BMA Management announced the opening of Heritage Woods of Belvidere, the first affordable assisted living community located in Boone County, IL.
Funding for the $22 million project came from a variety of areas, including the Illinois Housing Development Authority, which provided $10 million in financing form the Federal Stimulus Package. In addition, the community received a loan insured by the Federal Housing Administration for nearly $10.9 million and a $384,000 grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago.
“It is so exciting to be opening Heritage Woods during Supportive Living Week, a special time set aside to tell people the good news about the Supportive Living program here in Illinois,” Blair Minton, Founder of BMA, told those in attendance at the VIP Preview Party held on April 28. “The Supportive Living program enables us to provide a wonderful residential alternative to a nursing home to older adults of all incomes, including those on Medicaid, who need some help to maintain their independence,” says Minton.
With an occupancy rate of 55%, the community has 120 private apartments, each with its own kitchenette, private bathroom with shower, and emergency response system. Certified nursing assistants will be on-duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week to help residents with medications and provide them with the personal assistance they need.
Previously, county residents were forced to leave the area to find affordable assisted living.
Based in Bradley, Illinois, BMA Management is the largest provider of affordable assisted living in Illinois and one of the 25 largest providers of assisted living in the country. The company operates 34 senior communities, housing more than 3,000 homes and apartments. Thirty-one of the communities feature affordable assisted living, with the ability to serve adults 65 and older of all incomes.
On average, 60% of the residents in these communities are on Medicaid.
