Lutheran Social Ministries of New Jersey Celebrates Mt. Olive Manor II Grand Opening
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Heather Kato
Annual Giving & Marketing Manager
(609) 699-4139
Lutheran Social Ministries of New Jersey (LSM/NJ) holds ribbon-cutting ceremony at Mt. Olive Manor II in Flanders, New Jersey. Building has been dedicated in memory of Gerald O. Sims.
JUNE 24, 2008 – BURLINGTON, NJ – Executives from Lutheran Social Ministries of New Jersey (LSM/NJ) greeted Mt. Olive Manor residents and several town officials of Flanders, NJ as they gathered together on Tuesday, June 24 to celebrate the formal ribbon cutting ceremony and grand opening celebration of Mt. Olive Manor II, an $8.9 million project, which consists of 50 affordable federally subsidized 1-bedroom apartment homes for seniors.
Mt. Olive Manor II, located at 49 Flanders-Bartley Road, is adjacent to the existing 60 apartments that comprise Mt. Olive Manor I. Funded largely through the Section 202 Housing and Urban Development (HUD) program, Manor II is a 3-story building comprised of 50 affordable apartment units designated for senior citizens age 62 and older with qualifying incomes.
At Mt. Olive Manor II, as at other properties built through Section 202 grants, rental rates depend on the prospective tenant’s income. Specifically, residents pay only 30 percent of their adjusted household income, which must be less than 50 percent of the area median. In Flanders, that would put the qualifying income below $29,550 for one person and $33,750 for two people.
“Last year alone we provided over 950 seniors of limited incomes with a place to call home,” explains Peg Bucci, Vice President of Housing and Community Services for LSM/NJ. “Mt. Olive Manor II offers seniors an opportunity to live independently in a secure environment at a monthly rate that is within their means.”
Section 202 provides both capital funds and rent subsidies to help nonprofit groups, like LSM/NJ, build and rent affordable housing for the elderly. Over the next four years, LSM/NJ will receive a rental subsidy from HUD to help cover the difference between the resident’s contribution toward rent and the cost of operating the building. Additional funding for this project was provided by the Department of Community Affairs HOME program, Federal Home Loan Bank Affordable Housing Program, and Morris County HOME program.
The architectural firm of Donnelly Wagner of Moorestown, NJ and Del-Sano Contracting Corporation of Edison each played an important role in the Mt. Olive Manor II project. The apartments they have constructed offer 540 square feet of living space and include a full kitchen and bath, a dining area and a living room. Every unit is equipped with energy star appliances and features wall-to-wall carpeting. Residents of Mt. Olive Manor I & II share a community room and have on-site access to both the Building Manager, as well as a Superintendent. There are also laundry rooms located on each of the building’s three floors.
Overseen by the Abiding Peace Board of Trustees, both Mt. Olive Manor I & II are professionally managed by Lutheran Social Ministries of New Jersey, a faith–based non-profit organization which provides housing to over 1,400 individuals across the state of New Jersey. LSM/NJ also provides Immigration & Refugee Services, Disability & Children’s Residential Services, Adoption Services, as well as Senior Healthcare & Retirement Living. LSM/NJ offers these programs and services in locations throughout the state for those in need.
Tuesday’s ribbon cutting ceremony included a memorial dedication of the building to Mr. Gerald O. Sims. Gerald was an employee of LSM/NJ who was instrumental in the planning and design of Mt. Olive Manor II. He was an inspiration to many, and was responsible for providing shelter and hope to those in need with the development of several LSM/NJ properties.
Seniors interested in living at Mt. Olive Manor can contact the property manager at (973) 252-1403 for more information. However, there is currently a waiting list for Manor II, as the building will open in July with every apartment occupied.
Lutheran Social Ministries of New Jersey (LSM/NJ) is a faith-based, statewide not-for-profit provider of compassionate, quality senior care services, as well as community programs such as adoption, immigration & refugee resettlement, community residences for developmentally disabled women & affordable housing for seniors and families. For more information, call (609) 699-4108 or visit https://www.lsmnj.org.