A $40 million senior housing development in Suffolk County is complete, with the state reporting 67 affordable apartments in Medford, including 33 with supportive services for eligible older residents leaving homelessness and living with mental health challenges.
Medford Gardens, built by WellLife Network in the town of Brookhaven, serves households age 55 or older earning up to 60% of the area median income, according to the governor's Oct. 8 announcement. The release says the development is complete but does not specify a move-in date, rents or the application process.
Apartments include on-site support
WellLife will provide case management, transportation, health services, crisis intervention, employment and vocational training, and life-skills training on site. The 33 supportive apartments are reserved for eligible tenants who are exiting homelessness and have mental health challenges.
Seven apartments are adapted for residents with mobility disabilities, and four for residents with sensory disabilities. The release does not say whether these accessible apartments overlap with the 33 supportive units.
The all-electric building includes energy-efficient appliances and heating, electric-vehicle charging and stormwater retention ponds. Walking paths, a community garden, an exercise room, a community room and a library are among its amenities. The state says grocery stores, a pharmacy, a public library and other services are within about a half-mile.
Tax credits and state programs financed construction
The development's financing includes federal and state Low-Income Housing Tax Credits allocated by New York State Homes and Community Renewal, expected to generate more than $19 million in equity. HCR also supplied more than $11 million in subsidy. The state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance supported the project with $8 million through its Homeless Housing and Assistance Program.
Services for the supportive apartments are funded through the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative and administered by the state Office of Mental Health. Those service dollars are separate from the listed construction sources. The amounts identified in the release do not provide a complete accounting of the $40 million project cost.
Gov. Kathy Hochul said the development is intended to give older residents on fixed incomes an affordable place to live while offering support to those who need help living independently. WellLife Network CEO Sherry Tucker said the organization sought to combine housing with services and community space.
The governor's office said Homes and Community Renewal has created or preserved more than 2,800 affordable homes in Suffolk County under the current administration. Medford Gardens is part of the state's five-year, $25 billion housing plan, whose statewide target is 100,000 affordable homes created or preserved, including 10,000 with supportive services. The release says more than 87,000 affordable homes have been created or preserved statewide to date; that figure is not a Suffolk County total.
The town of Brookhaven is among more than 450 communities certified under the state's Pro-Housing Community Program. That designation gives certified localities access to certain discretionary state funding, but the governor's release does not say that such funding paid for Medford Gardens.
A 2025 state announcement called Medford Gardens a 66-unit project, while the completion announcement counts 67 affordable apartments. Neither release explains the change. The state's latest announcement marks construction as complete; prospective residents still need application and occupancy information from the developer or housing administrator.
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