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February 1, 2023
Photo Credit: Cedar Grove Photography, LLC/Nancy Hart Schrock
Winchester, VA – February 1, 2023: Wesley Housing, Frederick County officials, development partners, and residents gathered yesterday to celebrate the opening of Senseny Place, a new 63-unit four-story senior independent living community located in tranquil and historic Winchester, VA. Located one mile east of Interstate 81, Senseny Place is situated at 1527 Senseny Road with a variety of retail options and access to an on-call omnibus service.
The community offers 43 one-bedroom and 20 two-bedroom apartments with average affordability at or below 60% of the area median income (AMI). Eleven (11) units are further assisted with the use of U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Project Rental Assistance Contract (PRAC) or project-based subsides. At least one member of the household must be 55 or older, with a few units reserved for 62 and older.
Senseny Place apartment interior
Senseny Place was thoughtfully designed to combat isolation and allow older adults to independently and comfortably age in place. Residents will enjoy free in-unit and common area Wifi, a community room, exercise room, on-site laundry facilities, wellness center, community garden, and one-for-one surface parking. All apartments incorporate Universal Design elements and seven (7) units meet Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS) to address resident accessibility needs.
The community, which is built to Energy Star® and EarthCraft Gold green building standards, also pays homage to its faith-based roots. Senseny Place, which now sits on what was formerly St. Paul’s on-the-Hill Episcopal Church, features craftsman style and brick and cement panel façade inspired by Episcopal tradition as a nod to the strong partnership forged between Wesley Housing and the Church.
The front of the Senseny Place on grand opening day
Following tremendous collaboration with the Church, Frederick County, and the Winchester community, Wesley Housing and other key partners, including Morgan Keller Construction, Winks Snowa Architects PC, and Greenway Engineering, have now transformed the underutilized land into a housing resource that will serve the County’s most vulnerable community members. With a total development cost of $17 million, Senseny Place benefited from significant financial support from Virginia Housing, HUD, Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, and Truist.
“The Red Bud Magisterial District supported the vision of St. Paul’s on-the-Hill Episcopal Church to provide affordable housing to low-income residents who had few housing alternatives in the county,” said Supervisor Blaine Dunn, Red Bud Magisterial District, Frederick County Board of Supervisors. “Working with the Church, Wesley Housing, and Frederick County, we were able to make this vision a reality to help those in need. Residents of this community will forever be grateful for the church and the sacrifice of their land for this building,” Supervisor Dunn added.
Supervisor Blaine Dunn, Red Bud Magisterial District, Frederick County Board of Supervisors (Left)
and Kamilah McAfee, Wesley Housing President/CEO (Right)
“We are so grateful the church and its congregation entrusted us with their land years ago,” said Wesley Housing President/CEO Kamilah McAfee. “Delivering new affordable housing is always exciting, but we are especially eager to fulfill such an unmet need in Winchester and look forward to serving and supporting the residents who will call the community home,” McAfee added.
Wesley Property Management manages the community and already welcomed 46 new households to the property. Once the new residents have had a chance to settle in, Wesley Housing’s on-site resident services team will provide year-round programs and services including eviction prevention, linkages, referrals, counseling, health & wellness programming, educational classes, and social/recreational activities so that residents may build up their lives.
Project partners and residents gather for the speaking program (Left)
Senseny Place resident scoots down the hall of her new home (Right)
To learn more about the community or to sign up to receive future leasing information, please visit WesleyHousing.org or SensenyPlace.com.
About Wesley Housing: Wesley Housing, a leading nonprofit developer in Northern Virginia and the District of Columbia, has been working to provide affordable rental housing for individuals and families for nearly 50 years. Since its founding, Wesley Housing has emerged as a premier developer of affordable housing. Wesley Housing has acquired or developed over 2,800 rental units, providing quality housing for thousands of at-risk individuals and families each year. Wesley Housing supplements housing with supportive services to build up the lives of its residents, including low- and moderate-income families, older adults, and individuals with disabilities and/or chronic disease. For more information, please visit www.wesleyhousing.org and follow @WesleyHousing on social media.
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