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July 28, 2021
Project Will Provide Critical Affordable Housing to Older Adults in Winchester
Winchester, VA – July 28, 2021: Wesley Housing, Frederick County officials, and project partners gathered Tuesday to break ground on Senseny Place, a new 63-unit four-story senior independent living community located in the tranquil and historic Shenandoah Valley in Winchester, VA. Wesley Housing will redevelop the former site of St. Paul’s-on-the-Hill Episcopal Church into much needed affordable housing in a way that extends its mission of building up the lives of our most vulnerable community members.
The community will offer a mix of 43 one-bedroom apartments and 20 two-bedroom apartments. All units will incorporate universal design elements and seven (7) units will meet Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS) to address resident accessibility needs. Senseny Place will be income and rent restricted so that the average affordability will be at or below 60% of the area median income (AMI). Eleven (11) units will be further assisted with the use of HUD Project Rental Assistance Contract (PRAC) or project-based subsidiaries. At least one member of the household must be 55 or older, with a few units reserved for 62 and older.
To combat isolation and allow for residents to independently and comfortably age in place, the following resident amenities will be available: community room, exercise room, community laundry facilities, wellness center, and one-for-one surface parking. Further, Wesley Housing will coordinate free on-site supportive services, including eviction prevention, linkages, referrals, counseling, health & wellness programming, educational classes, and social/recreational activities. Located one mile east of Interstate 81 with a variety of retail options along Senseny Road and access to the Winchester Transit System (WinTran), this new senior housing development will offer low- to moderate-income older adults a safe and supportive place to live.
Project Partners: St. Paul’s on-the-Hill Episcopal Church, Truist, The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), Virginia Housing, Winks Snowa Architects, Greenway Engineering, Morgan Keller
Photo by Cedar Grove Photography, LLC/Nancy Hart Schrock
“This project has taken tremendous collaboration between our partners to get us to this point today, and we look forward to the vital senior programming Senseny Place will offer following its completion in Summer 2022,” said Wesley Housing President/CEO, Shelley Murphy.
The $17M project was financed with 9% Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTCs); a subordinate loan from The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Section 202 program; subordinate Virginia Housing Trust Fund and National Housing Trust Fund loans; Tax Credit equity from Truist; and a deferred developer fee. Senseny Place is the first HUD Section 202 mixed-finance project to close on its construction financing with HUD in more than a decade and the first of the group of grants that HUD awarded in 2020.
Supervisor Blaine Dunn, Red Bud Magisterial District, Frederick County Board of Supervisors
Photo by Cedar Grove Photography, LLC/Nancy Hart Schrock
“Congratulations to St. Paul’s on-the-Hill for seeing a need for senior affordable housing and trying to find a solution to meet that need,” said Supervisor Blaine Dunn, Red Bud Magisterial District, Frederick County Board of Supervisors. “I commend the church leadership and congregation for a fine effort. It was a privilege working with you to achieve this goal,” Supervisor Dunn added.
Wesley Housing acquired the site from St. Paul’s on-the-Hill Episcopal Church following more than four years of collaboration with County officials, the church, and the community. The building design is inspired by the Episcopal tradition of craftsman style and features brick and cement panel façade and will be designed to meet EarthCraft Gold certification.
The Rev. Susan MacDonald, Rector, St. Paul’s on-the-Hill Episcopal Church
Photo by Cedar Grove Photography, LLC/Nancy Hart Schrock
“The congregation made this project possible by giving up their church home and land for the sake of much-needed housing,” said the Rev. Susan MacDonald, Rector, St. Paul’s on-the-Hill Episcopal Church. “It was a sacrifice, but we believe that Wesley’s track record in creating and managing housing for vulnerable people means that Senseny Place will be an important asset for the senior community in the years to come,” added Rev. MacDonald.
Wesley Housing expects to begin accepting rental applications in Spring 2022. To learn more about the project 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 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 2,300 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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