Housing Development Team

On Friday October 6, 2006, Robins’ Nest held the Grand Opening of the first phase of Life Link Homes. This is the first permanent housing project in New Jersey for both homeless youth and those aging out of the foster care system. The first building will provide permanent, affordable and supportive housing for ten young adults. The next phase will add an additional twenty units of housing by the middle of 2007. The event was chaired by Susan Piersol, President of Robins’ Nest. Among the other speakers were Commissioner Kevin Ryan of the NJ Department of Children and Families, State Senator Fred Madden, Mayor Leo McCabe of Glassboro, Diane Johnson, Director of the New Jersey HUD office, Pamela McCrory of Housing Mortgage Finance Agency, Tom Eastman of Enterprise Community Investment, Daniel Cheney of the Danellie Foundation and Alison Recca-Ryan of the Corporation of Supportive Housing. All of the speakers stressed the importance of Life Link and how it took the leadership and commitment of Robins’ Nest to complete this first phase of the project. Special credit was given to Angela Estes and Ruth London the CEO and COO of Robins’ Nest.

The presentation ended with the future residents opening the doors and showing the invited guests their new homes.

Monarch Housing Associates served as the development consultant for Life Link Homes. The Development Team coordinated the financing that included funding form HUD, the Special Needs Housing Trust Fund, the Federal Home Loan Bank of NY and tax credits. The Project Management Team managed the project during the construction period and will do so for the final phase as well.

To read the article in the Gloucester County Times click here and in the Courier-Post click here.

To view and comment of photos of both the construction and grand opening click here. A slide show is also available.

On Tuesday October 31, 2006, HUD released the awards for New Jersey for both the Section 811 and 202 programs. Of the projects funded this year, Monarch Housing Associates served as the housing consultant for four of the five Section 811 projects. Since the fifth application was submitted, Monarch Housing Associates has agreed to work with the applicant to complete the processing for their application as the consultant. In addition, Monarch Housing Associates was the housing consultant for one of the two Section 202 projects.

The Section 202 project will result also in the creation twenty-eight units or permanent, affordable and supportive housing. This project received a total of $3,744, 600 in capital advance funding. The Section 202 project sponsor was Leonia Retirement Housing. The project involves the new construction of 28 one-bedroom units for the very low-income elderly. The project has also proposed mixed financing, which could add 5 one-bedroom units for the elderly.