Mercy Housing, Maricopa County and other partners marked the grand opening of the Cascolote, a 148-unit affordable housing complex for seniors in Glendale, officials said. Maricopa County contributed $9,500,000 in American Rescue Plan funds to support the development.

Organizers said the Cascolote is intended for seniors, people with disabilities and veterans and includes on-site services to help residents maintain housing. A staff member described mental and behavioral health services provided through a partnership with La Frontiera and said a resident services team will be “on-site providing services that focus in on 5 different program areas, health and wellness, housing success, financial well-being, community engagement.”

Speakers at the event cited regional data on senior homelessness. A staff member referenced figures from the Maricopa Association of Governments and the region’s point-in-time count, saying that “21 percent of seniors are falling into homelessness or experiencing it for the first time,” and that affordable housing can prevent that outcome.

Veteran resident Ron Gaiti, who spoke at the event, described the personal impact of lower rent at the Cascolote. “There’s about $400 a month difference in rent, and that’s a lot of money. It gives me extra food, extra milk,” he said. He also described his military service: “I was a sniper in the mil in the special forces. I was in Vietnam, Afghanistan, Laos, Cambodia.”

Organizers said the Cascolote will provide a combination of physical housing and supportive services on-site intended to help residents with health and wellness, housing stability and financial well-being. There were no formal votes or actions recorded in the transcript of the opening event.

The event highlighted the role of federal American Rescue Plan funding and local partners in financing the project and pointed to ongoing regional concerns about seniors at risk of homelessness. Officials did not specify a ribbon-cutting date beyond calling the gathering a grand opening, and no additional funding or implementation timelines were discussed in the recorded remarks.