Belleville House in North Kingstown celebrated

THE TRANSFORMATION OF ST. BERNARD'S CHURCH INTO 35 affordable units for senior citizens was celebrated by officials on Thursday. / COURTESY RHODE ISLAND HOUSING
THE TRANSFORMATION OF ST. BERNARD'S CHURCH INTO 35 affordable units for senior citizens was celebrated by officials on Thursday. / COURTESY RHODE ISLAND HOUSING

NORTH KINGSTOWN – Thirty-five new, affordable homes for senior citizens built at the former St. Bernard’s Roman Catholic Church were celebrated on Thursday.
Officials from Church Community Housing Corporation, Washington County Community Development Corporation, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Rhode Island Housing Resources Commission, Rhode Island Housing and community partners attended the event.
The historic church building and associated parish hall on Tower Hill Road have been transformed into the Belleville House, a $7.7 million project which features one manager’s apartment and 35 handicapped-accessible rental homes for seniors who wish to remain independent and stay in their community.
The first phase, completed in May 2012, constructed 20 one-bedroom apartments in the former church and added a new addition to the rear of the building. Developers finished the second phase in June, creating another 15 one-bedroom apartments in the former parish hall, which was a separate building at the rear of property.
Financing for the project came from the federal HOME program, Building Homes Rhode Island and Community Development Block Grant funds through the town of North Kingstown. The Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly Program, which earmarks federal funds for homes with supportive services for low-income seniors, played a major role in the creation of these rental homes, according to a press release from Rhode Island Housing.
“Here at Belleville House we see just how powerful partnerships between and among federal, state and local agencies can be when we link our investments to provide much-needed supportive housing for the elderly. Congratulations to Church Community Housing and all of the partners for their commitment to creating affordable housing in Rhode Island,” Nancy Smith Greer, HUD Rhode Island Field Office director, said in a statement.
Each year, Rhode Island Housing receives approximately $3 million in federal HOME funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). These funds finance both rental and homeownership opportunities. Additionally, they are used to acquire property, rehabilitate existing properties and construct new affordable homes. In North Kingstown alone, HOME has assisted with the development of 69 affordable homes since 1995.
St. Bernard’s Church was built in 1874. Developers purchased the property in early 2011 after the parish constructed a new church down the street. Although the building was in relatively good repair at time of the acquisition, an extensive rehabilitation and additional new construction was required in order to convert the building from a church to residential use.
Residents who are 62 years and older with an income at or below 50 percent of the area median income are able to live in the new senior community.
Belleville House residents pay 30 percent of their adjusted monthly income (currently, income limits are $25,300 for a single person and $29,900 for a two-person household). HUD provides a Project Rental Assistance Contract to cover the difference between the limited rent each resident pays and what it costs to operate the development. A Resident Services Coordinator provides supportive services to the residents in order to assist them in their day-to-day activities.
“These homes are located in a community where there is not a surplus of affordable housing for seniors,” Carol Ventura, deputy director of Rhode Island Housing, said in a statement. “It not only meets the needs of the seniors wanting to live in North Kingstown, but it also helps the town achieve the affordable housing goals set by the state of Rhode Island. Safe, healthy and affordable homes for seniors are needed throughout our state, not just in the urban core.”

No posts to display