TWIN GABLES
AHOSKIE, NC
Contact Person: Cynthia
Davis, Deputy Secretary
Mid-East Development Corporation
PO Box 1787
Washington, NC 27889
Phone: (919) 946-8043
COMMUNITY DESCRIPTION
Ahoskie, North Carolina (population 4,500) is located in the northeastern part of the state not far from the Virginia border. This small community is also the largest in Hertford County, whose 22,500 residents include 2,700 seniors. The population has been fairly stable over the last decade and is steadily aging.
BACKGROUND HISTORY
Many of the area’s seniors were fairly self-sufficient, yet needed some help in caring for themselves. Many also lived alone and were lonely. With their strong community ties, they wanted to hold onto familiar social, religious, and recreational institutions. They did not want or need to move to a nursing home. Most local senior housing either did not offer services or were too expensive for those on fixed incomes.
PROJECT INITIATIVE
The 1991 North Carolina Aging Services Plan outlined a 10-year program for meeting older adults’ special housing needs, recognizing that older adults needed affordable housing with access to support services. The 1993 plan, which addressed the rise in the oldest old, stressed the importance of developing a unified health and social services system that would increase consumer choice and meet individual needs. The successful strategy grew from involving local citizens from the beginning of the project.
The Mid-East Commission, a regional council located in Washington, NC, established a non-profit (Mid-East Development Corporation) to address affordable housing issues and to promote linking health and human services with housing. The non-profit’s Board of Directors was composed of representatives from the Mid-East Commission’s Board of Directors. One of the first initiatives the nonprofit undertook was to plan a new housing project in a rural setting that utilized existing community based services to enhance an older adult’s ability to remain in their community. The Mid-East Development Corporation worked closely with state (NC Division of Aging and NC Housing Finance Agency) and federal agencies (US Rural Development - formerly Farmers Home Administration) to develop the idea into a reality.
The housing type chosen was a shared group residence. It was considered critical that the structure not look like a nursing home and that it blend aesthetically with the rest of the neighborhood. Twin Gables neither looks nor operates like a nursing home: it is a single-story gray house with white trim, a spacious front porch complete with rocking chairs, and a gazebo. Its homey atmosphere has helped ease seniors’ fears about leaving their own homes. Construction began in 1992 and was completed in 1993.
Twin Gables is designed to accommodate people who are at least 62 and can care for themselves or need minimal assistance. The eight-bedroom house is located in a quiet neighborhood near downtown and shopping. Residents have private, lockable bedrooms and shared living, dining, and kitchen areas. They are expected to participate actively on the house operating and activities committees. They may come and go as they please, mingle with other residents, or spend private time in their rooms. This arrangement has been called "a modern version of an extended family" and has been of special benefit to those who have decreased mobility or who no longer wish to live alone.
Each apartment includes a basic service package of one meal per day, housekeeping in shared areas, transportation twice a week to any local site, recreation, social activities, and non-medical personal services. This is not a licensed care facility, so each resident must assume responsibility for him/herself or may purchase services from area providers.
FUNDING
Twin Gables was the first shared group residence for seniors funded by the federal Farmers Home Administration (FmHA). The Area Agency on Aging of the Mid-East Commission received a FmHA loan of $232,895 for 50 years at 1% interest and a North Carolina Housing Trust Fund loan of $28,188 for 5 years at 3% interest. The loans will be repaid through a combination of rental contributions and subsidies from US Rural Development. Donations from the community helped buy furniture and other household goods.
US Rural Development’s rural rental assistance program subsidizes rent for income eligible tenants. The maximum amount is set at 30% of adjusted gross yearly income. To date, tenant’s rental contributions have ranged from $100 to $260 per month. The basic rent for tenants has not increased in the three years the property has been in operation.
CHALLENGES
The concept of a shared group home was new to most Ahoskie seniors. They had heard only of licensed care homes and believed that local needs were currently served. Others were wary of living in the same house as others, citing concerns about privacy and security. These barriers were overcome through making the building homelike, locating it in a residential neighborhood convenient to downtown, and spreading the idea of the home providing "an extended family".
CURRENT STATUS
The service package is provided through a separate contract between the Mid-East Development Corporation, the non-profit owner, and the Mid-East Commission Area Agency on Aging. The Hertford County Office of Aging provides services for $108 per unit per month. Housekeeping in private rooms and other personal services can be arranged separately by the resident.
Residents have been highly satisfied, keeping the house fully occupied and with a sizable waiting list. They treat it as if it were their home. Their frugal habits, such as turning off lights when not in the room, have enabled Twin Gables to more than meet its expenses. Rental income has covered operations, maintenance, insurance, onsite management, and some debt retirement.