New affordable housing opens for seniors

by Carol Crump
Wednesday, July 1, 2009 1:04 PM MDT

Frances Pacheco is coming home to a place that she can afford on her fixed income.

The 69-year-old retiree is one of the first tenants to move into Legacy Senior Residences at 1005 N. Elma, Casper’s newest affordable senior residence.

Pacheco retired in Las Vegas from jobs “doing all the hard work,” like cleaning houses and working in laundries. She wanted to return to Casper to be with an extended family that includes eight brothers, eight sisters and grandchildren, great and great-great grandchildren.

Her social security wasn’t enough to pay Casper level rent and other living expenses. At Legacy, she qualified for the lower rent that goes along with a project financed with Federal Low Income Tax Credits, federal HOME funds and private financing. Her lack of a car is no longer a problem because the new senior housing is next to a K Street stop for The Bus.

“The inside is beautiful,” Pacheco said of her two-bedroom apartment. “Like something out of a magazine.”

The ribbon cutting for Legacy Senior Residences was on June 26. The 54-unit apartment building was 75 percent rented within five days of getting the certificate of occupancy.

It is an independent living community for adults age 55 and older. There are no meals, housekeeping or assistive services provided, but all utility costs except phone and cable are included in the rent.

Each apartment has a fully equipped kitchen that includes a dishwasher, microwave and laundry hookups. The building has an on-site manager and a variety of community rooms including a library with a large screen television and a community kitchen and lounge.

A one bedroom apartment’s monthly rent is $417; two bedroom apartments are $525 a month.

Legacy Senior Residences is a 100 percent tax credit project, so tenants who qualify for the apartments are at or below 60 percent of the area’s median income: $27,000 for a single individual and $30,840 for a two-person household.

Legacy Senior Residences is a public/private partnership between Nebraska developer Beacon Management Company, the Wyoming Community Development Authority and the City of Casper.

The WCDA specializes in various affordable housing programs, including the administration of federal funds for multi-family, senior and special needs housing.

The new affordable senior housing is located on approximately 3.35 acres of city-owned property adjacent to the Youth Baseball fields in North Casper.

According to City Development Director April Getchius, the city saw an opportunity for new investment in the area, so a discounted, 99-year lease on the property was arranged.

The city also used Community Development Block Grant funding to cover the water and sewer tap fees and tipping fees to clean up the property.

The south half of the acreage will include a second tax credit, affordable housing project for families built by the same developer. Ground will be broken soon for the 36 multi-family unit project, Getchius said.

For information about Legacy Senior Residences, call 265-2663.

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