Eatontown Takes Stance on Affordable Housing at Fort Monmouth

By Christopher Sheldon

The Eatontown Council wants the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority to let the borough know exactly how many affordable housing units will be added to the former fort property after a proposed veterans' community is built. 

The original reuse plan for Fort Monmouth envisioned 577 housing units for the Eatontown section of Fort Monmouth; 275 for the Howard Commons area and 302 for Parcel B. The plan also states that 20 percent of those homes, 116, must be set aside for affordable housing.

The request for offers to purchase (RFOTP) for the veterans' community states that the 10-acre site can include between 75 and 150 units with 20 percent set aside for affordable housing.

The attorney general's office is set to review affordable housing at the fort and their findings will determine how many of the veteran's housing units will be considered as affordable housing.

The Eatontown Council recently passed a resolution stating that it wishes for FMERA to hear the attorney general's findings on housing in the veterans' community before awarding a contract for Parcel B.

FMERA is expected to award a contract for Parcel B either later this year or in early 2014. The RFOTP was issued for the veterans' community in September.