July 2024

Seniors Settling in Sunderland

Betti Kern has nothing but praise for Sanderson Place, the affordable senior housing community she moved into last March.

The 85-year-old widow enjoys everything about it – from the views of Mount Sugarloaf, and the surrounding farmland and wetlands, to the expansive outdoor deck where she can connect with nature and her neighbors, to the proximity to the town library, a church, and corner store.

But most importantly, Kern, who spent most of her savings paying medical expenses and caring for her husband when he suffered a stroke that left him partially paralyzed, appreciates living in a safe, affordable, and clean home.

“I’m so grateful to have this wonderful place to live in,” said Kern, who refers to Sanderson Place as the “best gift.”

Sanderson Place, a 33-unit apartment community for lower-income seniors, is situated on 2.9 acres in Sunderland, Massachusetts. It was developed by Rural Development Inc. with construction financing from Greenfield Savings Bank, which secured a $600,000 subsidized advance and $500,000 Affordable Housing Program grant through FHLBank Boston.

“Like most of the Commonwealth, there’s a severe need for affordable housing in Franklin County. We’re no different than most other parts of Massachusetts,” said A.J. Bresciano, first vice president, commercial loan officer. “There was no affordable senior housing in Sunderland prior to Sanderson Place.”

Apartments at Sanderson Place are rented to people 62 years old and older earning anywhere from 30% up to 60% of the area median income. Kern, who rented her previous home for $1,895 per month, now pays $1,206 per month for a two-bedroom apartment at Sanderson Place.

Gina Govoni, executive director of Franklin County Regional Housing and Redevelopment Authority and Rural Development Inc., said her team worked closely with a committee of town volunteers that included architects who were focused on designing a community that would fit into its surroundings and the historic streetscape along North Main Street.

There was no affordable senior housing in Sunderland prior to Sanderson Place.

A.J. Bresciano

First Vice President, Commercial Loan Officer

Greenfield Savings Bank

Older farmhouses with barns are not uncommon throughout Sunderland. With that in mind, the architects and developers restored a historic farmhouse on the site into three ground-floor apartments and constructed a new barn red building with an elevator behind it to form an L-shaped village with a courtyard.

The Western Massachusetts chapter of the American Institute of Architects recognized Sanderson Place and the architect of the development, Austin Design Cooperative, for its design.

Most of the housing being built in Sunderland and surrounding communities is geared for students, according to Govoni.

“Housing has been developed but it doesn’t meet the needs of the aging population in terms of accessibility or air quality,” said Govoni.

At Sanderson Place, all the homes have accessible bathrooms and the kitchens have been built to make them accessible if the need arises. For example, the countertops are set on brackets and can be lowered.

Sanderson Place includes energy efficient features like solar panels and an Energy Recovery Ventilator system, which aids in clean air flow. These features are having a positive health impact for tenants.

One resident who is an asthmatic and lifelong user of an inhaler, has been able to stop using the inhaler since moving into Sanderson Place, said Govoni. Another resident, who previously lived in an older two-family house and needed to be carried down a flight of stairs by their adult child, can now move around more freely in their new home at Sanderson Place.

All the residents have access to an onsite coordinator employed by LifePath, a company that offers home care services to older adults and people with disabilities in Western and Central Massachusetts. The coordinator ensures that residents receive support services if they need them.

“Many residents have said they feel like they’ve won the lottery. I’m thrilled to see the community that they have created,” said Govoni.