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April 2006Vol. 7, No. 3Housing for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren

A new apartment complex in the Bronx, New York, houses a unique clientele of grandparents raising their grandchildren. In most cases, grandparents obtained custody of their grandchildren because the children's parents died, were incarcerated, or had their parental rights terminated because of substance abuse, mental illness, or child neglect. Grandparents stepped in to take care of the children, even though many did not have the financial capacity to do so.

The 50 apartments in the GrandParent Family Apartments offer an affordable housing option to these low-income grandparents. They also offer a variety of services designed especially for this population and its wide age range. For instance, grandparents have access to a social worker, support groups, and parenting classes. Children can receive tutoring and take part in social events. Group meals are often made available for everyone.

The project is the result of a public-private collaboration among three groups:

  • Presbyterian Senior Services sponsored the project, receiving money from low-income housing programs to produce equity for funding; they also provide the onsite services to residents.
  • West Side Federation For Senior and Supportive Housing served as the developer.
  • New York City Housing Authority donated the land and rental subsidies.

Local, State, Federal, and private funds contributed to the project.

For more information about GrandParent Family Apartments, contact:

David Taylor, Presbyterian Senior Services, dtaylor@pssusa.org
Laura Jervis, West Side Federation For Senior and Supportive Housing, ljervis@wsfssh.org