Amy Wong, a retired patternmaker, finds herself busy with the many activities offered at her affordable housing community located in Midtown Manhattan.
“They have a lot of activities to help seniors like me,” said Amy.
Amy, 83, is a resident of Encore West Residence, where she has lived for 17 years. Encore West Residence is an affordable housing community for low-income seniors operated by Encore Community Services, a Catholic Charities of New York agency.
Amy was among the first residents of the housing community. She moved in during its grand opening in 2007. “When I came, they were still working on the building. I could smell the fresh paint,” she recalled.
Encore West Residence is a safe, secure, and caring environment. With its 84 fully-equipped apartments, it addresses the need for affordable housing for low-income older adults — 62 years of age and older — with incomes of $27,750 for one person and $31,700 for two people. The building’s amenities include laundry facilities, a library, a garden, and a multipurpose community room for a variety of recreational activities.
These on-site services help older adults like Amy maintain their independence, while fostering social interactions, which are essential for maintaining healthy bodies, minds, and spirits.
Starting a New Life in New York City
As an immigrant from Hong Kong, Amy feels very fortunate to call Encore West Residence her home.
At 47, Amy and her husband moved to New York City before the handover of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to China in 1997. Due to security concerns during this period, approximately 600,000 people left Hong Kong for countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia.
“From the first couple years, of course, it was a hard time,” said Amy. “We came to America, and we worked worked worked. But we felt happy to be American.”
Although Amy was a nurse in Hong Kong, she decided to change careers after arriving in New York City, and she enrolled in a two-year program at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). At FIT, she fell in love with fashion and learned patternmaking.
After graduating, Amy went on to work for over 15 years as a patternmaker in the Garment District — creating beautiful blouses, pants, and skirts.
Struggling to Find Affordable Housing as an Older Adult
After her career as a patternmaker, Amy struggled to find affordable housing for older adults in her retirement. She and her husband had a fixed income, living off social security alone.
This is a startling common problem across the city. When we picture the face of New York City’s housing crisis, we often overlook older New Yorkers.
The number of single adults aged 65 and older in the city’s main shelter system more than doubled from 2014 to 2022, growing nearly three times as quickly as the number of younger single adults in shelters. In addition, the overall market for affordable housing in New York is the smallest it has been in half a century, with vacancy rates for the lowest-priced apartments below one percent.
As of June 2024, approximately 315,000 older New Yorkers are waiting for affordable apartments, with an average wait time of six years. However, some buildings, like Encore West Residence, have much longer wait times.
“We have had to freeze our waitlist because there are over 2,000 people trying to move in here right now,” said Anita Acevedo, Assistant Director of the LifeLong Learning Center at Encore. “It’s a ten-year plus waiting list.”
Unfortunately, older adults do not have the time to wait for affordable housing.
Amy and her husband were one of the lucky ones to be able to secure affordable housing.
After hearing about the new community, Amy sent in her application, and to her delight, she and her husband were approved to move into the Encore West Residence. “I was really surprised because I didn’t know if we would get it,” she said. “I just felt lucky — happy.”
“Our main goal as an organization is to keep our older adults thriving,” said Anita, “so they don’t lose their independence and can stay active as long as they can. We need to maintain them — and help keep them healthy and happy.”
Staying Active and Healthy to Enjoy the Golden Years
From morning exercise sessions to bingo on Saturdays, Amy enjoys the many activities provided by Encore for the residents. She and her husband especially enjoy dancing.
“Since we were very young, my husband and I liked dancing,” said Amy. “We still enjoy dancing— even if we dance a bit more slowly now. We dance and then sit down and then dance again!”
“I enjoy moving my muscles. It’s much better than sitting down and watching TV,” she said. “I thank God for giving me good health. Without health, there’s nothing.”
When Amy isn’t staying active by dancing, you can find her at bible study or singing in the Sunday choir at church. “I praise God because He gave me everything,” said Amy. “Church is my first home. Encore is my second. I enjoy living here.”
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