By Jeff Lipton
Although the seniors would be relocated to another floor of the building at Mary's Manor, 60 Doughty Blvd, some said it was a major inconvenience to uproot 70- and 80-year-old residents who have been living in the same apartments for decades.
The Diocese of Rockville Centre, which owns the building, has applied for a permit from the Town of Hempstead to convert the fourth floor of the four-story building into assisted living. If the town approves the permit, construction can start in five or six months and is scheduled to be completed a year after that.
Paul Chedda, director of housing for Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, said no seniors would be evicted from their homes. Some occupants of the building who qualify would even be allowed to move into the new apartments for the same $200-$300 rent they have been paying.
Chedda said the fourth floor would be completely gutted, and new kitchens and bathrooms built. In addition, a nurses station with trained personnel on call would be included, along with a commercial kitchen and a common dining room, Chedda said. Those qualified to move into the assisted-living portion of the building would be entitled to three meals a day, housekeeping services and senior homecare, in which attendants would help seniors take their medication.
But some residents were not so warm to the idea of the building's conversion to assisted living, or what is being referred to as enriched housing. One woman who has lived on the fourth floor for nearly 17 years said she had been told she would have to relocate to another part of the building. But it's not so easy at her age after living in the same apartment for so long, she said.
I got a notice that I will have to move in a couple of months, said the resident, who did not want to be identified. My children are very upset about it. They said, ÔNo, mother, you are coming with us.'
I'm not in dire need of living here, she added. I'm playing everything by ear.
She said the preparations for the conversion were already in full swing, since two of her fellow fourth-floor tenants had already been moved.
Chedda said he realizes that relocating the elderly residents could be psychologically painful for them, but Catholic Charities is trying to make the transition as easy as possible. A relocation specialist is working with the residents, informing them when construction will start and helping them with moving and storage and connecting and disconnecting utilities. In addition, the Diocese is picking up all the expenses of the residents' moves them from one apartment to another. A newsletter has been sent to the tenants explaining what is happening at each stage, and a 10-member tenant committee has been formed to keep occupants abreast of the renovation schedule.
We know there's a psychological factor, said Chedda. We will meet with the tenants often to explain what is going on. No one will be evicted or moved off site.
The conversion will take place in three phases, starting with nine apartments on the fourth floor, and in some cases it will be a matter of moving residents temporarily until the conversion is complete and then moving them into the assisted-living units, Chedda said.
Catholic Charities got into the senior citizen housing business about 22 years ago, when it applied to the federal department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for a 202 program Ñ the creation of affordable housing for seniors 62 and older. The only guidelines are that an individual cannot have a yearly income of more than $29,000 and a couple no more than $33,000, Chedda said. Seniors do not pay more than 30 percent of their monthly income for rent.
Mary's Manor has a total of 150 apartments in the four-story building and two garden apartments across the street.
Chedda said these seniors are expected to live independent lives, to shop, cook and clean for themselves. But in five to 10 years, they will not be able to do these things, and will become dependent on others. They will be ready for the next step, which is assisted living, but that could cost between $4,000 and $6,000 a month, which is beyond the means of residents on fixed incomes, Chedda said. As a result, three years ago HUD created the Assisted Living Conversion Program to provide these services for low- and moderate-income seniors.
A year ago, Mary's Manor applied for the conversion program, and it has been accepted. HUD contributed $2.3 million to the conversion, and Catholic Charities another $1 million.
About 60 tenants are eligible for the 28 converted apartments. The problem is how do we choose from the 60? Chedda said. It's going to be difficult. We have to have some kind of a lottery system.
