Affordable Housing Alliance Ground Breaking at Millstone Township

“We have been welcomed to Millstone and have been successful at developing housing that fits the bucolic nature of the community with help from state, federal and private funding,” Donna Blaze, CEO of the Affordable Housing Alliance (AHA), told the crowd on a rainy Wednesday morning. On May 16th AHA did just that with a groundbreaking event for its newest site to be, known as the Millstone House Apartments.

Millstone House Apartments will be a development of four units, affordable to residents earning less than 60% of the area median. The development will be on a land donated to the Affordable Housing Alliance by Millstone Township and will contain one 1 bedroom, two 2 bedroom and one 3 bedroom apartments. The Alliance has received funding from the National Housing Trust Fund thru the NJ Department of Community Affairs, construction and permanent financing thru TD Bank and a $100,000 capital grant from the TD Bank Foundation. All units will go towards credits for Millstone Townships affordable housing obligation.

The success of this project is due to collaboration among Mayor Gary Dorfman, The Council of Millstone Township, Former Mayor Bob Kinsey, TD Bank, The TD Bank Foundation and the Affordable Housing Alliance.

Mrs. Blaze also went on to thank Mayor Gary Dorfman, Maria Dellasala (Municipal Clerk/Administrator), NancyGrbelja (Deputy Mayor), Ashley Marion (TD Bank Foundation), AnneMarie Uebbing (Director Community Planning and Development HUD Newark Office), Elizabeth Williams (Community Planning Development HUD, Senior Representative), Jim Lordi (DCA), Melissa Knott (Program Coordinator 180 Turning Lives Around) and Ray Smith (AHA Board Member)for joining and participating in this event. It is the first ground breaking on the use of Housing Trust Funds in NJ. “Having viable sources of funds at the state and federal level are vital to the low density community planned projects the Alliance focuses on” reiterated Ms. Blaze.

Mayor Gary Dorfman also addressed the crowd on how this project will benefit Millstone Township. “Millstone has proactively supported affordable housing that makes sense for this town and will continue to do so. This will also broaden options in the community making it a better for everyone”.

This is the most recent Alliance project to be developed in Monmouth County, adding to the approximately 500 housing units in AHA’s portfolio. This is the fourth partnership between the Alliance and the township of Millstone in the last five years. To date, AHA has facilitated the development of 44 credited housing options in partnership with Millstone Township, leveraging nearly five million dollars in local, state and federal funding.

The groundbreaking initiates the start of the construction based on a design provided by local architect, David Feldman of Feldman and Feldman A.I.A. Applications will be available at the municipal administrative building or through the Affordable Housing Alliance directly. Applications can be received by calling 732-389-2958 or going on line at www.housingall.org to do an online intake. Construction is anticipated to be complete in February 2019, at which time a random selection of applicants will be made from those who have pre-qualified.

The Alliance is a private, nonprofit 501(c) 3 corporation in the state of New Jersey and has been providing housing development and management services to Monmouth County and the surrounding regions for nearly 26 years. Please contact Alex Tersy at aha-communications@housingall.org for more information on this event.