People Inc. hold ribbon cutting for Linwood Lafayette Senior Apts.

November 05, 2019 - Upstate New York

Buffalo, NY According to People Inc., Linwood Lafayette Senior Apartments, a new $11.6 million affordable housing development with 37 apartments, has been completed. The development will also include support services that allow people with intellectual or developmental disabilities to live independently. The apartments were constructed on the site of the vacant Millard Fillmore Hospital in the Gates Circle neighborhood, offering residents access to public transportation and retail. 

Linwood Lafayette Senior Apartments was constructed on a parking lot at Linwood and Lafayette Streets, which has sat unused since the Millard Fillmore Hospital closed. The development includes 31 one-bedroom apartments and six two-bedroom apartments. Project amenities include Energy Star heat and air conditioning, dishwashers in each unit, laundry facilities and outdoor patio space.

HCR provided state and federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits that generated about $7.6 million in equity and an additional $2.5 million in subsidy. OPWDD is providing $1 million in capital plus rental subsidies and funding for support services. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority provided $37,000. Additional funding includes $265,505 from the city.

The apartments are affordable to people 55 years or older with low to moderate household incomes. Located in one of the city’s oldest and most historic neighborhoods, known as the Linwood Preservation District, situated between the Elmwood Village and Main St.

Housing support services are provided through a partnership between the NYS Office for People With Developmental Disabilities and People Inc., who is also the project’s developer and one of Western New York’s largest providers of affordable housing for older adults and residential opportunities for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. 

The state’s investment in Linwood Lafayette supports the governor’s “Health Across All Policies” and “Age-Friendly State” initiatives by preserving affordable homes for seniors. The initiative is a collaborative approach that integrates health considerations into policymaking across all sectors to improve community health and wellness. Learn more here.

“By transforming a long vacant space into high-quality homes, we are making another strategic investment in Buffalo and furthering revitalization efforts for the Gates Circle neighborhood,” governor Cuomo said. “Linwood Lafayette Senior Apartments is a welcome addition that will provide new affordable housing options to city residents and help continue Buffalo’s resurgence.”

Linwood Lafayette Senior Apartments is part of governor Cuomo’s commitment to providing all New Yorkers with access to safe, affordable housing is reflected in the state’s $20 billion, five-year Housing Plan. The plan makes housing accessible and combats homelessness by building and preserving more than 100,000 units of affordable housing and 6,000 units of supportive housing. Since 2011, NYS Homes and Community Renewal has invested more than $763 million to create or preserve more than 4,400 affordable homes and apartments in Western NY, including nearly $197 million in the city  to house about 5,700 people. 

People Inc. president and CEO Rhonda Frederick said, “There’s an incredible need for a variety of affordable housing options in the City of Buffalo and surrounding areas. We are so pleased to have our agency help fulfill a gap in the community with our mixed-income housing options for older adults and for people with disabilities. We’re proud to have the Linwood Lafayette Senior Apartments be an example of collaboration for the Gates Circle revitalization. We are grateful to have New York state funding sources, along with the support of important partners and community groups in order to provide this affordable housing opportunity.”

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