$7.14M grant awarded for senior housing complex

Staff Writer

By takesha pettus

$7.14M grant awarded
for senior housing complex

SOUTH RIVER — The borough may soon have more senior housing available.

The National Church Residence Co. was recently awarded a $7,142,100 Housing and Urban Development affordable housing grant for the construction of additional senior housing.

The company is planning to construct a three-story, 75-unit community housing complex in the borough.

The complex, if approved by the borough Planning Board, will be constructed behind the current Willett Manor on Willett Avenue.

Willett Manor is an adult community for borough residents over 55 years old.

The newly constructed homes will be rental units. Rent will be based on the amount of money that is earned by the resident and the National Church Residence Co. will review the rent amounts annually, according to Mayor Robert Szegeti.

"I am excited about the expansion of the senior housing which will allow the seniors, who cannot maintain their own residences, the opportunity to remain in a small town atmosphere to which they have grown accustomed," said Szegeti.

The building may take between two and three years to complete, Szegeti added.

Szegeti has been discussing the construction of additional homes for seniors at the manor for some time now.

Last year, the borough sent out letters to National Church Residence Co., the owners of Willett Manor, requesting that the company go into discussions with the borough for a second phase to Willett Manor.

The borough is hoping that the new construction on the Willett Avenue senior housing complex will include space for a senior meeting room or center for borough seniors.

The borough owns about 14 acres behind the current manor.

If the Planning Board approves the construction, the borough would lease the property to National Church over a period of time.

The lease agreement would not be determined until plans for the construction are finalized.

National Church Residence Co. was among five HUD grant recipients. The company, however, received the largest sum of the $17.8 million available.