Long Branch To Build New Affordable Housing On Liberty Street

LONG BRANCH, NJ — The city of Long Branch and the Long Branch Housing Authority announced Tuesday they plan to build new affordable housing units on Liberty Street at the intersection of Union Avenue.

A spokeswoman for the city said she did not know how many units or have a timeline on when construction would begin. The plan is subject to approval fro the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), so the HUD approval process takes some time.

The housing will be built through a new partnership formed between the city and the Housing Authority, where the city will transfer full ownership of the Liberty Street property to the Housing Authority.

In return, Long Branch will take over operations of the Bucky James Community Center on Wilbur Ray Avenue. Once that happens, Mayor John Pallone said he plans to greatly expand fitness programs and offerings for Long Branch residents, of all ages.

Long Branch plans to substantially increase the number of programs in the Community Center, such as offering yoga classes, meditation, team sports, arts classes, etc. As it stands currently, the Bucky James Community Center has a large multipurpose room, basketball court, computer lab, a library, office space and already houses the Long Branch Recreation offices.

The need for more affordable housing in Long Branch has been at the forefront for many years now, said Pallone.

"Right now, the Housing Authority has approximately 5,000 persons on waiting lists, which means most people who are on the list must wait about five years to be housed," said Gloria Wright, director of the Long Branch Housing Authority. "Gaining this land is huge for our organization, as real estate in Long Branch is costly and at a premium. During this pandemic, the need for affordable housing has skyrocketed."

Pallone said he has long wanted to increase rec offerings for Long Branch residents.

"When Commissioner Donald Covin of the Long Branch Housing Authority came to me with this idea, I was immediately on board and the conversation began from there," said Pallone. "This is an opportunity that benefits everyone. We get more affordable housing units in our city and our residents get more recreational facilities and programs."