The Stroudwater Apartments in Westbrook are expected to be ready for occupancy on October 1. Robert Lowell / American Journal

A four-story complex of affordable housing for residents 55 and older is nearing completion, and Chris LaRoche, executive director of Westbrook Housing, expects the 55-unit building to fill up quickly.

The Stroudwater Apartments are within walking distance of downtown, across from Westbrook High School and adjacent to the Maine Army National Guard Armory. The Portland International Jetport and Maine Mall are just minutes away. The complex is scheduled to be ready for occupancy on October 1.

“It’s wonderful to see this project completed soon,” Westbrook’s acting mayor, David Morse, said in an email to the American Journal this week. “It looks great and will help alleviate the ongoing housing shortage in our region.”

“Senior living facilities like this provide an affordable option for seniors in our community to stay in Westbrook if they want to move to a smaller home that hasn’t previously offered them much,” Morse said.

Rent for the one-bedroom apartments is $1,434 a month. “That’s really cheap,” LaRoche said. To qualify, the income for a single renter must be $53,580 a year and for a two-person household, $61,200.

LaRoche said the rent includes utilities – heat, hot water, electricity and air conditioning. “This building is very energy efficient,” he said.

Each apartment is equipped with air conditioning and a heat pump, all lighting is LED. The building has a backup generator to ensure that there are no power outages.

Amenities include an elevator, one parking space per apartment, an electric vehicle charging station, four outdoor seating areas, a gym with equipment, a community room, a laundromat, and an on-site walking trail. Residents have a place to dispose of their trash in the building, and there is a seating area near the elevator on each floor.

A property manager will have an office in the building and residents will use a secure entrance with a code.

Chris LaRoche, managing director of Westbrook Housing, calls the walking trail on the Stroudwater Apartments site “a gem.” Robert Lowell / American Journal

Some of the apartments are equipped for residents with disabilities, and LaRoche said other apartments could easily be modified to be ADA compliant. The building was designed by CWS Architects and built by Allied Construction, both of Scarborough.

“We are very proud of this building,” LaRoche said.

The housing authority has improved the neighborhood’s walkability through longer sidewalks and natural landscaping. “Our goal is to have a positive impact on the neighborhood,” LaRoche said.

The city-owned site was once a popular place for families to skate, but its use has declined in recent years due to milder winter temperatures. The agency purchased the site from the city for $350,000. “In addition,” Morse said, “they donated $150,000 to a fund that could be used by the city for a new skating rink in the future.”

Chris LaRoche speaks at Westbrook Housing’s 55th anniversary celebration on August 22. Robert Lowell / American Journal

Morse said Westbrook Housing also spent $250,000 on public improvements, including ADA-compliant public sidewalks, crosswalks and park benches.

The site features a walking trail through a wooded area that connects to Bicentennial Park and the Portland Trail network and is open to the public.

“We have not disturbed the existing ecosystem,” LaRoche said. “It’s a gem.”

Completion of the project will coincide with Westbrook Housing’s 55th anniversary. Applications for apartments are available by calling Westbrook Housing at 854-9779 or online at westbrookhousing.org.

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