Shovels hit the dirt at the site of the West Orange Senior Housing Community, where local political dignitaries and other key stakeholders joined full-service real estate company the Alpert Group LLC for the project’s official groundbreaking Dec 1.
The 100% affordable, 65-unit community — which will include five permanent units for homeless residents — will make West Orange a model for the type of affordable housing senior residents need to age in place.
“We’ve been looking forward to this groundbreaking, as it’s critically important for West Orange’s seniors who have a strong need for local, affordable housing,” West Orange Mayor Susan McCartney said. “We’ll also be providing a helping hand to homeless seniors through dedicated permanent housing and access to essential social services. This new building is the result of significant collaboration between many local and state organizations that are improving the lives of seniors.”
Located at 46 Mount Pleasant Ave., the West Orange Senior Housing project will be situated in the township’s Central Business District, adjacent to the town hall, police facility and Renna House senior apartments. The five-story building will include one-bedroom and two-bedroom units, on-site parking, modern amenities and age-friendly features.
The income-restricted community is helping to satisfy West Orange’s affordable housing obligation and is partially funded by the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency Affordable Housing Production Fund, an appropriation from the New Jersey Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund.
Joseph Alpert, president of the Alpert Group, noted: “The West Orange Senior Housing Community building is addressing a dire need in New Jersey for affordable senior housing, and we are proud to partner with financing entities that believe in this mission. When it opens in late summer 2024, the project will likely be transformative for many people in West Orange. This is the sort of development that uplifts everyone in the community.”
Financial partners include the NJHMFA, Enterprise Community Partners, TD Bank, Essex County and the township of West Orange.
NJHMFA Chief of Staff Terry Tucker noted, “This beautiful project is one of many NJHMFA has made possible through our landmark Affordable Housing Production Fund, a program which was championed by my dear friend, the late Lt. Gov. Sheila Y. Oliver.”
