Senior Housing in Demand in Emmaus

If you or your parents want to live at 333 Ridge St., part of the Lehigh County Housing Authority, you’ll have to wait three or four years for a one-bedroom unit. Right now there is a waiting list of 100 people.

To get on that waiting list, a prospective residents must be 62 or older, or disabled, and preference is given to Lehigh County residents, although a potential resident can be from anywhere, because the Housing Authority receives federal funds.

For one of the 75,550-square-foot units, residents pay 30 percent of their monthly income for rent and utilities. Many of them are single women, usually widows, although there are couples, too. Dan Beers, Lehigh County Housing Authority executive director, says, "It’s a major downsizing effort to move here from a home."

Most of the residents are much older than 62, and stay in their apartments 10 or 15 years. "Stays are getting longer with advances in medicine and home health care," says Beers.

Parking is a problem on Ridge Street. When the structure was built in 1983 the planners didn’t think all the residents would keep their cars, so only 50 percent of the units have a parking space. Other residents are left to park on Third or Ridge Street, which is a problem for seniors in the winter who have to dig out plowed-in cars.

Beers says there’s no issue with homeowners on Third and Ridge Streets because of seniors parking there on a regular basis. "We only get positive feedback from the community," he says.

In contrast, the building behind 333 Ridge, called Ridge Manor ll, and the building at 635 Broad St., are Section 8 housing units that charge a flat $560 rent and the residents pay their own utilities. Income for residents can be no more that 50 percent of the national median income, which is a little less that $30,000 a year, or $34,000 for a couple.

Getting into 635 Broad St. is much easier than the Ridge Street facility. The Broad Street waiting list is only six months. 333 Ridge St. is much closer for walking to downtown Emmaus, although Broad Street has a parking spot for each of the 87 units.

All of the buildings have community rooms for card parties, bingo, and other activities. The community room at 333 Ridge St. hosts a location of the Lehigh County Office of Aging, providing games, crafts and activities to anyone over 60, not just residents of 333 Ridge St.

The Office of Aging also provides a daily lunch for anyone in the community age 60 or over. While the meal costs $5.10, anonymous donations are accepted. Reservations should be made a day in advance by calling 610- 965-2171.