HANAC Corona Senior Residence

Organization Name: HANAC, Inc.

Project Title: HANAC Corona Senior Residence

Project Location: Corona, New York

Project Goals:

• Develop permanent affordable housing for vulnerable seniors and provide on-site service coordination to ensure their healthy transition in a new living environment.


• Spur new social investment with the co-location of an early childhood development facility on the ground floor.


• Create a new intergenerational community where seniors and children can benefit from learning and growing with one another through structured and unstructured programming in different activities such as reading, gardening, and painting.


• Achieve Passive House Certification, to create a building with the potential to achieve 75 percent energy savings and to benefit the physical health, comfort and overall well-being of those who reside, work and visit this new mixed-use facility.

Project Description:
This is a 68-unit, 8-story new construction project to be developed on a vacant 12,000 sq. ft. city-owned property located in Corona. The upper floors are designated for very low income seniors earning no more than 50% of AMI; in addition 30% of the total building units are set aside specifically for formerly homeless seniors. The ground floor is reserved for an early childhood development center or universal Pre-K. This intergenerational model creates a community impact center that launches social engagement opportunities improving the lives of its residents and the greater community. To facilitate this goal, the back of the building shall include a shared rear yard with a vegetable garden, seating and tables for residents, and a children’s natural play area. An additional seniors-only open space shall be located on the fifth floor terrace that is accessible through a community room. It will also comply with NYSERDA, Enterprise Green Communities, and Passive House Design standards.

Community Impact:
The demand for affordable senior housing and assisted living in Queens continues to rise as its population ages; Queens is home “to more than 381,000 persons 60 years of age and older, representing 30% of New York City’s elderly population, and 20% of the Borough’s entire population.” Through the new HANAC Corona Senior Residence, HANAC intends to provide secure homes for some of these seniors, while making direct care assistance available to all residents to link them with appropriate entitlements and medical resources to assist them with activities of daily living.

The concept to co-locate a childcare facility within the new project aims to address the severe overcrowding being experienced in some facilities in the area. In a report highlighted by SKIP (Seniors and Kids Intergenerational Programs), seniors who volunteer with children can burn 20% more calories per week while improving the academic performance of the children.

Organization Description:
Founded in Astoria, Queens in 1972 as the Hellenic American Neighborhood Action Committee, HANAC, Inc. is a multi-faceted social services and housing organization that serves the needs of vulnerable New Yorkers. Over the years, HANAC has grown to provide a broad array of services to immigrants, seniors, families, youth, and those struggling with alcohol and substance abuse. In addition to serving over 25,000 New Yorkers annually, HANAC has built and owns 350 units of affordable housing in Queens, with special focus on seniors. For the past 20 years, HANAC has played an expanding role as a housing developer in the City of New York. HANAC currently operates three full service senior residences in Astoria, Queens. Service coordinators are located in all 3 buildings, and provide comprehensive on-site supportive services for residents and work to enable them to live independently, remain connected to the surrounding community, and age in place in a dignified manner.