The Senior Apartments at Cerone Includes 16 One-Bedroom Units for Formerly Homeless Older Adults

The New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance today announced the opening of The Senior Apartments at Cerone, which will provide 16 one-bedroom units of supportive housing in Colonie for older adults who have experienced homelessness. The project was developed in partnership with St. Paul's Center Inc., which was established in 2006 and has since provided temporary and emergency housing to more than 2,300 homeless mothers and their children in the Capital District.

“The redevelopment of this building creates much-needed safe and affordable apartments for older adults who have experienced homelessness, while providing them with easy access to essential support services that will help them live stable, independent lives in the community,” said New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance Commissioner Barbara C. Guinn. “We are grateful to Governor Hochul for her continued support of the Homeless Housing and Assistance Program and unwavering commitment to helping vulnerable New Yorkers break the cycle of homelessness.”

The $6.9 million project, supported with $5 million from OTDA's Homeless Housing and Assistance Program, involved the reuse of a former commercial/office space on Wolf Road in Colonie. Additionally, M&T Bank and the Community Loan Fund of the Capital Region provided $1.6 million and St. Paul's Center provided $212,000 for this project.

Operating funding for the supportive housing units is being provided by Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative (ESSHI) through the New York State Department of Health.

The building was adapted from commercial and office space and consequently has wide corridors, an abundance of parking, large apartments and ample storage. The Senior Apartments at Cerone also has a community room to host events, social activities, and workshops that address seniors' quality of life concerns. Support services to be provided include assistance with instrumental activities of daily living, after-hours crisis assistance, transportation services, and community-building activities aimed at reducing feelings of isolation.

“People experiencing homelessness face barriers to achieve basic needs such as adequate nutrition and health care, which can lead to preventable illness and death,” said State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald. “Access to housing and nutrition assistance are critical supports for older adults experiencing homelessness.”

“People experiencing homelessness face barriers to achieve basic needs such as adequate nutrition and health care, which can potentially lead to preventable illnesses or delayed development in children,” State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said. “Access to temporary housing and nutrition assistance are vital supports for families experiencing homelessness.”

“Seniors are the fastest growing unhoused population nationwide, being 11 percent of the unhoused in the early 1990s, growing to 37 percent in 2003, and now almost 50 percent in the 2020s. In New York State, the number of unhoused seniors aged 65 and older more than tripling in recent years, driven by factors like lack of affordable housing and fixed incomes,” said Tracy Pitcher, executive director of St. Paul's Center. “When economic instability increases, so does the risk of homelessness. St. Paul's Center is dedicated to working closely with these aging adults, providing them with stable housing and support vital to an improved quality of life.”

The Homeless Housing and Assistance Program (HHAP) is an important component of Governor Hochul's five-year, $25 billion Housing Plan to create or preserve 100,000 affordable homes statewide, including 10,000 with support services for vulnerable populations, plus the electrification of an additional 50,000 homes. In addition to playing a central role in the development of permanent supportive housing in New York State, HHAP provides capital funding that is vital to constructing, rehabilitating, and repairing emergency shelters.