A new 40-unit affordable housing community is central to a citywide effort to improve residents’ health in Akron, Ohio.
Developed by the East Akron Neighborhood Development Corp. (EANDC), Middlebury Commons is part of the community’s strategy to transform an area of disinvestment into a neighborhood of choice.
The property, which serves low-income seniors, benefits from investments made by nearby anchors East End Development, Summa Health, and the University of Akron under a nationally recognized partnership known as “Invest Health” funded by the Reinvestment Fund and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Recent statistics reveal a shortage of over 13,000 affordable and available units for low- and moderate-income renters in the area, says Cheryl L. Stephens, president and CEO of EANDC. “Our piece is incredibly important to generate housing that’s affordable for seniors.”
The $11 million Middlebury Commons provides one- and two-bedroom apartments for residents earning no more than 30%, 50%, and 60% of the area median income. The property is designed to provide supportive services such as making meals, light housekeeping, and transportation for residents.
The apartments are on the second and third floors while a health clinic and retail space anchor the ground level. A hospital is just a mile away. Once a food desert, the area has a new supermarket to serve residents of Middlebury Commons and others in the neighborhood.
“Facilitating housing for our seniors with a focus on creating healthy opportunities for them is incredibly important in our communities across the country,” Stephens says.
