Birchez Associates LLC, a Hudson Valley, N.Y., developer of affordable housing, recently celebrated the opening of The Birches at Esopus, an 80-unit, energy-efficient senior housing community. The Birches at Esopus is the first new construction to be completed and certified as a New York Energy Smart Building and the first low-rise construction to be completed as part of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s (NYSERDA) Multifamily Performance Program. The funding for Birches at Esopus was made possible through a combination of public and private money and the support of state and local politicians.
“As a result of the energy efficient technologies used throughout the complex, The Birches at Esopus has 36 percent less energy consumption than comparable buildings built to current building codes,” said Frank Murray, president and chief executive officer of NYSERDA, adding that 100 percent of the domestic hot water and 40 percent of the heat in the building is provided by solar technology.
The Birches at Esopus is the third senior community of its kind in the county developed by Birchez Associates, providing over 200 units of affordable senior housing. The other communities are located in the towns of Ulster and Saugerties. A fourth community, The Birches at Chambers, is currently under construction in Ulster.
“Recent announcements about freezing cost-of-living adjustments for Social Security payments, along with rising Medicare drug premiums, have left many seniors worried about how they will afford food, medication and decent housing,” said Steven L. Aaron, founder and managing partner of Birchez Associates. “At The Birches of Esopus, all of our units are designed to maintain affordability for our seniors.”
