A $3 Million Renovation Project Preserves an Affordable Senior Community in Texas

National Church Residences finishes a $3 million renovation to preserve a three-decade-old affordable senior housing community in Cleburne, Texas. Plateau Ridge was built in 1988 under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) 202 program. All 50 independent-living apartments in 13 buildings received upgrades that included freshly painted walls, new cabinets, appliances, windows, fixtures and flooring. Other modifications improved accessibility, such as the development of new handicap parking spaces, replacing handrails and building ramps for easier access to sidewalks.

“With 10,000 seniors turning 70 every day, it’s critical to preserve existing affordable housing to prevent displacement of seniors who want to remain in the community they know and feel comfortable living in,” said Matt Rule, National Church Residences senior vice president of development. “Building an affordable senior housing community is not a one-time project because residents’ expectations change, so do regulations governing affordable housing, as well as new innovations in senior care.”

Additional improvements were made to the community room and lighting throughout the campus, while a new business center and fitness room were added for residents use. Crews increased the number of outdoor amenities on the campus with a closed-in patio, gazebo, park benches, flower beds, and a walking/jogging path around the perimeter.

Strong local partnerships helped make the renovation of Plateau Ridge possible, said Rule. Funding for the renovations was provided by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA), the National Equity Fund and Bank of America. The project is further supported by HUD through a rental subsidy and Service Coordinator grant. The architectural firm, Alliance Architects, designed the updates and additions to help modernize Plateau Ridge, while general contractor, Peterson Construction, carried out the day-to-day work over 12 months to transform the apartments, common spaces and outdoor campus.

In part, the success of this project can be credited to the Plateau Senior Pride resident association for submitting a letter of support to TDHCA. The City of Cleburne passed a formal resolution of support to back the application to TDHCA, while Representative DeWayne Burns, representing the 58^th District of the Texas House of Representatives, also provided a letter of support for securing funds for this project.

National Church Residences has a strong presence in Texas, with 1,760 units of senior housing spread across 29 communities in the state.

About National Church Residences

National Church Residences serves more than 42,000 seniors through its array of housing and health care services. The not-for-profit organization is driven by a vision of advancing better living for all seniors, enabling them to remain home for life. With 340 communities in 25 states, it is the nation’s largest not-for-profit provider of affordable senior housing and the largest manager of service coordinators. The organization also offers residential senior communities, home and community-based services, as well as permanent supportive housing for the formerly homeless and disabled. For more information, visit us at NationalChurchResidences.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.