Congressman Gregory Meeks commemorated the Grand Opening of Silvercrest Senior Housing as the keynote speaker for the ribbon cutting ceremony held on Friday, July 9, 2010.  “This is an important resource for the elderly,” said Congressman Meeks  “Silvercrest Senior Housing is an example for many other cities throughout our nation with growing senior populations, Queens has taken significant steps to ensure the safety, comfort and health of their seniors—individuals who have invested their lives in building the communities we enjoy today.”

Silvercrest Senior Housing, Queens’ new affordable housing community for seniors, features 80 apartments on almost 2 acres of previously undeveloped land.  The $16 million project is open to very low-income seniors over 62 years of age.  The project received $14.2 million in federal support from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), $1.8 million from the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), and the land was donated by The Silvercrest Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation.

Silvercrest Senior Housing apartments will feature a wide array of convenient amenities—including refrigerator and stove, heating and air conditioning, laundry facilities, secured parking, library/computer room, arts and crafts room, wellness/fitness room, community multi-purpose room, and over 4,700 square feet of outdoor recreational space.  The building is also designed for handicap accessibility with emergency pull cords in each unit.

New York State Assemblyman Rory Lancman (25^th District); New York State Senator Frank Padavan (District 11), Deputy Queens Borough President Barry Grodenchik, Teresa Bainton, New York HUD Director; Multi-Family Housing HUB; and other officials joined Congressman Meeks in recognizing the project’s role in elevating the quality of life and wellbeing of Queens seniors.

“HUD and HPD were critical to the success of this project,” said Cosmo LaCosta, president of Silvercrest Senior Housing. “In today’s economic environment, projects financed by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development are only possible when local funders get involved too.  Silvercrest Senior Housing is a great example of that collaboration.  Also, here in Queens, the boost in the local economy generated by this development is a godsend.”

“Now we have a fuller continuum of services between New York Hospital Queens (NYHQ), The Silvercrest Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation (SCNR), and Silvercrest Senior Housing, to be able to meet the health and well-being needs of our Queens community,” said Dr. George Heinrich, Chairman of the Boards of NYHQ and SCNR.