State grant to fund housing for disabled
Old Bridge expects complex to be completed in two years
BY SUE M. MORGAN
Staff Writer

OLD BRIDGE — A proposed 61-unit apartment building that will allow disabled but independent adults live on their own has received a financial boost from the state.

A total of $1.5 million in Home Express Funds has been awarded by the state Department of Community Affairs to Old Bridge and Pennrose Properties Inc. for the construction of the planned Chuck Costello Independent Living Center, according to Mayor Jim Phillips, who announced the award at a recent Township Council meeting.

In addition, the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (NJHMFA) has approved low-income housing tax credits in the amount of $801,296 for the project, DCA Commissioner Susan Bass Levin wrote in a letter received by Phillips on the same day.

That amount equals 9 percent in low-income tax credits toward the financing of construction, and helps to keep monthly rental rates more affordable.

The apartment building, which will be developed by the Old Bridge Housing Authority and Philadelphia-based Pennrose Properties, is designed to provide affordable housing for independently disabled individuals living on fixed incomes.

In making the announcement, Phillips expressed optimism that the additional funding to construct the building will eventually be secured as well.

“One and a half-million dollars is a lot of money,” Phillips said. “The financing for the Chuck Costello Independent Living Center is virtually assured.”

The planned four-story residential building is slated for construction at Route 18 and Ferry Road near Maher Manor, an affordable senior housing complex now under construction. The Housing Authority and Pennrose Properties are the developers of that 100-unit structure, with the former entity owning the land on which each building will sit.

In June, the township’s Zoning Board of Adjustment granted the needed bulk and use variances and the preliminary site plan approval for the application submitted jointly by the Housing Authority and Pennrose Properties. The area where the Costello building will be constructed is currently zoned for office use.

The smaller building will be named to honor Chuck Costello, one of the 12 township residents who perished in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.

Prospective tenants of the building include blind or deaf persons or those with cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, or traumatic brain injury along with their family members, according to Richard K. Barnhardt, Pennrose’s CEO.

Frail, elderly persons also will be eligible, Barnhardt has said.

No mentally ill persons will be housed in the building and it will not be used as a mental health center, Barnhardt has said.

Inquiries from disabled persons or their relatives about possible residency in the building have been overwhelming, even though ground has not yet been broken, said Housing Authority Chairwoman Mary Ann Gurliaccio.

As the project moves forward, a building management company other than Pennrose will be selected to determine eligibility requirements for prospective tenants and to oversee operation of the complex, she said.

“I can’t believe how many inquiries I have received about this project so far,” Gurliaccio said.

The DCA award, combined with the tax credits, will put low-cost, quality housing within reach of independently disabled adults, Gurliaccio said.

“I hope Old Bridge will become an example to other municipalities throughout the state so they may recognize the need for the independently disabled to obtain affordable housing,” Gurliaccio said. “I’m grateful this project is going to come to completion.”

In its creation of Camp ROBIN, a recreational building inside Geick Park, the township’s Parks and Recreation Department recognized the need to provide accessible programs for disabled children and adults, Gurliaccio said.

Many of the clientele who have participated in Camp ROBIN’s programs, as well as other disabled persons, could reap the benefits of the Costello housing by having a place to live with some amenities.

“Parks and Recreation recognized the need for these facilities years ago,” Gurliaccio said. “This housing will complement the recreational programs for the disabled and help them to maintain a quality of life.”

Working with Barnhardt, the housing authority commissioners submitted an application with the necessary zoning approvals for the state assistance. Barnhardt and all of the commissioners deserve recognition for their efforts, Gurliaccio said.

“I commend my commissioners for their progressive thinking, their compassion, and for recognizing the need for this type of housing,” she said.

Monthly rents in the Costello building are expected to range from $640 for a one-bedroom unit, $750 for a two-bedroom unit, and $860 for a three-bedroom unit, Barnhardt has said.

Future tenants might receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or other government assistance while others will probably hold full- or part-time jobs, Barnhardt has said.

The Middlesex County Board of Freeholders has also pledged $1.5 million toward construction of the Costello building. The project is expected to be completed in about two years.