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Partnership to provide needed housing | GoUpstate.com | Spartanburg, S.C.
Construction on the state's first apartment-style housing designed for deaf seniors and another for low-income blind citizens is set to begin in the next 60 days.
The 48 apartment-style housing units for deaf and hearing-impaired seniors and 14 townhouse-style, one-story apartments for low-income blind adults could be completed by the end of the year.
A unique partnership between the S.C. School for the Deaf and the Blind, the Spartanburg and Aiken Housing authorities and an outside developer led to the idea, new to this area but gaining momentum in other parts of the nation.
Four years ago, SCSDB President Sheila Breitweiser began hearing about projects in other states, particularly Georgia and Florida, where deaf and hearing-impaired citizens were living in affordable housing in a community atmosphere.
As hearing and sight-impaired adults grow older, there is an increasing need for affordable housing in a community atmosphere. The housing for low-income, sight-impaired adults is being financed through a $1.4 million federal grant, said Roy Johnson, director of the Spartanburg Housing Authority.
"I wondered immediately why couldn't this work here, since we have the state school here in Spartanburg, there is a much larger concentration of deaf seniors here than in other parts of the state," Breitweiser said. "I knew it could work here, we just needed the state's assistance to help make it happen."
Breitweiser said Spartanburg has a higher concentration of blind and deaf students than other counties because those who attend the school often stay here after graduation and others come back here after retirement.
After looking at the former Duke Power building and at several locations downtown, Breitweiser said the school's alumni group looked at 16 acres across from the school and decided to use that property.
The next step was applying for a $3.8 million state tax credit to subsidize the construction of the apartments.
Representatives with the school, and the Aiken and Spartanburg housing authorities were initially denied tax credits from the S.C. Housing and Finance Authority, but received them in late 2005 after Breitweiser and two members of the school alumni group spoke to the board a second time. The Aiken Housing Authority had experience securing the tax credits and was interested in helping with the project, Johnson said.
"This was the first time (the S.C. Housing and Finance Authority) had ever reconsidered a request," Breitweiser said. "They said it was their first and last time they would do that, but we were able to give them more information that led them to reconsider their decision."
Breitweiser said the housing will serve two groups: those who have been deaf since childhood and those who have become hard of hearing as they aged. The sight-impaired housing is targeted toward blind, low-income adults.
"There's a sense of isolation among older deaf adults," Breitweiser said. "There's a need for support, community and there's the safety issue. If there's a way they can live with others who are also deaf…we're enabling them."
A main office, an exercise complex, a community meeting room, laundry facilities, a community kitchen and walking trails are included in the plans. The blind housing plans include a resident manager and a community room.
Ben Jackson is the owner of Deaf Senior Housing, a company that has developed deaf housing in Florida and Georgia, and said since most of those who will live in the housing attended the state school, some already know one another.
"The school is their social center and to have the housing in such close proximity to the school is a priority," Jackson said, adding the apartments will also be near Mountainview Nursing Home, which could provide services to the same seniors.
All aspects of the design, including the flooring, textures, the color schemes and no-glare windows, were selected with the hearing- and sight-impaired seniors in mind.
Visual alerts that signal a doorbell, fire alarm and ringing phone have been added to the hearing-impaired housing.
Breitweiser said the school has committed to adding programs for the seniors, including an adopt-a-grandparent program where seniors serve as mentors to deaf students.
Deaf seniors in other parts of the state have already shown interest in moving back to Spartanburg to live in the apartments, although leasing information won't be available until the apartments near completion.
Jackson said there has been "tremendous interest" in the housing so far and he suspects the units will be filled before they open.
Construction on the state's first apartment-style housing designed for deaf seniors and another for low-income blind citizens is set to begin in the next 60 days.
The 48 apartment-style housing units for deaf and hearing-impaired seniors and 14 townhouse-style, one-story apartments for low-income blind adults could be completed by the end of the year.
A unique partnership between the S.C. School for the Deaf and the Blind, the Spartanburg and Aiken Housing authorities and an outside developer led to the idea, new to this area but gaining momentum in other parts of the nation.
Four years ago, SCSDB President Sheila Breitweiser began hearing about projects in other states, particularly Georgia and Florida, where deaf and hearing-impaired citizens were living in affordable housing in a community atmosphere.
As hearing and sight-impaired adults grow older, there is an increasing need for affordable housing in a community atmosphere. The housing for low-income, sight-impaired adults is being financed through a $1.4 million federal grant, said Roy Johnson, director of the Spartanburg Housing Authority.
"I wondered immediately why couldn't this work here, since we have the state school here in Spartanburg, there is a much larger concentration of deaf seniors here than in other parts of the state," Breitweiser said. "I knew it could work here, we just needed the state's assistance to help make it happen."
Breitweiser said Spartanburg has a higher concentration of blind and deaf students than other counties because those who attend the school often stay here after graduation and others come back here after retirement.
After looking at the former Duke Power building and at several locations downtown, Breitweiser said the school's alumni group looked at 16 acres across from the school and decided to use that property.
The next step was applying for a $3.8 million state tax credit to subsidize the construction of the apartments.
Representatives with the school, and the Aiken and Spartanburg housing authorities were initially denied tax credits from the S.C. Housing and Finance Authority, but received them in late 2005 after Breitweiser and two members of the school alumni group spoke to the board a second time. The Aiken Housing Authority had experience securing the tax credits and was interested in helping with the project, Johnson said.
"This was the first time (the S.C. Housing and Finance Authority) had ever reconsidered a request," Breitweiser said. "They said it was their first and last time they would do that, but we were able to give them more information that led them to reconsider their decision."
Breitweiser said the housing will serve two groups: those who have been deaf since childhood and those who have become hard of hearing as they aged. The sight-impaired housing is targeted toward blind, low-income adults.
"There's a sense of isolation among older deaf adults," Breitweiser said. "There's a need for support, community and there's the safety issue. If there's a way they can live with others who are also deaf…we're enabling them."
A main office, an exercise complex, a community meeting room, laundry facilities, a community kitchen and walking trails are included in the plans. The blind housing plans include a resident manager and a community room.
Ben Jackson is the owner of Deaf Senior Housing, a company that has developed deaf housing in Florida and Georgia, and said since most of those who will live in the housing attended the state school, some already know one another.
"The school is their social center and to have the housing in such close proximity to the school is a priority," Jackson said, adding the apartments will also be near Mountainview Nursing Home, which could provide services to the same seniors.
All aspects of the design, including the flooring, textures, the color schemes and no-glare windows, were selected with the hearing- and sight-impaired seniors in mind.
Visual alerts that signal a doorbell, fire alarm and ringing phone have been added to the hearing-impaired housing.
Breitweiser said the school has committed to adding programs for the seniors, including an adopt-a-grandparent program where seniors serve as mentors to deaf students.
Deaf seniors in other parts of the state have already shown interest in moving back to Spartanburg to live in the apartments, although leasing information won't be available until the apartments near completion.
Jackson said there has been "tremendous interest" in the housing so far and he suspects the units will be filled before they open.