Birchez Associates LLC

Presentation of  the New York State Association for Affordable Housing (NYSAFAH) 2010 Award for Project of the Year – Upstate. To the far left is Priscilla Almodovar, Chief Operating Officer of Chase Community Development, Alison Badgett, Executive Director of NYSAFAH, Steven Aaron, Managing Member of Birchez Associates, Ann Soja, President of First Sterling. Picture credit: John Halpern.

Steven L. Aaron, Managing Member & Founder of Birchez Associates

Steve Aaron has devoted his career to providing homes seniors and working families can afford in supportive communities where they can thrive. He has a 30-year background in business and civic activities, excelling in both through his perseverance for success.

His career began at Fowler & Keith, where he gained valuable insight into the construction and real estate industries. This knowledge, combined with professional experience, laid the foundation for his formation of Birchez Associates in 2002, which embodies a community-based spirit while highlighting the need for quality affordable housing. Steve’s vision is not just an idea – it is a reality proven by the completion of projects that have transformed the lives of over 400 area families. To view the Evolving Story of Birchez Associates on video, click here.

Through Steve’s dedication and determination, Birchez Associates developed Kingston’s first affordable workforce family housing in 30 years and one of first the affordable housing developments in New York State to offer adaptable and accessible housing designed to allow seniors to “age in place.” The Birches at Chambers, his fifth community completed in the spring of 2010 demonstrates Steve’s efforts to push the envelope in energy efficiency, quality of construction, and in the style and amenities he brings to affordable housing. His efforts were recognized when the New York State Association for Affordable Housing awarded 2010 Project of the Year – Upstate to The Birches at Esopus. For a video tour of The Birches at Esopus, please click here.

A tireless advocate, Steve actively participates in efforts to raise awareness of the need for more and better affordable housing. In mid 2009, Birchez Associates hosted a meeting at The Birches at Esopus for local and regional bankers and government officials to announce a new equity fund dedicated to developing affordable housing in our region. As Steve noted at that meeting, “Even in the most challenging economic times, by pulling together the public and private sectors, we can continue increasing the supply of affordable housing for our senior citizens and working families.” For a video discussing the financial pieces that go into affordable housing, please click here.

The picture to the right shows the NYSAFAH award for 2010 Project of  the Year, presented to Steve Aaron at the annual conference held in  NYC this spring.

In the picture to the left, Steve Aaron is holding the New York State Energy Research & Development Authority (NYSERDA) plaque for  The Birches at Esopus with contractor Joseph Malcarne (on left).

Long active in affordable housing organizations, Steve currently serves as a board member of the New York State Association for Affordable Housing and as an executive board member of the Ulster County Housing Consortium, for which he is actively involved in the public awareness campaign for affordable housing.  He recently hosted the launch of the Consortium’s “Give Housing A Voice” campaign at The Birches at Esopus, a perfect setting to both showcase and to discuss what a positive impact a healthy housing mix can make in a community setting. In fact Ulster County Chamber of Commerce and the Ulster County Development Corporation had awarded Birchez Associates’ second senior housing community, The Birches at Saugerties, the Building of the Year award, reflecting its integration of design aesthetics with community needs. Steve Aaron and his wife Judy were also honored when the Town of Ulster, in which Birchez Associates has completed two senior communities, with the “Steve and Judy Aaron Day.”

Steve’s dedication to this community extends far beyond buildings. He is a founding member of the Kingston Midtown Business Association and a member of the Ulster County Chamber of Commerce, Mid-Hudson Pattern for Progress and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. He previously served on the board of United Cerebral Palsy of Ulster County. His support of many community organizations, such as the United Jewish Appeal,  Greene County Council of the Arts, Boy Scouts of America, American Legion and the Hudson River Maritime Museum, exemplifies his diverse interests and his pledge to enhance the empowerment of organizations that advocate for the spirit of betterment for all.