PSSM opens apartments for low-income seniors

Special to The Criterion

Providence Self Sufficiency Ministries Inc. (PSSM) is accepting applications for residency at The Meadows of Guérin Inc., 24 one-bedroom, independent living apartments for people age 62 and older with low incomes.

Constructed with Section 202 funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, The Meadows adjoins Guérin Woods on Cristiani Way in Georgetown in southern Indiana. The apartments will be ready for occupancy in April.

Section 202 funds provide affordable, accessible and discrimination-free housing and help people age 62 and older with low incomes to live independently.

The Meadows includes three buildings, each with eight ground-level apartments, and a fourth structure with a community center and an apartment for a live-in manager. Laundry facilities are located on site. Each apartment consists of a living room, kitchen with dining area, bedroom, bathroom and porch.

“We are grateful for the opportunity of providing these safe and affordable apartment homes for seniors in the community,” said Providence Sister Barbara Ann Zeller, president of PSSM. “We are wonderfully eager for the day when seniors are living at The Meadows.”

For senior citizens struggling to stretch fixed incomes to cover rent, utilities, food, health care costs and medications, Sister Barbara Ann said, the availability of The Meadows could not arrive at a better time.

Eligibility for residency is based on income, and rental assistance is available, said Providence Sister Joanna Valentino, manager of The Meadows.

While residents at The Meadows have a community center on site, they also will be encouraged to participate in programs and activities at Guérin Woods Senior Center, which include blood pressure checks, a sewing circle, quilting, exercise, cards and games, bingo, a lending library and bi-weekly homemade luncheons.

Guérin Woods features 22 two-bedroom apartments for individuals and couples age 62 and older with limited incomes, a senior citizens center open to all seniors in Floyd and surrounding counties, and The Villas of Guérin Woods, providing assisted living and skilled nursing care in the “small house” model.

“In just a few short years, Guérin Woods has evolved into a true community, with residents sharing conversation and looking out for one another,” Sister Barbara Ann said. “We anticipate and look forward to the same sense of community at The Meadows.”

(For more information or to schedule an appointment, call Providence Sister Joanne Valentino at 812-951-1878.) †