Jennings is just a couple of weeks away from opening a new 44-unit senior citizen housing center in the city’s disenfranchised 4th Ward. Last October, the city celebrated the groundbreaking of Senior Transitional Accommodations & Recreation, LLC (STAR) Residences. Now that the center is nearly complete, it’s developer, Lewis McKinney, wants to attract potential resident applicants.
On Friday, October 28, McKinney, a certified minority-owned business enterprise developer, gave The American a tour of the three-story living space which includes rooms for recreation, wellness activities, a library, fitness center, computer facilities, a coffee room and community lounge.
“We built the building because we wanted to provide support for the need in the community, which is residential housing – safe, affordable and decent housing for seniors in this community,” McKinney told The American.
McKinney said Jennings was chosen as the location for the STAR Residences because it has a large aging population.
STAR Residences received a small grant from the state called Naturally Occurring Retirement Community (NORC). With the grant, seniors who are 60 years old or older and live within a two-mile diameter of STAR Residences can use the facility’s resources. Research from NORC says seniors who are provided resources from senior-living facilities are delayed from going to a nursing home and avoid the task of moving in with their children.
STAR Residences is set to open on December 1 and is currently seeking candidates who are 55 years old or older. The housing units are approximately 850 square feet with ceilings 11 feet tall on the first floor. They include two bedrooms and one bathroom with front loader washing and dryer with all electric appliances. The units, which have low-hanging cabinets and wheelchair-accessible showers, meet the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines. The expected rent cost will start at $495 a month, and the electric bill is estimated at $50 a month because of the building’s energy-efficient heating and cooling system.
Up next for McKinney is building affordable housing for families.
“We saw a need to provide something that was very much needed, which was economic development in this area,” he said, “as well as providing housing for the underserved population.”
Alexandria Place is the name of expected housing development, which will be located at the intersection of Halls Ferry and St. Cyr roads. Building for the homes is expected to begin next year. McKinney also hopes to build a transitional home community for veterans as well.
“STAR Residences is just a community which is part of a larger community, which is the continuum of care concept,” McKinney told The American. “We’re working under the umbrella of our A Caring Plus Foundation, which is a non-profit, but as you can see our motto is ‘now you’re home.’”
