Saugus holds groundbreaking for new elderly housing project

SAUGUS-Officials finally broke ground Wednesday on a housing project at the corner of Talbot and Denver streets that was more than four years in the making.Members of the Saugus Housing Authority, along with Greater Lynn Senior Services and Indian Rock Supportive Housing, officially lifted their shovels to break ground on Sachem Manor, a supportive living complex designed for elderly residents.The act was only a celebratory display since the foundation for the 20 one-bedroom unit affordable housing project was poured nearly a month ago.Nonetheless, SHA Executive Director Steven Whitehurst said he was thrilled to be there.”I will be more excited once it opens, but this is good too,” he said.The project has been in the planning stages since the late 1990s but it wasn’t until 2005 that GLSS and SHA were awarded a $2,576,900 grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.What has delayed the actual groundbreaking had nothing to do with funding or building issues and everything to do with the town’s Inflow and Infiltration problems.Selectman Peter Rossetti, who also serves on the Indian Rock Supportive Housing board, said they simply couldn’t afford the town’s I and I fees. While the project is being paid for strictly through state and federal grants, Rossetti said the language was clear that the grants could not be used to cover the I and I fee.”That’s what took so long,” he said. “We had to wait until the I and I fees went down. . . it almost killed the project.”GLSS Executive Director Ron Airey said the project was particularly timely since the need for elderly housing is one of the fastest growing markets. He said in a few years there would 27,000 subsidized housing units coming off line and transitioning to market rates.”And the number of elderly keeps going up and up and up,” he said. “Senior housing will become a bigger and bigger demand.”Whitehurst said he expects Sachem Manor will be completed in early 2009.When it is complete, Airey said it would not only provide housing for very low-income elders aged 62 and older, but would also meet their needs 24/7.”It’s a win-win for everyone,” he said.