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Affordable, sustainable senior housing in Kingston

Saturday, July 10th, 2010

By: Beth Croughan for YNN News, Hudson Valley

KINGSTON, N.Y. — “We’ve met lots of friends, we have lots of fun.” click here for the video

Clara McGill has lived at the Birches at Chambers with her husband for the past two months. And her experience has been more than she expected. ”I’ve rented most of my life and I’ve never seen anything so beautiful, it’s beautiful. And it has everything,” McGill said.

Everything, for just about $770 a month. The 66-unit apartment complex is one of Ulster County’s newest in affordable housing.

“People’s incomes have dropped who perhaps have put money away for retirement and perhaps they’re forced out of their houses or apartments because they can’t pay market rent. People are living longer and the baby boomers are coming of age. So it’s a significant need,” said Steve Aaron of Birchez Associates.

And while the newest of Steve Aaron’s four affordable senior housing complexes tries to fill that need, it also aims to meet others. According to Michael Colgrove, a representative from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, “this building will use about 25 percent less energy then had it been built with normal construction practices.”

The main building in the complex was recognized as being a New York Energy Smart building. It also qualifies for Platinum LEED certification, which is the highest achievement in sustainable construction. ”Which makes it a building that has been adhering to best practices is the type of mechanical equipment that’s used. For example the boiler is high efficiency boiler that modulates, it has a brain to it so to speak,” said Joseph Malcarne, an energy consultant.

The building also features a radiant heating system in the floors and plans are in place to install solar panels to heat the buildings water supply and offset some electricity costs.

“This construction shows that it can be done, you can meet the highest standards of environmental construction while still building affordable housing,” said Ulster County Executive Mike Hein.

And for resident Clara McGill, green meant much more than just lowering her electric costs.

“The trees, the flowers, everything is so beautiful,” McGill said.

Resident Profile: Gerald Haskin

Monday, July 5th, 2010

TOWN OF ULSTER, NY, July 1, 2010– When you ask Gerald Haskin about his life, you’ll get a lot of information in return: he’s worked plenty of jobs since growing up in Mayville, NY, including working for the Grange League Federation (or GLF, which later became Agway), selling cars, delivering mail, selling life insurance, and even firing the boiler of a milk factory. He’s fathered five children with his wife of 64 years, with whom he shares an apartment in The Birches at Chambers. And there’s the Purple Heart he earned while serving in the Pacific Theater during World War II.

Of course, while he tells you all of this, Gerald says, with general understatement, that it’s a “pretty uneventful life.”

These days, Gerald takes things a bit slower. A few years ago he underwent an operation to remove calcium deposits in his lower vertebrae, a problem that was keeping him from getting around on his feet too well. While he’s still not as quick as he used to be, Gerald is finding his apartment’s close proximity to the building’s amenities quite convenient. “We ended up on the second floor,” he says. “With the laundry room, the elevator, and the trash room all close by.”

Gerald and his wife moved to the Hudson Valley area about five years ago to be closer to their daughter, son, and grandson, all of whom live in the area. Prior to moving into The Birches at Chambers, the couple lived in a senior housing development in Kingston. While it was a nice place to live, Gerald says that the building’s age drove the utility costs way too high.

“It was about 40 to 50 years old,” he says of his old home. “And it had those old metal windows. And 40 or 50 years ago, they were probably a great thing. Back then nobody worried about what was going to happen to them 30 or 40 years later, with keeping them up. So when the wind blew outside, you felt it. The air conditioning system was that old and the heat was the old electric baseboard on the floor. We ended up with an electric bill of $250 a month.”

But now he’s living in a new apartment—and it’s brand new, which is one of the best things about living at The Birches.

“My son, he said, ‘oh, you’ll like it,’” recalls Gerald of hearing about The Birches at Chambers. “‘You’ve got about just as much room as you had in the other place, and it’s all new, so you can’t lose. And you won’t have a $250 electric bill!’ he adds with a laugh. The Birches at Chambers average electric bills are closer to a tenth of what Gerald used to spend – and the heat’s included in the rent.

Brian Rubin for Birchez Associates, birchezassociates@gmail.com

The Birches at Esopus wins State Recognition

Friday, June 4th, 2010

The New York State Association for Affordable Housing (NYSAFAH) awarded The Birches at Esopus a 2010 NYSAFAH Award for Excellence Winner at their annual conference on April 29.

In supporting the state-wide recognition by NYSAFAH, Congressman Maurice Hinchey commended Steven Aaron and Birchez Associates in addressing the need for affordable housing projects in rural communities.

Cited in the award application is the New York State Energy Research & Development Agency’s (NYSERDA) recognition of The Birches at Esopus as a New York Energy $mart Building. The projected utility costs are over 30% lower than other new apartment complexes built to current energy code in the State. The Birches at Esopus community is the first affordable housing development in the town of Esopus, a community which covers 40 square miles. The Birches at Esopus serves area seniors, aged 55 and over, who are at 60% of median income or less. The community offers on-premises staff including the role of the Senior Advocate, held by Alice Tipp who had served for thirty years as a county legislator. Strategic partnerships have been formed with both Elant, Inc., headquartered in Goshen, N.Y., and Signature Fitness of Kingston, N.Y. Signature Fitness owner John Perry designed the fitness studio to meet senior exercise needs and has provided a fitness trainer – at no cost to residents.

Amenities include a media room, fully equipped computer lab and fitness studio, a library/game room, crafts room, and a spacious community room with a full kitchen for residents’ parties and events. To further complement an active life style for its senior residents, the grounds offer a bocce court, grill area, patio spaces, gazebos and paths. The Birches at Esopus offers 80 rental residences for seniors.

Birchez Associates LLC has developed and continues to manage four affordable housing communities for seniors and one community for work force housing in Ulster County, N.Y. More information on The Birches at Esopus and other Birchez Associates’ communities is available at www.Birchez.com.

Senior homes builder accepts project award

Friday, May 28th, 2010

May 28, 2010 “Business Headlines”: Birchez Associates received the Project of the Year award in the “upstate” category at the New York State Affordable Housing Conference and New York State Housing Finance Agency’s 50th Anniversary Luncheon in New York City.

The award recognized the Kingston-based firm’s The Birches at Esopus, an 80-unit affordable senior housing community in Ulster Park. Steven Aaron is founder and managing member of Birchez Associates.

For information, visit www.Birchez.com.

Birchez Acclaimed for The Birches at Esopus

Monday, May 3rd, 2010

New York, NY: Governor David A. Paterson delivered remarks at the 11th Annual NYS Affordable Housing Conference (NYSAFAH) and NYS Housing Finance Agency’s 50th Anniversary Luncheon in New York City. The Governor highlighted key statistics of the current economic environment to illustrate the critical need for affordable housing to assist in human safety and survival.

The Honorable Brian E. Lawlor, the newly appointed Commissioner of New York State’s Division of Housing & Community Renewal (DHCR) and CEO and President of ‘nyhomes’, introduced the Governor. Significant components of Lawlor’s appointment are the assumption of the combined responsibilities for both DHCH and nyhomes, as well as Lawlor’s recognized service and experience as an attorney within the affordable housing world.

During the luncheon, the Project of the Year Award – Upstate was awarded to Birchez Associates for The Birches at Esopus, an 80 unit affordable senior housing community in Ulster Park, N.Y. Accepting the award was Steven L. Aaron, Founder and Managing Member of Birchez Associates. In recognizing the award, Aaron said, “This award means so much to us because it comes from our peers – those involved in funding, designing and building affordable housing in the state.” Birchez Associates, a for-profit company based in Kingston, N.Y., has developed and manages four affordable senior communities and one workforce housing community. The company’s website, www.Birchez.com, provides more information on each of the five communities.

Also addressing the group was Assemblymember Vito J. Lopez, Chair of the NYS Assembly Housing Committee, who urged the audience to fight for issues that are important to affordable housing in the effort to help the working poor and seniors. Further, Assemblymember Lopez stressed the need for partnership in creating and sustaining affordable housing stock, whether new developments or rehabs. In the case of Birchez Associates, they have successfully partnered with not-for-profits, New York’s Department for Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR), nyhomes, the Housing Finance Agency, the New York Housing Trust Fund, the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York, and other financial sources in creating their communities.

The luncheon was attended by over 1,000 leaders in affordable housing, from politicians, architects, developers, housing and advocacy agencies, attorneys, accountants, and building suppliers. The day-long event held April 29^th, 2010, at the New York Marriott Marquis off Times Square in New York City featured exhibitions and seminars in addition to an opening session and luncheon. The New York State Association for Affordable Housing, formed in 1998, is a trade association for private sector organizations throughout New York State that are involved in affordable housing.

Photo caption from left to right: 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