by J. Brooks Terry
Staff Writer
One of downtown’s oldest retirement communities recently opened the doors to a slightly younger crowd.
Upon finalizing an agreement with Housing and Urban Development, Cathedral Terrace on Ocean Street will now allow seniors ages 55 years and older to move in. Until very recently the 22-story downtown high rise set the standard at 62.
One of four developments managed by Cathedral Residences, Cathedral Terrace is designed for retired seniors who are able to live without assistance.
“We were constantly getting approached by people younger than 62 who wanted to become residents,” said Ann Thompson, Cathedral Residences administrator. “It was very common, and we thought it would be a good idea because we had nearly a dozen vacancies. We just couldn’t allow them to move in.”
To amend that, representatives from the retirement community made a plea to HUD, which is responsible for subsidizing Cathedral Residences housing projects.
According to Thompson, nearly three months of back-and-forth negotiating led to a new arrangement.
“HUD agreed to lower the age requirement to 55, but [seniors under 62] will not be eligible for a subsidized rate,” she said. “They will be required to pay the full market value of $639 per month, but utilities will still be included.”
Residents 62 years and older are still eligible for subsidized rates.
City Council members including Pat Lockett-Felder and Suzanne Jenkins, whose districts embrace much of downtown, supported the change.
“If the requirements have been lowered, then there is obviously a need, and I support it,” said Jenkins. “I truly believe seniors add to the flavor of downtown and they help give it that mix you need. It’s not just your younger people who enjoy the night life. It takes everyone to add to the rich fabric.”
Jenkins added anyone who is willing to “be a downtown pioneer, should get that chance.”
Thompson agreed.
“We’re very happy this worked out,” she said. “Many of the calls we were getting about vacancies were from downtown workers, active seniors, who wanted to live downtown without paying for something much more expensive.”
Thompson said Cathedral Residences will likely publicize the new requirements through various forms of advertising including print media and word-of-mouth.
“We really want to get that word out because this is something that a lot of people were asking about,” she said. “We hope we’ll fill the vacancies pretty quickly. That would be a good thing for everyone.”