A ribbon cutting ceremony was recently held for the Dr. Lena Frances Edwards Apartments in Jersey City. Attending the ceremony were members of the City Council, Mayor Steve Fulop, and other officials from the city and the state of New Jersey.
There are 64 apartment units, with five reserved for homeless veterans. Parking, storage for bikes, a community room, and a laundry facility are some of the amenities in the building.
The apartments are all designated as affordable. Mayor Fulop commented that although the city boasts the largest building in the state, he is very proud of this new development. He added that the idea of providing housing to homeless veterans was the result of a trip to the White House where several mayors gathered to discuss the issue of these veterans.
Various homeless and veteran organizations will partner with Genesis Corporation, the developer of the building, to receive referrals for those veterans who qualify for the apartments. Poster printing can be used by such organizations as Veterans Affairs and the nonprofit WomenRising to reach out to qualifying veterans and inform them of the availability of such apartments.
A scheduled move-in date for tenants is mid-September. Dr. Lena Frances Edwards, a Jersey City physician whose medical practice was devoted to the working poor in the city, is the building’s namesake.
