City, nonprofit open doors on $15.9M in new affordable housing

Nov. 15--Recently built apartments and a senior housing complex have added to quality, affordable housing in the city of Oneonta, supporting efforts to develop the local economy and enhance the community, politicians said Tuesday.

The $15.9 million project, called Oneonta Heights, has provided 60 housing units in seven buildings at several sites in the city. The Housing Visions project involved construction of apartment buildings on Columbia and West streets, units on Monroe Avenue and a senior housing complex at 1 Silver Ave., officials said, plus rehabilitation of a building at 63 Spruce St.

About 50 people, including residents, project developers, public safety officials and politicians, gathered at the senior building Tuesday afternoon for brief speeches, a ribbon-cutting ceremony, a reception and informal tours of two vacant apartments.

Christina Drayton, a single mother of three, said her children love their new Oneonta Heights three-bedroom home on Monroe Avenue. The family moved from Schenevus at the end of June, according to Drayton, a stylist at Denim and Diamonds Hair Salon, who said she appreciates living closer to work and to stores and having a washer and dryer in the basement.

"It's home," she said. "The kids love having their own place."

The senior building and the Monroe Avenue units are in the city's Seventh Ward. Common Council Member John Rafter, who represents that ward, said the project helps meet a housing need and the area is a "great spot" for families and elderly residents.

"It has potential of being a stable building block for this area of the city," Rafter said.

Otsego County Rep. Katherine Stuligross, whose district includes the city's Seventh and Eighth Wards, said Housing Visions did a good job with all buildings in the project.

"It meets a real need," she said after Tuesday's ceremony.

A flyer for Oneonta Heights advertised Housing Visions' starting rents at $445 for a one-bedroom apartment, $543 for a two-bedroom apartment and $660 for a three-bedroom unit.

The 40-unit senior building offers a community gathering area, kitchen and laundry facilities for tenants, along with an on-site property management office. About 15 units remain available to rent, officials said Tuesday.

Oneonta Heights also helps address the need for "work-force housing," Oneonta Mayor Gary Herzig said. The demand for housing by college students is high in the city and some families are shut out based on costs, he said, or pay a too-high portion of their earnings.

Other speakers Tuesday included state Sen. James Seward, R-Milford, Ben Lockwood of Housing Visions, Darren Scott of the state Homes and Community Renewal office, Andrew D'Agostino of Community Preservation Corp. and Daniel Maskin, executive director of Opportunities for Otsego.

Speakers applauded the assistance from Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office and the collaboration by state, local, private and public offices and agencies that supported the project.

Housing Visions developed the plan with the state, the city of Oneonta and Opportunities for Otsego.

The project was supported by a $10.5 million Community Preservation Corp. construction loan, and a $550,000 private pension fund permanent loan, according to a media release from Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The state Homes and Community Renewal agency provided $848,260 in Low Income Housing Tax Credits that will generate $8.4 million in equity and $3.8 million in NYS HOME funds, the release said. And $2.6 million from the Housing Trust Fund supported the project, with other funding including $300,000 from the city of Oneonta and $150,000 from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.

Housing Visions, a nonprofit development, construction and property management company, grew from a community-based effort in 1990 to rehabilitate and stabilize a declining neighborhood in Syracuse. The company has since been involved in projects in about 15 cities, involving nearly 1,600 units of housing with a community investment of more than $340 million, officials said.

The Oneonta Heights project included development at three sites. At 63 Spruce St., a vacant building was refurbished into two two-bedroom apartments. At 23 Columbia St., 38 West St. and 34 West St, two four-unit apartment buildings and one two-unit building were constructed. Two four-unit buildings were constructed along Monroe Avenue, just up the street from the senior building in the Silver Creek area.

The buildings were designed to be architecturally compatible with the neighborhood, developers said, and energy-efficient designs and appliances were used.

"The ever-rising costs of living often leave people on fixed-incomes, like our senior citizens, struggling to keep pace with rent, health care and other necessities," according to D'Agostino, vice president and mortgage officer at the Community Preservation Corp. "Projects like Oneonta Heights give our seniors an affordable place to call home, where they can live with dignity in a supportive and safe environment."

Denise Richardson, staff writer, may be reached at (607) 441-7213 or at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter at @DS_DeniseR.

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