Federal dollars to support affordable apartments on the Geer campus in North Canaan

NORTH CANAAN — Affordable apartments that offer secure yet independent living for seniors are a much sought after commodity around here. At Beckley House, part of the Geer campus, the wait to get into one of the affordable units is about two years.It may be about to get shorter, with the approval of $1,672,000 in federal funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The grant is expected to cover a 10-apartment addition to Beckley House. “I’m very excited to let people know about this,” said Geer COO John Horstman. “HUD was only giving out funding for 20 apartments in all of New England. We got half of that.”More than a decade ago, when Beckley House was in the planning stages, HUD offered Geer grant money for four to six apartments. It seems an odd approach, to designate by quantity. But this is Section 202 housing, which means HUD will supply subsidies for reduced rents later on.“It was [Sen. Joseph] Lieberman who finally got them to offer up more for rural areas. We were one of seven applicants at that time, so we were pretty amazed to get 24 apartments.”When Beckley House (named in honor of the nearby Beckley Iron Furnace, the state’s only industrial monument) opened nine years ago, it was filled within a few months. The wait list has been as high as 25 individuals and couples. It is currently at about 16, which seems to be the average. A lot of people, Horstman said, don’t even bother to apply.This is the same plan Geer revealed back in May, when it first applied for HUD funding. The building’s original architect was hired to design a two-story addition to the back of the building, using a small portion of the parking lot there. Its goal is not to look like an add-on when done. There will still be plenty of parking.The hope is that the existing heating plant will be able to handle the addition, saving a lot of money.Needed now are local approvals. Horstman does not believe there will be any involved zoning or wetlands permit applications. He expects the project to be completed in about 18 months.Apartments will be available to individuals age 62 and over, or to couples where at least one meets the age requirement. There are income guidelines to be met as well. Subsidies assure no one will pay more than 30 percent of their income on rent.“I am sure people will beat a path to the building,” Horstman said. “We are in such a good spot. There is shopping just down the road. Beckley House residents can access all the facilities here, including the hairdresser, pharmacy and physical therapy at the nursing home. They can join the Y[MCA] at Geer Village.”For information on Beckley House, call 860-824-7884.

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