National nonprofit receives Housing and Urban Development grant to construct NJ’s first Green group home for people with disabilities

In January 2010, Community Options, a national nonprofit organization that develops homes and employment for people with disabilities announced that they would be working in partnership with Hopewell Township to develop the first green, sustainable group home for people with disabilities in New Jersey.

Recently, this project was deemed worthy of a grant through the Housing and Urban Development body that funds affordable housing projects across the country. The grant will permit the development of a group home for four persons with developmental disabilities. The home will be of a one-story design and will provide supportive services to assist the residents to live independently.

Plans call for the construction of this home to be LEED for Homes certified. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, provides standards for environmentally sustainable construction Project architecture and construction is being managed by Princeton Design Guild (PDG). Environmentally friendly from start to finish, additional project details call for the disassembly of an existing large barn, relocation and renovation of a smaller barn, dismantling of the original farm house and construction of a new sustainable Community Options home.

“Being awarded this grant to construct a sustainable group home in New Jersey for persons with disabilities is beyond my wildest dreams,” says, Robert Stack, President and CEO of Community Options. “Our organization has been working for years to become more environmentally correct and this is one of amazing things we are able to do because of our vision; our vision has become a reality,” he added.

Picture Caption - Artist Rendering of the home to be constructed