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Asbury Park Press
Earlier this year, a large landowner in the Bayville section of Berkeley approached Mayor John Bacchione with a question: Would he be open to having an affordable housing village for veterans on a seven-acre wooded tract along Route 9?
Bacchione, who has a son serving in the Navy, did not need any arm-twisting.
“Sold,” he replied.
The Veterans Village, which will consist of 99 single-occupancy apartments and 24 solo “comfort homes” of 525 square feet, is being planned by the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, which has a similar complex up and running in Houston and is launching several more around the country. Ground is expected to be broken in the early spring of 2025, with completion targeted for sometime in 2026.
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The site, which is at the intersection of Sloop Creek Road and Route 9, was picked because of its proximity to the recently opened Veterans Affairs’ health care clinic on Hooper Avenue in Toms River.
“I am honored that they thought about Berkeley Township,” Bacchione said. “This should set an example for the rest of the country.”
The sale of the parcel, which is currently owned by the Jackson-based property management firm Cardinale Enterprises, is expected to go through before the year’s end. Berkeley’s planning board already has green-lighted the development.
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“When they’re ready to break ground, they’ve got everything they need to get going,” Bacchione said. “It’s a total effort to show respect and take care of the people who take care of us.”
The 99 apartments would be located on the second and third floors of a three-story structure, with the ground level reserved for 24/7 services for village occupants. Those services include case management, behavioral health assistance, employment assistance, and help navigating the department of Veterans Affairs.
“The rents are artificially low,” said Gavin Naples, vice president of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, a national nonprofit founded in the wake of 9/11. “The veteran never pays more than 30% of their income and never more than the affordable housing designation for an apartment in that area.”
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Similar Veterans Villages are in the planning stages in Detroit, Memphis and Charleston, South Carolina, and one is scheduled to open in Atlanta in June.
“We’re looking to put more in New Jersey,” Naples said.
These are permanent homes for men and women who served in the U.S. armed forces. The initiative is privately funded. As part of a broader outreach, Tunnel to Towers has launched a national case management network where veterans anywhere in the country can get financial and housing assistance.
For more information about the Tunnel to Towers Foundation’s Homeless Veterans Program, including how to apply for the Bayville Veterans Village, visit www.t2t.org/homeless-veteran-program.
Jerry Carino is community columnist for the Asbury Park Press, focusing on the Jersey Shore’s interesting people, inspiring stories and pressing issues. Contact him at [email protected].