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Hubbard gets grant for senior housing
By robert Guttersohn
Hubbard
The city received a $4.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for a 34-unit apartment complex for low-income seniors on the city’s north side.
“It’s another opportunity for people to stay in our community,” Mayor Richard Keenan said. “We knew there was a tremendous need for this.”
According to the 2010 U.S. Census, 23 percent of the city’s 7,874 people are over age 62.
HUD announced the grant Wednesday when it gave out a total of $749 million in grants toward projects across the country. Hubbard was one of six municipalities in Ohio selected for the grant.
Russel Osman from the Trumbull Housing Development Corp. said he worked closely with the city throughout the grant process that extended back to 2009.
When Keenan took over as mayor in 2010, he became one of the chief lobbyists. He and a few others from the city began writing letters to HUD.
“We sent letters expressing why we were interested in having the place,” he said.
One of the factors Keenan pointed out in his letter was the collaborative effort in Hubbard to take care of its elderly, such as the senior-citizen van that is driven by volunteers.
“We got a great community of volunteers that all help each other,” he said.
Osman said in the end it was the safety of the city and the close proximity of amenities that won Hubbard the grant.
The complex will be built on Myron Street, a few blocks away from Hubbard Road, the city’s main commercial hub.
It will be the third senior-living center in the city. Hubbard Manor and West Park Manor have a waiting list of six months to a year, Keenan said.