Madisonville isn’t a name that’s generally associated with luxury here in Cincinnati.

That kind of sentiment is more typically reserved for neighborhoods like Mt Adams or Hyde Park where the culturally inclined and business savvy of the city have set up shop and made their homes.

Madisonville is stalwartly middle class— a neighborhood only recently initiated into an era of revitalization and redevelopment.

It may be surprising to some, then, that the blue-collar neighborhood, without the boutiques and parks of the city’s wealthier neighborhoods, is also known for something altogether more luxurious. For several years now, Madisonville has boasted some of the most well-appointed yet affordable senior living apartments in the city limits.

St. Paul Village has been providing the older residents of Madisonville with comfortable and affordable senior living since 1978—long before the community joined the ERH family.

The style of living you’re looking for… at the right price.

Affordable communities offer low income seniors, “a place… to live with dignity,” says Kathy Ison, vice president of Affordable Living and In-Home Services for ERH.  “These are deserving individuals who have worked hard their entire lives.  These are former firefighters, veterans, teachers and other worthy individuals who may have fallen on hard times or just weren’t able to save a lot of money.” 

Seniors like Dorothy Banks, 80, who moved into one of St. Paul’s affordable senior living apartments back in 2006 when the community was still managed by the Lutheran Benevolent Society.

As a dress-maker, Dorothy had worked hard her whole life, but she knew she would never be able to afford the pricey entrance fees and monthly rent at most of the senior apartments in the city. But then, a client told her about St. Paul Village.

She visited the campus and never looked back.  

The camaraderie, social activities, and price were all right. “It’s just like a family,” she says.  “I know everybody here.  We do all kinds of things together.” 

And none of the residents in St. Paul’s 168 apartments ever have to worry about finances—rent is never more than 30% of their income at $200 to $400 a month, and funding is available through tax credits well as monthly subsidies through the HUD Section 8 program.  But you wouldn’t know it when you walk through the door.

St. Paul Village isn’t your typical low income senior housing. We go beyond the basic living standards to create an environment where residents can thrive—wellness programs, spiritual care, on-site laundry, social programming and regular transportation all work together to create a first-class senior living experience.

Moving ever onward toward an even better future for affordable senior living.

At Episcopal Retirement Homes, we’re most well-known for our premier senior living communities, Deupree House and Marjorie P. Lee, in the Hyde Park neighborhood. But now, thanks to the help of community partners like The Model Group and PNC, we’re getting more traction on our low income senior housing in the city.

Our affordable retirement apartments, like the St. Paul Village, are fast becoming a particular jewel in the crown of senior living in the city of Cincinnati.

Our program had doubled its affordable senior living communities from four to eight by the end of 2012, and bigger and better projects are on the horizon.

Renovations that rejuvenated and improved our amenities, apartments and common rooms were just completed at St. Paul Village this summer, and the community is Greener than ever—it was just nationally recognized for the LEED for Homes Silver Certification for energy efficiency and environmentally-friendly buildings.

In 2015, we’ll be taking our expertise across state lines to open our first affordable senior living community in the heart of downtown Anderson, IN—our first community outside of Ohio.

But we’re not stopping there. We want to see our program grow exponentially in the tri-state area.

“It takes some time to find the ideal community, but that is what we are striving for,” says Kathy Ison. “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.”