With the unwavering support of the Jewish Federation of Southern New Jersey (JFSNJ), older adults and those with disabilities in Cherry Hill, NJ, are gaining access to a life of independence, dignity, and a community living experience in Weinberg Commons’ newest building, the Jonathan Sinay Building.
Weinberg Commons is an innovative, affordable housing community born from a collaboration among the JFSNJ, Pennrose, and PennReach, allowing adults with disabilities to thrive and receive the necessary care while also learning life skills. Unique opportunities await older adults and those with special needs, encouraging them to come together and unite as one community.
Each area in the Sinay Building was built with a specific purpose and a desire for individuals with intellectual disabilities to thrive in an environment where they are taught basic job skills, as well as assisting those with memory impairments to ensure they are well cared for.
One of the major additions in the Sinay Building is the introduction of “Main Street,” a gymnasium that has an atmosphere resembling a small town’s Main Street, hopefully providing clients with a sense of home and community and allowing them to feel more at ease.
The foundation of “Main Street” is a standard basketball court for clients to enjoy, but smaller details were added such as a tricycle riding track around the perimeter of the court, and a mini golf station set up directly outside.
Multiple smaller rooms surround the court, each one symbolizing a common stop that they would find when walking down Main Street. These high-end spaces include a hair/nail salon, a commercial kitchen, a fitness and wellness center, an outdoor recreation center, a greenhouse, a 4-hole mini golf course, a painting and ceramics room, a game room, a movie theater, a general store and a lounge area.
Almost every room in the building provides clients with the opportunity to practice the skills they would need to pursue future employment in addition to standard everyday life skills that they might not already know, including working as a cashier in the small general store, washing hair and painting nails of adults with memory loss in a relaxing environment, learning how to make a bed and do their laundry, and brewing coffee/making refreshments in the J-Sips Cafe & Bistro in the building for residents of Weinberg Commons as well as the general community, and so much more.
Additional amenities abound in this community for all its residents, from a community room with scheduled and inviting weekly activities to a computer and technology lab, arts and crafts room, mini movie theater and on-site laundry. Having a full-time activities coordinator on staff leads to a rich social calendar that supports residents with disabilities leading active, independent and connected lives.
The new building was established directly next to Jewish Federation’s Weinberg Commons, the affordable community housing for those over age 55 and adults living with disabilities. JFSNJ designed this addition to further help this population and continue the goal of providing clients with the opportunity to live as independently as possible while also maintaining the necessary care and support.
The Weinberg Commons complex consists of 160 units of one- and two-bedroom apartments serving a diversified residential population.
Of those, eight quad units comprise 32 one-bedroom apartments that serve adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and afford residents with fostering independence and a sense of community. Each quad unit is fully equipped with shared common areas allowing residents and a staff member in charge of ensuring supportive services in a safe, inviting environment.
The complex was nationally recognized for its pioneering approach to balancing independence with a strong community integration initiative. In 2021, the National Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH) bestowed Weinberg Commons with the Innovator Award, recognizing the development’s forward-thinking design along with its inclusive philosophy. This is the second major award for the project, winning the Supportive Housing Association of New Jersey’s Project of the Year in 2020, further cementing Weinberg Commons as a model in the realm of affordable and supportive housing.
The need for quality, affordable housing that meets the specific needs of older adults and individuals with disabilities has never been more urgent. According to the 2020 Census, more than 30% of Cherry Hill’s population is over age 55, including 17% age 65 years and older.
However, only 15% of the township’s 31,000 housing units are rentals, and an even smaller fraction of those are both affordable and accessible to those with physical disabilities. Weinberg Commons seeks to fill that gap by offering housing set at or below 60% of Camden County’s Area Median Income (AMI), with a portion of the units set aside for residents at 30% AMI.
These 16 specialized units for adults with developmental disabilities are subsidized through rental subsidies from the New Jersey Department of Human Services Division of Developmental Disabilities to keep them affordable and ensure continuity in all services that are needed.
Weinberg Commons represents a collaborative triumph in its development. The Township of Cherry Hill is a key partner in the project, committing approximately $1 million from its Affordable Housing Trust Funds and including the project in its Housing Element Plan.
First-phase financing was provided through a combination of a conventional first mortgage from Bank of America, Camden County HOME funds, Federal Home Loan Bank, Affordable Housing Program funds, grants from the Weinberg Foundation, and equity from the sale of Low-Income Housing Tax Credits.
The mission of Weinberg Commons is a longtime vision brought to life– a place where older adults and those with disabilities could live with honor, independence and pride. Filling crucial shortages of homes for such a population by creating a sense of camaraderie and mutual care, Weinberg Commons is transforming lives, one opening door at a time.