Four Innovative Senior Housing Models Win MetLife Foundation Awards

Four senior housing organizations were recognized for their innovative approaches to affordable accommodations and care for the elderly with awards from the MetLife Foundation and Enterprise Community Partners.

Christian Church Homes (CCH) of Northern California, Mercy Housing Lakefront and Neighborhood Housing Services, REACH Community Development, and Presbyterian Senior Living (PSL) are the winners of the 2013 MetLife Foundation Awards for Excellence in Affordable Housing.

Each organization will receive $50,000 in unrestricted grant funds to further their affordable housing efforts and “innovation in green, health care, and service-enriched housing for low-income seniors.” 

“MetLife Foundation Award recipients have created forward-thinking, resident-centered programs by fulfilling current needs and anticipating future requirements of the aging population,” said Dennis White, President and CEO of the MetLife Foundation, in a statement. “We are pleased to join with Enterprise in recognizing their leadership and innovation in creating replicable service models for the country’s growing senior population.”

CCH was recognized for its work at Sierra Meadows in Visalia, Calif., where it employs a resident-centered service model for the 43-unit development that uses property management, operations, and administrative staff to coordinate and maximize care and services for its extremely low-income residents.

Mercy Housing received the award for its work at Roseland Place Senior Apartments in Chicago, Ill., a newly-constructed 60-unit independent living community  that’s part of an affordable continuum of care campus.

REACH Community Development was able to successfully complete an in-place rehabilitation of Walnut Park Apartments in Portland, Ore., where it created 38 energy-efficient, service-enriched apartments for senior and disabled residents. 

The fourth winner, PSL, was recognized for its senior care model at Presbyterian Apartments in Harrisburg, Pa., where the organization proactively assesses resident health status and works closely with the local healthcare system, PinnacleHealth, to implement health interventions that help residents manage chronic diseases. The 112-unit community feature san onsite clinic that tracks residents’ healthcare progress, which has led to a 49% reduction in rehospitalizations.

“This year’s recipients have adeptly responded to the increased need to connect primary and preventative health to senior housing, while navigating the ever-changing health care landscape,” said Victoria Shire, Vice President of Enterprise’s Vulnerable Populations division, in a statement. “These organizations have determined how to best direct internal resources and how to leverage external partnerships to ensure their residents receive maximum services within a safe, healthy, supportive environment to enjoy their lives.”