Lottery Will Determine Who’s Eligible for New Affordable Housing Units
In anticipation of the completion of 58 affordable housing units in Lakewood, Rabbi Shmuel Lefkowitz, the president of NJ Hand, has announced that a public lottery to determine who will be eligible to purchase the newly constructed three- and four-bedroom units will take place Wednesday, March 14, 2012, at 7:00 p.m. in the auditorium of the Lakewood Municipal Building, 231 Third Street, Lakewood.
Ervin Oross, the community development director of Lakewood and the president of Rehabco, the company that runs housing and community development programs, said that those individuals who had completed applications for this phase of affordable housing received a letter with a lottery ball number in it.
Oross said, “The call for applications was advertized in all the media, including the Hispanic newspapers so everyone would have an equal opportunity to apply for the affordable housing units. We received 1,000 applications for three- and four-bedroom units. It looks as though we have 600 applications for the four-bedroom units and 300 for the three-bedroom units.”
The public and the applicants who received a lottery number are invited to the March 14 lottery selection. A Bingo cage containing wooden bingo balls will automatically pick the numbered balls and shoot them out. After the selection of 60 people who have applied for three-bedroom units and another 60 people who have applied for four-bedroom units, the winners will be carefully screened to make sure they meet all criteria to own an affordable housing unit. Winners do not have to be present; they will be notified of their selection by mail.
Oross said, “Thanks to the land donated by the Lakewood Township Committee to three not-for-profit developers – NJ HAND, NJ STEPS/Homes for All, the Lakewood Affordable Housing Corporation – we are able to provide housing for those who would never be able to afford it.”