Mary Wade Home
New Haven, Conn.
David Hunter, CEO
(203) 562-7222 or dhunter@marywade.org
Services Provided: Long Term Care Continuum (skilled nursing services, assisted living, adult day center, outpatient rehab, and transportation services)
Project Summary: Social accountability and good citizenship are required of any not-for-profit provider, but the Mary Wade Home, New Haven, Conn., goes beyond making a home for, and providing services to, seniors. Located in an inner-city area that faces problems with crime and blighted property, this organization has expanded its vision to become an “urban pioneer” helping to preserve a struggling lower income neighborhood.
Mary Wade’s most striking efforts have centered on nearby housing. The home created a 501(c)(2) organization, MWH Holdings, that allows it to hold properties and receive rents. It has bought 11 dilapidated houses in recent years.
“We actually have most of a city block,” says Mary Wade CEO David Hunter. “That [effort] put us into a whole strategic plan—stay or leave—and what do we do now? We decided to add to our nursing home, add assisted living and renovate most of the houses.”
At first, the idea was to offer affordable housing to staff, many of whom have long commutes. But since funding for the renovations included money from community development block grants, most Mary Wade staff exceeded HUD’s income eligibility requirements; only three staff members rent houses.
Not giving up, the organization created a home ownership scholarship program for staff. Eligible employees can apply for a loan-to-grant of $5,000 toward the purchase of a home, in a five-block radius, with $1,000 forgiven each year for five years. The program works with local banks that do not practice predatory lending. Staff can also take classes in home ownership, credit management and personal budgeting. Mary Wade has partnered with the Community Foundation of Greater New Haven, which makes additional contributions to new homeowners in this neighborhood.
Being a good neighbor means building local relationships. Rufina Durazzo, Mary Wade’s senior property manager, is in close touch with all of the area block watches and community organizations (some of which hold their meetings at the home’s adult day center). The home also offers free weekend transportation for seniors in Greater New Haven.
“There are always things going on in the streets of New Haven,” says Hunter. “Rufina is the person everyone calls.” In recognition for her efforts in the neighborhood, Durazzo recently received a “Profiles in Courage” award from the New Haven Police—one of the only civilians to receive that award.
For its community efforts, fiscal responsibility and staff development efforts, the Mary Wade Home was one of two winners of the 2007 “Pathways to Greatness” award from AAHSA and LarsonAllen LL P.
Hunter says the evolution of Mary Wade into an important neighborhood anchor was not an all-encompassing plan from the beginning; it has instead blossomed one step at a time.
“The kind of cooperation we’ve gotten I wouldn’t have expected from city officials,” Hunter says. “The Public Works Department realizes that if they help us, the effort will be sustained. They are giving us attention where we might not have gotten it before, with respect to trimming trees or fixing sidewalks or changing the lights. One of our neighborhood associations has identified its focus for this year as reducing speeding traffic. Today I wrote a letter suggesting speed bumps in some of the side streets. I got into this field to serve older people and now I’m also involved in urban planning!”