The Lycoming Housing Authority is seeking approval from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for a plan to continue to use the Peter Herdic Apartment units as housing for senior citizens.

The authority’s board approved submitting a designated housing plan to HUD at their recent monthly meeting.

Approval had been received in 2018 to designate the apartment building,located at 505 Center St., as a senior living building.

“HUD requires us to submit an updated plan to maintain that designation,” said MeriLyn Serverson, executive director.

“We feel this is an important thing to do. Pennsylvania is second only to Florida in the growth of the elderly population and the tail end of the Baby Boomers are still getting old. Housing costs are rising as well, so we feel this is a worthy cause to pursue,” she said.

The Peter Herdic Apartments have amenities that the elderly people can use, she said, like one-floor living, grab bars and community rooms.

“It is important that we retain that for them,” she said,

Severson noted that there are people in developments owned by the authority that are aging in place who will be needing senior-friendly homes.

The authority had put the intention to do this in their annual and five-year plan and had also had a comment period for the plan.

The authority will submit the plan to HUD by the end of this month.

When asked about residents in the authority’s housing who are getting older and whose situations have changed, Severson said that there are times residents are routinely moved to smaller apartments or ones that are more suitable for older persons.

In other actions, the board approved awarding a contract for milling and paving to Glenn O Hawbaker in the amount of $112,710. Work is to start this fall, depending on the weather.