Plainfield YMCA to build housing for young adults
PLAINFIELD - The YMCA has always been a place where young people receive a warm welcome and find a home away from home.
At the Plainfield YMCA, they will soon literally be able to find a new home.
The second and third floors of the Watchung Avenue building will be rehabilitated into affordable housing for youth, ages 18 to 24, who are aging out of foster care.
"I think it's wonderful," said Ravenell Williams IV, president and CEO of the Plainfield YMCA.
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The housing program is a "logical extension of the YMCA's mission," Williams said.
The YMCA project is one of a handful of programs in New Jersey that serve this population, he said.
"I couldn’t be happier than to know that our Queen City is leading the way in providing these life-changing services,” said Assemblyman Jerry Green (D-District 22).
The existing vacant and dilapidated units on the second and third floors of the YMCA property will be demolished and rehabilitated for the construction of 31 units, at an average of 413 square feet per unit. The building also will be expanded by approximately 5,000 square feet.
The first and fourth floors will remain YMCA facilities. Thirty of the efficiency units will be designated for youth aging out of foster care, and one rent-free unit will be set aside for the superintendent.
The residents who previously occupied the single-room units were relocated in December, Williams said.
The proposed rents, set at Union County Fair Market Rents, will be $1,007 per month. The project will provide Section 8 Rental Assistance Vouchers through the Housing Authority of Plainfield.
All units will have private kitchens and bathrooms and Energy Star appliances. Elevator service, a secured entrance, common laundry facilities, office space for property management and support service functions, on-site parking, and access to all YMCA facilities will also be offered.
Also included in the project are the installation of an elevator, replacement of roof, renovation of downstairs lobby entrance, and a new security camera system.
Case management services will be available to the residents, including skills development, housing, education/vocational training, physical/mental health and employment.
Vanguard Realty will provide property management services, with the Plainfield YMCA providing onsite management and maintenance personnel. Security will be staffed 24/7 with the existing security staff at the building.
"This is a unique housing project in Plainfield that many state residents will benefit from," Green said. “I would like to thank the state of New Jersey and congratulate YMCA President Ravenell Williams and YMCA Board President Kieran Anderson for working with my office on these efforts."
The developer, Eastern Pacific Development, anticipates construction to begin in December, with an anticipated completion date of May 2019.
The $9.5 million project includes bridge financing committed from the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Financing Agency (HMFA). The financing includes a $4.86 million permanent bridge loan from revenue bond financing and approximately $3 million in permanent financing from the Sandy Special Needs Housing Fund.
Additional sources of income include $6 million in construction financing from New Jersey Community Capital and $500,000 in capital funds from the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs.
Eastern Pacific Development in Vineland specializes in high-quality housing, assisting municipalities in meeting their obligation to provide affordable housing, often renovating older, deteriorating buildings into modern housing complexes. Brookfield Construction will be the general contractor.
Staff Writer Mike Deak: 908-243-6607; mdeak@mycentraljersey.com