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The Next Step for Essex Place

After four years of planning, momentum is building for the Essex Place project that would provide 22 new housing units for area seniors with annual incomes of less than $72,000. With a $3.83 million state grant on its way, hopes are to be able to break ground this September, with a 15- to 18-month building period.

“We have worked very hard getting this project together and getting the funding we needed, so we are very glad to see this moving forward,” said Janice Atkeson, chair of the Essex Housing Authority Commission and chairman of the Essex Elderly and Affordable Housing, Inc., (EEAH) Board of Directors.

Essex Place will serve Essex residents, as well as those from surrounding towns. The waiting list is open to anyone who wishes to sign up for it and meets the requirement of earning below 80 percent of the area’s median income, which in Essex is $90,242.

“We cannot give priority to Essex residents,” explained Atkeson.

Of the new building’s 22 units, 18 will be one-bedroom units and four will be two-bedroom units to help accommodate those residents who may need live-in help. It will be built on the Essex Court campus, on a piece of property that is 0.96 acres. It will be a two-story building with an elevator to serve the upper level and will be within walking distance to sidewalks, public transportation, grocery stores, and other community resources.

“Our Essex Court residents are wonderful citizens who are very involved in the community and give back in many ways,” said Atkeson. “Adding additional affordable senior housing in the town of Essex is essential. It is a way for us to offer residential living to seniors from the area so they can stay close to their families, and it enhances Essex as a town to be able to take care of the valued seniors we have here.”

Last year at this time, EEAH (a non-profit 501(c)(3)) had hopes of submitting a grant application for the project, however, things were put on hold due to the fact that there were no specific planning and zoning laws in place for this type of project in Essex. Developing the necessary language and laws for this type of development took approximately one year to complete.

“This has not been an easy project. It has been very complicated, and it has been a team effort with the help of lots of people,” said Atkeson. “The list of people to thank is extremely long.”

Once the necessary laws were in place, EEAH applied for a state grant, but wasn’t awarded any funds in the first round, which was announced in November 2014, so it reapplied and Essex was successful in obtaining a $3.83 million state grant for the project.

“We pushed so hard for this project because our waiting list for elderly, affordable housing in town is always very long, and we wanted to be able to offer more housing to those in need,” said Atkeson. “At some points, we have had upwards of 33 people on our housing waiting list and our turnover is traditionally very low, leaving us only able to accommodate approximately 30 percent of the those who need senior housing in town” for those aged 65 and older.

Now that the $3.83 million grant is in place, the next step for the Essex Place construction project is for Essex Housing Authority to take recommendations from the State Department of Housing Authority.