Work Begins on New Affordable Senior Apartments, Community Center in NE Teaneck

The Bright Side Family and its partners hosted a Nov. 2 groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of a project to build a new affordable apartment building for seniors and a community center in Northeast Teaneck. Rising in place of a former public works building at 1425 Teaneck Road will be an attractively landscaped 5-story building with 40 independent-living apartments.

In her remarks at the ceremony, The Bright Side Family Executive Director Elizabeth Davis highlighted the dire financial circumstances faced by many older residents, largely the result of the region’s lack of affordable housing options. “This is wrong,” Davis said. “I believe every community in Bergen County has an obligation to promote and support the development of affordable housing.”
​
Davis thanked Township leaders for their decision several years ago to approach The Bright Side Family and its partners about the prospect of turning a long-vacant and outmoded facility into a new affordable housing site for seniors. “I hope it will inspire other communities to do the same,” Davis said.

​Teaneck-based The Bright Side Family operates Bright Side Manor, an affordable assisted living residence in Teaneck, as well as Age-Friendly Teaneck and other programs that help enable residents to age in their homes and communities. The non-profit also co-developed and co-owns The Brookdale Senior Residence, a 60-unit affordable senior apartment building at 60 Bergen Avenue.
​
As with The Brookdale, Bright Side is partnering on this project with The Alpert Group, a 4th-generation family-owned company that has won numerous awards for its affordable housing projects. Another partner is Monarch Housing Associates, a non-profit organization with 30 years of experience working with clients to develop affordable and mixed-income rental housing for seniors, families and persons with special needs.

The project is expected to be completed within 18 months, with tenant applications becoming available closer to the time of completion and a lottery held to select qualified applicants, who must be age 62 or older.

The building will have 36 one-bedroom and four two-bedroom apartments, one of which will be reserved for an on-site building maintenance superintendent. 

Rents won’t be finalized until the building is ready for occupancy, but based on current federal guidelines, one-bedroom units would range from $336 a month for extremely low-income tenants to $1,197 for moderate-income older adults. Two-bedroom units would range from $392 to $1,451.

Located across the street from a shopping center, with a bus stop at its front door, the accessibly designed building will be equipped with an elevator, a rooftop garden and ground-level parking. 

Many government agencies and non-profit providers – including the Township Social Services department, Holy Name , Jewish Family and Children’s Services of Northern New Jersey and Bergen County Division of Senior Services – have already committed to providing services at the site. 

Age-Friendly Teaneck will develop programming for the community center, based on input and guidance from the community, and will also lead a campaign to provide information and assistance to eligible Teaneck residents who wish to apply to live in one of the building’s apartments.
​
Anyone interested in being notified when applications are available is encouraged to email info@agefriendlyteaneck.org with a request to be added to the application notification list.

---