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Why Not Create and Maintain Senior Housing in Yorktown For Elderly Residents? |
by Sheena Allen MURL Spring 2007 |
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Sheena Allen / MURL ABOVE LEFT: PA State Representative Shirley M. Kitchen, left, and Priscilla Woods pose for photographs after the Yorktown Arms Phase II celebration and the Phase I 10th Anniversary on February 14, 2007. ABOVE RIGHT: Ms. R Shula, right, and her granddaughter relax in her new apartment in the Phase II building of the Yorktown Arms senior living facility. |
Over 50 people gathered in the multi-purpose hall of Yorktown Arms located at 1300 Jefferson Street to celebrate the addition of the Phase II building efforts. They also were there to note the 10th anniversary of the first building, now dubbed Phase I. Held on February 14, 2007, this gave the participants something more to enjoy than a simple Valentine’s Day soiree — this was a celebration of two beautiful complexes that provide the senior citizens of Yorktown and the surrounding neighborhoods to stay in the area. The attendants of the celebration included representatives of the building company, T.M. Wood, elected officials, such as PA State Rep. Shirley M. Kitchen, and many of the senior residents and members of the Yorktown community. The ceremonial ribbon cutting was conducted, and afterward a resident of Arms Phase I spoke about her experiences in the unit. “Oh happy day, when I came to live in Yorktown Arms,” recited Mary Crawford from a poem she wrote as one of the first residents in the Phase I building. She recalled being thrilled to come to such a building, and remarked how she felt safe and comfortable inside her apartment. Phase I is a building that has around 50 apartments in it, and also has programs and support for residents who need extra help and assistance. Phase II is an additional 37 units added onto the original Phase I apartments built in 1997. Funding for these new apartments came from Sovereign Bank grants and loans, low income housing tax credits, and affordable housing program funds. This allowed Ms. R. Shula to move from 20th and Lehigh in a house she could no longer afford to a small, cozy apartment in the Phase II building of the Arms. “Sure I could have stayed there, but here I have just enough space.” Ms. Shula said about her accommodations at Yorktown Arms. Ms. Shula is still young but decided to move because she could no longer manage a house by herself, and found the apartments in Phase II to be “just right.” Others than spoke at the celebration included Priscilla Woods of the Yorktown Community Development Center, as well as President David Kee. Since 1988 the CDC worked toward establishing such a residency place for the elderly of Yorktown to “ensure future brightness,” as well as accommodate many of the Yorktown residents that were aging and could no longer live alone. “We have 100% occupancy in this building,” Mr. Kee said, which is one measure of how successful the Yorktown Phase I was. Surely Phase II will be no different. Even elected officials came out to show their support for the efforts of the CDC and to congratulate the new residents of Phase II. Shirley M. Kitchen, PA. State Rep. for the Yorktown area came and stressed the importance of keeping the elderly residents in their communities instead of shipping them elsewhere. She expressed pride over the new building and the efforts of Kee and Woods and others in the community, especially considering what could have happened to the land since it is both convenient to the downtown area and also a close neighbor of Temple University. “This is the hottest area of the city,” Kitchen said, “the most valuable land after Center City, and it is wonderful to see the older residents of Yorktown enjoying it.” |