Senior/Disabled Housing Expansion Clears Key Hurdle In West Hartford

WEST HARTFORD, CT — Local leaders have approved a new lease agreement that allows the operators of a large West Hartford senior/disabled housing complex to seek funds to renovate and expand its offerings.

The West Hartford Town Council Jan. 24 voted 6-0 with three abstentions to approve a new lease for the complex, which allows West Hartford Fellowship Housing Inc., to seek the grant funds.

Council members Leon Davidoff and Alberto Cortes currently serve on the board of directors for WHFH and recused themselves from deliberations and a vote.

In addition, Councilperson Mary Fay wasn't available at the public hearing on the matter Jan. 10, so she recused herself as well.

The vote technically directs West Hartford Town Manager Ledwith to execute the lease with the WHFH.

Ledwith said the project will up the complex's unit offerings from 161 to 256, with 65 deemed affordable, which is in line with town goals to increase affordable housing in West Hartford.

"There's a significant need in West Hartford," Ledwith said, adding the project will improve the quality of life for folks currently living there as well.

"This is something that's been a long time coming," West Hartford Mayor Shari Cantor said. "This has really been years and years of commitment to get to this point."

"The desire to improve those spaces is something that the board has wanted to do for a long time," Cantor said of the WHFH board.

The lease is for 10-50 Starkel Road, where the nonprofit WHFH operates the affordable rental housing campus for elderly and mobility-impaired individuals on town-owned property.

It's been doing that for more than five decades and was operating on a 75-year lease that dates to November 1968 with the town.

WHFH has plans to expand the amount of units there by 50 percent, as well as update the existing units by improving accessibility, creating program areas and program spaces and improving security and safety there.

In order to get grant funding for this, however, WHFH needed to create a new corporate entity — the WHFH Development Corp. — and secure a new, long-term lease with the town.

The council's approval Jan. 24 extends its current lease by 99 years with the newly created entity, thereby freeing it up to receive significant grant funding for the expansion/renovation.

For the minutes of the Jan. 24 West Hartford Town Council meeting, click on this link.

From Jan. 23: 'Key Vote Slated For West Hartford Senior/Disabled Housing Expansion'

For more information on West Hartford Fellowship Housing, click on this link.