Water Conservation at West Side Federation for Senior and Supportive Housing

Working with Two Shades of Green, a collaboration to help affordable housing owners and managers create cost-effective green and healthy property management practices, West Side Federation for Senior and Supportive Housing, Inc. (WSFSSH) has undertaken water conservation projects in several buildings in its 1,875 unit portfolio. WSFSSH was formed in 1976, by a coalition of social service agencies, religious institutions and community organizations to create a new form of housing – meeting the diverse needs of older people and persons living with special needs. In 2011, WSFSSH acquired Borinquen Court, a 145-unit lowincome senior housing complex in the South Bronx, and undertook an ambitious $13 million building renovation. The Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) provided active support, originating a $4 million acquisition loan, securing over $250,000 of predevelopment financing and obtaining grant funds for energy and water retrofits. Due to concerns about high water costs, water-conserving equipment was installed during kitchen and bathroom renovations. The project also upgraded water pumps to more efficiently get hot water to tenant apartments and replaced old existing copper piping, the source of numerous water leaks.