with Senator Borrello and local officials to make this important grant a reality.  We care about the residents of Silver Creek and are excited about this opportunity for affordable senior housing,” said Congressman Tom Reed (NY-23).

“Region 9 UAW Housing Corporation is honored to have been awarded HUD funding to provide quality affordable housing to seniors who will reside in the former Silver Creek School,” said Dan Antonellis, President, Region 9 UAW Housing Corporation. “We are pleased to honor our former Board Vice-President, Tom Fricano, who grew up and raised his family in Silver Creek. Tom was an active community member who made it his mission to bring affordable housing to the Western, NY area. We look forward to honoring Tom’s wishes in the community.” 

Senator Borrello noted that there are still other benchmarks to be met to bring the project to fruition. 

“While the project still has some ground to cover before we have 100 percent certainty it will move forward, this win is an encouraging indication of the strength of Region Nine’s proposal and the need in the community,” Senator Borrello said. “My thanks go out to Region Nine, Oxford Consulting Inc., East Ferry Partners and all the stakeholders we’ve worked with to get to this point. We are all invested in the vision and will keep working to move this forward through the next steps in the process.”  

The developer of the project is Region Nine, a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization that develops affordable housing to meet the needs of low to moderate income seniors, persons with disabilities and families. The organization also owns and manages affordable housing communities throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania.  

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