By: Follow South Jersey Staff
SEWELL, N.J. – The Gloucester County Housing Development Corporation will receive an Affordable Housing Trust Fund grant of $4,200,000.
This award will provide funds for the Rowan College of South Jersey’s Special Needs Rental Housing project which will consist of the new construction of a 24-unit rental project for individuals with special needs.
“The Rowan College of South Jersey’s Special Needs Rental Housing project will be developed on the campus of our county college,” Gloucester County Commissioner Director Frank J. DiMarco said in a press release from the county. “This project will allow our special needs community to reach a level of independence with their own apartment right around the corner from the services they need.”
Former Senate President Steve Sweeney said that the Affordable Housing Trust Fund grant would not have been possible without his advocacy in Trenton.
“Housing for individuals with special needs is a critical priority in New Jersey. Gloucester County and I have shared the mission to meet the needs of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities,” Sweeney said. “Our special needs community deserves the opportunity to succeed and live a meaningful life.”
The Special Needs Rental Housing project will be constructed on the campus of Rowan College of South Jersey, 1400 Tanyard Rd. Sewell, right next to the Rowan Integrated Special Needs Center (RISN) and the Adult Center for Transition (ACT).
The ACT program students will receive education and employment preparedness, self-advocacy training, and have access to community resources. ACT students will concentrate on the enhancement of literacy, writing composition, mathematics, social sciences, financial literacy, work-place readiness, personal growth and development, computer literacy and activities of daily living. Utilizing person-centered planning, career interest inventories, resume writing and interview skills, job shadowing along with supported employment, students will be better able to define their career goals.
RISN is the first special needs primary care facility in the South Jersey region. The RISN center offers patient centered primary and behavioral health care services for individuals with physical, intellectual and developmental disabilities and for their families.
“Gloucester County will continue to be at the forefront of helping care for our special needs community. The ACT program being in the backyard of these future homes will allow our special needs community to learn more about their interests, prioritize independent living and prepare them for a career,” DiMarco added. “This will allow them to join our local workforce and continue to keep Gloucester County an inclusive, diverse and hardworking community.”
The Rowan College of South Jersey’s Special Needs Rental Housing project is expected to break ground later this year.
For more information, please visit www.rcsj.edu.
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