The Enfield Housing Authority (EHA) wants to spend $25 million to redevelop and expand an elderly housing complex in town because the current facility lacks size and is too costly to operate, officials said.
EHA, which builds and manages local affordable housing, in December filed a special permit application with the town to redevelop and expand Enfield Manor, an 80-unit elderly housing complex at 17 Enfield Terrace to house an additional 19 units, for a total of 99.
A public hearing on the proposed redevelopment is slated for the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission meeting on Feb. 14, a town official said Thursday.
The town’s Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Agency and Historic District Commission have already granted approvals for the project, according to the town.
Scott Bertrand, the housing authority’s executive director, on Friday said potential groundbreaking and completion dates are undetermined, contingent on it being approved for low-income housing tax credits. The application period to seek the state financing begins in fall 2019.
Bertrand said the application process is competitive and sometimes takes several attempts before funding is granted.
Redeveloping Enfield Manor, he estimated, will cost about $25 million based on similar projects completed by other developers. Final estimates will come after the project goes out to bid.
Authority officials said the elderly housing complex, while safe and maintained over decades, has “become functionally and fiscally obsolete.” The apartment units also lack amenities to accomodate the needs of today’s elderly population and individuals with disabilities, the application said.
The floor area for the new apartments would be increased by 755 square feet and each building would house common spaces including laundry and recreation rooms. Residential storage areas would also be available in each building’s basement and 115 parking spaces would be provided.
The application said there will be no significant traffic impacts.
Built in 1964, Enfield Manor, located between Nutmeg Avenue and the driveway to Enfield High School, currently houses a mix of studio and one-bedroom apartments. The development sits across 11.8 acres, bordering Interstate 91 on its eastern edges.
In addition to operating Enfield Manor, the housing authority, founded in 1948, also oversees six other properties, including Ella Grasso Manor, Green Valley Village and Woodside Park apartments. It also operates the Windsor Court Elderly Housing complex and the Mark Twain Congregate Living Center, which was renovated for $1.7 million in 2014.
Housing authority tenants must be ages 62 or older or disabled as certified by the Social Security Administration, or other federal boards or agencies, according to its website. Rents are based on the occupant’s income.
Depending on the unit size, as of Jan. 1, monthly rents at Enfield Manor range from $411 or $441, the website said.
