Frederic Fleming House

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Building

Frederic Fleming House

Date Opened

May 3, 1991

Residential Units

47 formerly homeless older persons with special needs living in a congregate care setting

Development Partners

Architect: Perkins Geddes Eastman Architects
Major Funders: New York State Housing Trust Fund
Original Sponsor: Trinity Church

Rental Subsidy

All units are eligible for SSI Congregate Care Level III based payments

Services Funding

SSI Congregate Care Level III based payments

Licensing

Licensed by the New York State Department of Health

Building History

The building on West 22nd Street in Chelsea that was to become Fleming House was originally constructed in the 1920s as a home “for wage earning young women”. During the gut renovation in the late 1980s, a time capsule was found in one of the exterior walls which contained the list of Upper West Side women who founded the building in a benevolent effort to provide safe and affordable housing for vulnerable women. The building later became a residential hotel, and finally a residential treatment center for teenagers in the criminal justice system. After almost a decade of being empty, Trinity Episcopal Church obtained a $1/year lease from New York State to develop the building for senior housing. During a policy review, the church decided that it was not the best use of the church’s resources to be a housing developer, so through a consultant, Trinity approached WSFSSH about the project. An agreement was reached between Trinity and WSFSSH for Trinity to complete construction and WSFSSH to run the building. The building was named Frederic Fleming House to honor the rector of Trinity during the Great Depression. WSFSSH Executive Director Laura Jervis immediately began meeting monthly with representatives from the local block association, a process that continued throughout construction. When the building opened, this group became the Fleming House Community Advisory Committee. WSFSSH designed programming for Fleming House to meet the needs of older homeless individuals who benefit from congregate supportive housing. Fleming House provides affordable housing in single or double rooms and social services, but also congregate dining, trained staff available 24 hours a day to assist with activities of daily living such as bathing, medication management, and crisis intervention. Thirty of the initial 47 residents came to Fleming House from Valley Lodge. While still at Valley Lodge, these residents had worked weekly with the Fleming House building director to design the house rules and much of the program at Fleming House. It is licensed as an adult care facility by New York State Department of Health to provide services to 47 people. Fleming House opened May 3, 1991.