AMSTERDAM, N.Y. -- A housing project makeover is giving residents in one Amsterdam community a new start and or many of the 100 families living at Woodrow Wilson Townhomes, it was their only option.

"It was very run down," said Theresa Merullo, who's lived in the complex for two years. "There was a lot of leaking faucets, the roof. We weren't as much of a community."

"It was very dreary," said Omni Housing Development Chief Operating Officer Duncan Barrett. "It was a beige siding that had not been cleaned in a long time. It was depressing."

Dreary, depressing and deeply in debt. 

"The heating bill in the winter was larger every month than the rent collection," Barrett said. "The property was over a million dollars in arrears in its mortgage and couldn't afford to do proper maintenance."

But that was a year ago.

Wednesday, neighbors gathered to celebrate the colorful community that's come back to life. 

"I love the fact that we have dishwashers, that we have air conditioning," Merullo said. "That we don't have rugs any longer, we have wood floors that are easier to keep clean."   

The $13 million renovation funded by the state saw the low-income Amsterdam townhomes stripped to the bones, and rebuilt with energy-efficient appliances and insulation plus new wheelchair accessible units.  

"We're improving our communities and providing affordable housing that's so essential to making our communities a better place to live," said Angelo Santabarbara of the New York State Assembly. "Helping people to put down roots right here in places like Amsterdam and helping them raise their families right here."

"It's now a healthy, confortable place to live," Barret said. "It's a place where families can be proud to say they live at Woodrow Wilson."

"People who are on disability, people who are working hard, but can't afford a decent house can now live here in a beautiful community, afford their housing, and be safe," Merullo said. "I could just go on and on and on. It is a lovely place to live."

Fewer walls and an inviting landscape will help turn tenants into neighbors.