Buckeye Fields
Appalachian Ohio has an exceptional need for development of affordable housing. Being a poorer part of the state with older housing stock and an aging population, there is a great demand for affordable senior housing. The low allowable rents required do not attract the typical senior housing developers.
Buckeye Hills Support Services—a non profit formed for the purpose of supporting the region’s seniors and those with disabilities--is determined to provide high-quality, affordable senior housing by deploying multiple strategies to attract and efficiently use every dollar available for its development and operation. This extraordinary initiative focuses on transforming land on the old Washington County Home just outside Marietta, Ohio into a community for senior citizens called Buckeye Fields.
Buckeye Fields Senior Apartments will provide 64 single-unit apartments on land owned by Washington County. The land is currently a farm surrounding the Washington County Home, which has been providing social services to the elderly, disabled, and indigent continuously on the site since 1840. The community will consist of 18 4-unit apartment buildings and one administrative/common building. Construction and operating costs will be kept low by a number of innovative means, including:
Collaboration on service provision from Washington County, the State of Ohio, Jobs and Family Services, SNAP, and community college work-study participation.
Supportive services provided by the local area agency on aging, including (but not limited to) benefits counseling, Medicare Part D enrollment assistance, primary health promotion, nutrition and wellness, coordination of in-home nurse and physical therapist visits, and general information and referrals.
Incorporation of renewable energy in the form of solar panels, which will reduce the property’s operating costs and pass the savings on to the residents (whose utilities will be covered by rents).
Leasing the land on favorable terms from Washington County.
Modular design to speed construction and keep costs low.
By modeling collaboration between the public and private sectors and through incorporating social drivers of health, Buckeye Fields is a showcase for affordable housing development in economically distressed areas around and beyond Ohio.
“This partnership between Buckeye Hills Support Services, Buckeye Hills Regional Council, Washington County Job & Family Services, Marietta Community Foundation, Washington-Morgan Community Action, and the O’Neill Center is an exciting new chapter for our region. Since 1974, BHRC has been southeast Ohio’s Area Agency on Aging, helping seniors maintain their independence in their homes and communities. And as the region’s council of governments, our members embraced the opportunity to form BHSS to build on our experience responsibly managing public projects and recognizing the region’s growing need for affordable senior housing.””
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How can I apply for an apartment at Buckeye Fields?
The application period is not yet open. However, intake and application information will be posted on bhss.org and in local media once applications are available.
2. Will Buckeye Fields accept Section 8 vouchers?
We will work closely with the Housing Authority to make sure that section 8 voucher and certificate holders are welcomed in the community. These households are paying 30% of their income for rent, regardless of how low their income is. The section 8 voucher payment picks up the rest of the rent.
3. How much will rent be at Buckeye Fields?
All rents will be set so that they are affordable based upon federal standards of affordability, targeting seniors at 50% of median income or below. We will publish rents and assist prospective residents in income certification to become eligible as the units are completed.
Rents will be set after the final budget has been approved but it is important to note that all these rents would be affordable under the Department of Housing and Urban Development standards. BHSS will file a land-use restriction ensuring that rents will remain affordable for period of greater than 30 years after construction is completed. This is the longest such commitment in the state and evidence of BHSS long-term commitment to the community.
4. How can I get more information?
The website for Buckeye Hills Support Services is bhss.org. We will also establish an email list for further information on the project as it develops and we can promise to post information on our website as we progress throughout 2020. We are proud of this new community and are enthusiastic about sharing it with our region’s seniors.