BERKELEY – A veterans village of 124 new homes as well as veteran services will break ground in a ceremony at the corner of Route 9 and Sloop Creek Road.
The village is being built by Tunnel To Towers, a nonprofit with the goal to make sure no veterans go homeless. The development will be 99 apartments and 25 single-family homes. There will also be services provided on site for the veterans, such as case management, behavioral health and financial literacy. Anything the residents might need that Tunnel To Towers doesn’t provide would be brought in by other nonprofits in the area.
The nonprofit is inspired by Stephen Siller, a firefighter stationed in Brooklyn who had just finished his shift and was on his way to meet family when he learned the first plane strike the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001. The Brooklyn Battery Tunnel was closed for security reasons following the attack, so he took his 60 lbs of gear and ran through the tunnel to help others. He was one of the many first responders claimed by the attacks. He left behind a wife and five children.
This will be the first such veterans village in New Jersey, although the group has built similar neighborhoods in other states. According to T2T.org, they have helped with mortgage-free homes for veterans. They also have a program where they provide a mortgage-free smart home for catastrophically injured vets. They also respond to disasters to help people on the ground. In keeping with their name and inspiration, they also educate about 9/11.
Locally, officials have said they chose this spot because of its proximity to the Veterans Administration clinic in Toms River and the high number of veterans in Ocean County.
A deed restriction has been recorded so that the homes will only go to veterans, Mayor John Bacchione said. In 2022, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation launched a new national campaign to eradicate homelessness in the veteran community. To date, Tunnel to Towers has provided assistance and access to supportive services to over 10,000 veterans and their families through the Veterans Villages across the country and the National Case Management Network.
The groundbreaking ceremony will take place at 11 a.m. on May 7 at 539 Atlantic City Boulevard in Bayville. To reserve a spot, email groundbreaking@T2T.org.
