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Affordable-housing complex for seniors opens
June 23, 2005
By Ann Claycombe, Staff Writer, Cary News
Barbara Bubar of Cary was happy in her townhouse. But she couldn't find a way to stay there.
"Their maintenance rents went up so high," she said, "I just couldn't afford it."
Bubar is retired, and just didn't have that kind of flexibility in her budget.
So this spring, she started to look around for another home. She found Highland Village, an affordable-housing complex with apartments for senior citizens that recently opened in downtown Cary. It was a hard move, she said, but it was also a big help. There are plenty of seniors in Cary who, like Bubar, are struggling to pay for the roof over their heads, said Phil Smith. Smith is the Town of Cary's affordable housing expert, and he said about 80 percent of his calls come from seniors and their families.
Until recently, there were only 20 affordable-housing units in Cary that were reserved for seniors - all in the Cary Central Apartments on South Harrison Avenue. But that number is about to take a huge jump, with 100 apartments for seniors in Highland Village and another 72 set to open in another new development, Weatherstone Springs, later this summer.
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Photo by Ray Black III
Highland Village resident Barbara Bubar holds her cat Zippy in her dining room, which is how she decided to use the second bedroom in her apartment.
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The definition of "affordable" can vary from project to project. In The Commons at Highland Village, where Bubar lives, applicants must bring in less than 60 percent of the town's median income. That's about $24,950 a year, according to the town's 2004 affordable-housing report.
But the actual income of the seniors in The Commons averages out at about $15,590, according to the developer, a non-profit called DHIC. The average annual income of the tenants at Highland Manor, another part of the same development, is even lower - about $10,300.
At those incomes, the units have to rent cheaply. In Highland Village, the rents range from $325 for one bedroom to $685 for the most expensive two-bedroom.
It's not easy to put together rental housing for that market, even if the demand is strong. Highland Manor is subsidized heavily by the federal government, said Drew Robinson, a vice president with DHIC.
Financing for The Commons was put together from several sources, including Town of Cary, Wake County and state grants, as well as the sale of federal tax credits and donations from the Mechanics and Farmers Bank and Nationwide Insurance. "There are very few projects like this," Robinson said. "And they tend to fill up quickly and have waiting lists."
Smith said the town could probably use even more projects like Highland Village and the upcoming Weatherstone Springs. But the town needs other kinds of affordable housing even more.
"Both of these projects are for people who can take care of themselves," he said. "We have a need for [housing for] people who are less able."
In the meantime, Bubar and her neighbors are glad for what they have at Highland Commons.
Bubar got a small two-bedroom apartment with plenty of room for her and her cat, Zippy.
"She's the love of the hall," Bubar said of her 9-year-old feline friend.
In fact, the residents are already turning their houses into homes and their halls into a community.
They've developed the habit of gathering in the lobby from 2 to 4 p.m. every afternoon, Bubar said. The men play dominoes, the women knit and everyone chats together.
"Once a month we have a potluck supper," Bubar said. "We have a lot of fun here."
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ABOUT DHIC
