PARKERSBURG – Linda Sartor will tell you that three really is the magic number.
She recently moved back to her hometown to be closer to her brother and sister. The first apartment she lived in was, in her words, terrible.
The second place was better, but it was a building filled with smokers and her lungs were constantly irritated. She was searching for a new home when she heard about Parkersburg Elderly Housing.
“You know they say three times is a charm. I have a charm,” Sartor said of her new home. “This is my charm.”
Sartor’s new home has two bedrooms, a spacious kitchen, a dining and living room combo, a large utility closet, a well-appointed bathroom and a laundry area.
She shares her apartment with a mellow little chihuahua named Peanut, who has been her companion for 12 years.
“He’s my buddy,” Sartor said.
Although she’s only been there about a month, Sartor said she’s delighted with the development.
Because she still works part time at a nearby funeral home or is out visiting family, Sartor often comes home after dark. She said the parking lot is well-lit and monitored by state-of-the-art security cameras, so she feels safe.
When she’s home, Sartor likes to make greeting cards. She has devoted an entire room to the endeavor.
“I love to make them and send them,” she said.
The development, which was built on the former site of Rayon School on the city’s south end, has 40 two-bedroom units that are all handicap-accessible or convertible and open to people age 55 and older who qualify based on income. The building features on-site maintenance, secured entry and a large community room.
The $7 million project was developed by Ohio-based Neighborhood Development Services Inc., a nonprofit organization. The building was funded, in part, through the West Virginia Housing Development Fund’s Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program. This program generates low-income residential rental units by encouraging private investment through federal tax credits. Since its inception, LIHTCP has produced more than 15,000 affordable rental units in West Virginia.
Erica Boggess, the Fund’s Executive Director, said Parkersburg Elderly Housing fills a vital need.
“We are excited about this development and proud to be part of a team that is clearly dedicated to helping older West Virginia residents have safe, quality affordable housing,” she said.
Find out more about the Fund’s Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program.
