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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1981 11-18 Senior housing supply expands with opening of Concordia Arms THE REVIEW Senior housingsu I ex ands pp Y p with opening of Concordia Arms p g ,,,av< a /c , By JONATHON CLYDE GLASS which they did not fully use anymore, or some residents, that 25 percent is as low Staff Writer to pay increasing rents from their fixed as $22, Peterson said. Payments of $80 retirement incomes, or to move in with and up are more common, she added. A The supply of subsidized senior citizen children,the building's opening came as a few people whose incomes are still housing in the North St. Paul-Maplewood relief. While the new residents have to relatively sizable are paying the full area more than doubled with the opening make emotional adjustments and, as the market price for the rental units, $450. of Concordia Arms in mid-October. With first occupants,get to discover the quirks As life settles down at Concordia Arms, 124 units, Concordia Arms, 2030 Lydia in the building, they have adjusted quite Peterson expects to develop a number of Ave.,is slightly larger than the Franklyn rapidly and appear well-pleased with activity programs for the residents. The Park Apartments,2485 E. Seppala Blvd., their new quarters, Peterson said. building has the facilities for congregate North St. Paul, which has 117 units. "The building obviously was designed dining, though a dining program is r It All the rooms in both developments are by a tall person," Peterson says, to budgeted at the moment,she noted.There There- reserved for several years into the future, mention one ''of those quirks. Several also is space for lounges, craft rooms, but at least one other party, Health occupants are finding the medicine billard rooms and a library. Resources Inc. of Maplewood, is con- cabinets and door peepholes to be too Most of the residents have relatives in sidering the construction of more senior high, she noted. Nearly 90 percent of the the North St.PaulMaplewood-White Bear' housing. occupants are women, and a lot of them Lake area, though that is not a Roughly 45 people have thus far moved are standing on tiptoe to reach the requirement to gain admittance to the into Concordia Arms' 587-square foot medicine cabinet in the morning. project, Peterson observed. Residents apartments — which include a living must be age 62 or older or handicapped, room, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom. THE RENT STRUCTURE at Concordia she noted.They also must be able to live The building should be completely filled Arms more than compensates for such independently, as Concordia Arms will by January or February, according to inconveniences' Thanks to the Section 8 not provide anything nearly as elaborate Gail Peterson, manager of the develop- subsidies from the federal government, as nursing home service,she said. There ment. residents pay 25 percent of their income are,however, 13 specially-designed units But for seniors who had felt burdened for rent, which covers only a small for physically handicapped residents. by the obligation to maintain large houses fraction of the costs of the building. For Franklyn Park Apartments in North St. Paul celebrated its third anniversary Sept.1.It operates according to the same Section 8 guidelines, with residents paying 25 percent of their income for rent. ;r Turnover at Franklyn Park has been ,! 4. very low. Many of the original residents ..;-41,,44, still live there and people who get on the " waiting list now can expect to wait two to five years for an opening, Christensen said. F" With 117 units,Franklyn Park reserves eight two-bedroom apartments for married couples and has five specially- equipped handicapped apartments. FRANKLYN PARK has established a ' i : ' wide range of services for its residents, s though, like Concordia Arms, it requires residents to be able to live independently. Franklyn Park has a library, beauty shop,pool room,and arts and crafts room �.�.�.....�.+� . as well as garden space and a horseshoe pit outside. There area number of ac- tivities, from card clubs to Bible study b groups. Residents receive special visits from a foot doctor, nurse and milkman, 3 who comes once per week. Food stamps t,4 ' ' ' ' 44"':-'''''' also are distributed in the building, ac- ' cording to Christensen. With long waiting lists for people who want to get into Concordia Arms and ?. Franklyn Park, there is an undisputed . ''''''' ''''''''.44-14 '41 , need for more senior housing in the area. sM Health Resources Inc. (HRI), 2646 Hazelwood Ave.,Maplewood,is currently studying the prospects for establishing a " similar facility in the area. i' HRI just completed a survey of area residents,age 55 and older,to assess their y�; ta housing needs and preferences,according i '''''' .. to Stephen Amundson, director of the senior services division. More than 280 people responded to the survey and HHtI is ANNA HANSON is aided by her grandson Mike Berglund, 11,as she moves into her confident it can develop a housing facility new apartment at Concordia Arms.Hanson had lived in her own home in St.Paul for adapted to their needs, though the board 45 years before moving to Concordia Arms in Maplewood. of directors is still considering the matter, Amundsen noted.