On Friday, September 10, Mayor Fulop, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark, Catholic Charities, city council members, Claremont Development, and Arc Building Partners officially marked the beginning of construction on a state-of-the-art homeless services facility.
The new St. Lucy’s 60,000-square-foot facility will be located on Grove Street, between 15th Street and 16th Street in Jersey City. The facility will provide emergency and transitional offerings along with multiple affordable housing solutions and comprehensive supportive services for individuals and families who are homeless.
“With this groundbreaking, we’re building a safe space that will not only provide food and shelter for those in need, but we’re also utilizing St. Lucy’s established success as the foundation to build a brighter, more prosperous future for our neediest residents and families for generations to come,” said Mayor Fulop. “As we work collectively to eradicate homelessness, the City is committing over $2 million in grant funding to help expand beyond traditional shelter services to also include more permanent housing options and transitional support as well as everyday necessities that better address the health and well-being of our most vulnerable residents.”
The newly expanded St. Lucy’s homeless housing and support services site will feature a total of 165 beds for individuals who are homeless, 14 units of transitional housing for individuals with HIV, five permanent supportive housing units specifically for families, and 15 permanent affordable housing studio apartments.
The site will also provide its temporary and permanent residents with access to comprehensive case management services offered on-site. For non-residents, the site includes a drop-in area so they can utilize St. Lucy’s services for showers, meals, and the new laundry facilities.
“This project is a tangible example of how the Archdiocese of Newark is heeding the call of Jesus, who asked his followers to help the vulnerable,” said Cardinal Joseph Tobin, Bishop of the Archdiocese of Newark. “Projects like this are desperately needed to bring the Gospel to life, which is why we are thankful to Mayor Fulop for his support and the ongoing collaboration between the development team and Catholic Charities. May their partnership continue to prosper as they begin the construction process.”
The new $16 million facility is fully funded through Claremont Development and at no cost to Jersey City taxpayers. The St. Lucy’s Public Benefit Project and related St. Lucy’s Tower development have been in progress since 2015. The current construction schedule calls for expected build-out completion by late 2022 or early 2023.
