At ERH, we’re serious about revolutionizing senior living. It’s our goal to see all seniors living well—no matter their income.

“We’ve seen the need for good-quality housing for seniors,” says Jay Kittenbrink, our Executive Director of Affordable Living Development. “About 80 percent of seniors fall in the limited-income category, so it doesn’t make sense to serve only five percent.”

Quality senior living doesn’t have to come with sticker shock.

We already had four communities serving seniors in and around Greater Cincinnati who don’t have expansive budgets:

• In West Carrollton, Canterbury Court, offers free laundry services, regular social outings, on-site exercise classes, spiritual services, and volunteer opportunities to residents who enjoy the 150 one and two-bedroom apartments on the spacious grounds (which boast an award-winning butterfly garden).
• St. Pius Place in Cincinnati's historic South Cumminsville neighborhood provides housing for seniors and adults with mobility issues. Residents enjoy regular activities and game nights, hold a monthly community council, and have the opportunity to receive transportation to the grocery store or Meals on Wheels coverage.
• Situated among the Appalachian foothills of Southeastern Ohio, Cambridge Heights offers its residents amenities like a full fitness facility, a large aviary full of beautiful songbirds, a complimentary beautician service, and transportation to local stores and events.
• St. Paul Village, in Cincinnati's north-central Madisonville neighborhood, has been providing quality, affordable senior living since 1978, featuring spacious grounds with beautiful walking paths, an enclosed courtyard, an in-house hair salon and a fitness center.

But our affordable living program has just barely begun to hit its stride. In the last year, we have been able to open four new communities, and we’re on target to open another a little over a year from now!

Late in 2012, we were able to add four new properties to our senior living roster, expanding our affordable living program throughout Greater Cincinnati and into southwestern Ohio. The Elberon, Forest Square, and Woodburn Pointe Apartments opened their doors within the city proper while Shawnee Place is bringing comfortable, and affordable, senior living to Springfield, OH.

Like our other properties, our new communities have been completely renovated with fresh carpeting in the living rooms and bedrooms, open kitchens featuring up-to-date appliances, and universally accessible bathrooms.

Affordable senior living takes a leap forward in the Tri-state area.

Most affordable senior communities can’t offer their residents much more than inexpensive housing. “They don’t have the funding to do it,” says Kittenbrink.

We know that senior living is about more than the building and grounds of a facility, and thanks to our private and corporate donors, we’re able to offer our residents more than the basic amenities. Our affordable senior living gives residents a safe and enriching environment where they have access to extensive activities, programs, free transportation, spiritual services, and rewarding volunteer opportunities.

We’ve already been providing services for seniors in Ohio, and in 2015, we’ll be taking our expertise across state lines when our first affordable living community opens its doors outside of Ohio— right in the heart of downtown Anderson, IN.

Thanks to a partnership with The Model Group and the Anderson YMCA, we’ve been able to put together plans for a comprehensive community that offers comfortable living and a complement of health, wellness, spiritual and community-based programs.

But we don’t want to stop there.

We want to see our program grow exponentially outside of Ohio— opening more communities in Indiana and Kentucky.

“It takes some time to find the ideal community, but that is what we are striving for,” says Kathy Ison Vice President of Affordable Housing and In-Home Services here at ERH. “Our mission is to serve seniors. It’s about bringing the services to our residents so they can age in place. We love the idea of bringing our mission to other markets.”