Plenty of senior citizens are hoping to ‘move on up’ to new cottages.

In fact, more people have been applying for residence at the Kittanning Cottages than when a similar senior-citizen development in Manor Township was taking shape, said Sharon Hall, county Housing Authority’s administrator of assisted- housing programs.

“I think there’s just a lot of interest in the design and location,” Hall said, compared to Valley View which opened about 10 years ago.

Applications became available Feb. 1 for the Kittanning Cottages, a development for people 55 and older that will consist of 24 units in 13 buildings and a community center. Construction began early last month and has been progressing quickly since. The cottages are expected to be completed in September.

John “Joe” Minesky said he enjoys watching the progress from his home near the site that was formerly occupied by the Armstrong Campus of the Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Minesky has taken photographs of the construction’s progress.

Applications ask a prospective resident’s basic information, as well as monthly income and assets. According to an advertisement that ran last month, the annual income limit for one person is about $22,740 and for two people about $25,980.

The development will be a mixture of one- and two-bedroom units. According to the advertisement, rent for a single-bedroom cottage would be $427 monthly and $545 for a two-bedroom unit.

Hall said the income guidelines are set by the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, most recently in June 2010, and could change during the application process. Prospective residents will be notified if the limits change, she said.

There is no deadline to apply, but Hall encouraged interested residents to fill out an application soon, especially if they are interested in units for the hearing impaired or disabled.

“We will be going by income and date of application,” she said.

Hall did not have available a specific number of applications received.

Borough Council President Gerald Shuster wasn’t surprised with the heightened interest in the Kittanning Cottages, because of the “quality of the product” that will enable residents to walk to locations in town.

“Kittanning is the benefactor of good luck,” he said. “This is going to be a tremendous asset to the community overall.”

Applications are available at the Armstrong County Housing Authority and the Valley View management office.

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