Juliette Fowler Communities will host a dedication ceremony and reception on May 21 for the opening of its new affordable residences in East Dallas for older adults, the Fowler Christian Apartments III. The 36 one-bedroom Fowler Christian Apartments III located at 5810 East Side Avenue in Dallas will provide low-income housing, supportive services and enrichment programs designed specifically for senior citizens over age 62. The properties offer rental subsidy to residents through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which funds Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly. Fowler Christian Apartments III was built with grants from HUD and the City of Dallas, as well as support from Juliette Fowler Communities and the Juliette Fowler Communities Foundation.

The significance of this housing facility is that Fowler Christian Apartments III is the last Housing and Urban Development-funded Section 202 apartment community built in the State of Texas, since the 2012 Notice of Funding Availability. The decline in funding over the past several years, together with inflationary pressures, has led to an end in construction of new units for older persons. For every one affordable housing/low income apartment in the U.S., there are 10 qualified people needing the assistance. Of the 10,000 people turning 65 each day, it is estimated that at least 40% will qualify for affordable housing.

Those in attendance will include:
The Honorable Adam Medrano, Dallas City Council District 2
The Honorable Phillip T. Kingston, Dallas City Council District 14 Charlotte Wright, US Department of Housing and Urban Development Woodrow Wilson High School ROTC Honor Guard

There is a growing need for low-income housing for seniors and the “retired poor” in Dallas/Fort Worth and across America. Consider those nurses, teachers, truck drivers, grocery store managers or other hourly or service-industry workers whose life savings will fall short of their retirement expenses and needs. The Fowler apartment residents are

· 72% women and 28% men,
· Average age of the residents is 75 years old,
· Average income is $1,127.24/month,
· All of the residents are considered very low to extremely low income,
· 91% of the residents have medical expenses, and
· 68% of the residents are either elderly or frail elderly; 27% claim a disability.

Immediate needs for the Fowler Christian Apartments III include a covered walkway to connect buildings, computers, therapeutic garden beds, a sidewalk leading from FCA III over to the Means Activity Center, plants for gardens, water aerobics equipment, games for resident common areas, scholarship money for resident outings (to cover therapeutic cost of admission to museums, arboretum, zoo, etc.).