The Lakewood Planning Board on Tuesday night is set to review a pioneering housing project tailored to the needs of Lakewood Yungerleit. This groundbreaking development, initiated by Kollel Cheshek Shlomo, proposes the creation of 52 full-size residences and a daycare center capable of accommodating up to 400 children.
Located at 506 New Egypt Road, the project is a response to the escalating housing prices in recent years, in with the kollel aiming to offer affordable housing solutions to the Yungerleit at about half the going market rate – the rents (about $1,800) would only cover the mortgage costs of the project and will not be profitable.
This marks an unprecedented initiative in Lakewood, being the first of its kind to offer subsidized housing specifically for yungerleit.
Rav Avrohom Yeshaya Appel, Rosh Kollel of Cheshek Shlomo, has an even greater vision – creating a full, comprehensive campus for his yungerleit. This setup would allow the Yungerleit to dedicate themselves to full-day learning without financial strain, coupled with the convenience of a nearby daycare center for their children, thereby reducing the need for long commutes, and simultaneously easing Lakewood’s traffic woes.
The project is seen as a crucial step in tackling the dual challenges of housing affordability and traffic congestion faced by the yungerleit in Lakewood. It also aligns with the broader objective of providing accessible living options that support the lifestyles of Bnei-Torah and their families.
The upcoming review by the Planning Board is a critical juncture for this ambitious housing project. Its approval could pave the way for significant improvements in the living conditions and learning opportunities for the yungerleit community.
How about subsidized Home Rentals for all the wonderful hardworking balei batim, who don’t qualify for all the government programs, because they make too much and can’t make ends meet because of Bidenflation????
There’s no government funding here.
As far as the other issue is concerned, please have the owner of the site send me an email with your contact information. I’d love to help you find meaningful and more remunerative work.
Who said I was talking about myself? I am talking about many of my friends and aquaintances.
Yes I think you need a job as you have extra time to criticize people who do good things!
I see you missed the word “hardworking” in my original post!
How does this stand up in court
Unprecedented ?
You ever heard of lakewood commens?
Who do you think did that?
The difference is the yungaliet/askunim who did it, didn’t self promote or do it for ‘their’ mosed! The did it for the good of the tzibur.
This is rentals, and there is no government funding involved. Which means it can be replicated again and again. That’s why this can be a game changer. He has already started working on a similar project in Jackson
Ploni Almoni … Common complaint … Something for Jewish Communities to consider:
People fail to realize that many Rabbonim, teachers, Kollel yungerleit, etc, actually earn as much or even more than every day baalbatim working hard, yet paying for tuitions, mortgage/rent, foodstuffs, etc etc. with huge pressure to “keep up with the Schwartz’s” so to say. Especially w many of those learning/teaching receiving special tuition assistance, housing assistance,food assistance, from many sources,that baalbatim do not qualify for. It’s understood that people want to assist those learning full-time, and it’s indeed a mitzvah. But an honest survey of real earnings would probably show that there are all sorts of Yidden earning comparable incomes without the added assistance. Just something for Communities to consider … Assistance should be financial based regardless of profession or title. And only the most devoted full-time learners honored w “extra” consideration so to say.
The Rambam disagrees with you! Look at the last Rambam in Hilchos Shemita Veyovel. Where he shtels avek the jewish system, for chashivus of talmidei chachomim and their entitlements. If you are not happen with yiddishkeit, you are welcome to take a look at other systems establishments like Islam, christianity and rate their sucesses and compare it with the Jewish value system results ……
this is going to be shut down. the neighbors have the means. the daycare this place owns on central already did enough damage to the traffic situation
This will create less traffic not more
come on. now you care about traffic? the truth is there’s less traffic because the yungerleit won’t be driving any more than they used to over there. Let’s call a spade a spade. We need bold original thinkers to help create a more workable situation for yungerleit and mosdos. This idea is it. Let’s make it work i’ll.
Care to explain how there’s less traffic?
There will be 400 kids in the child care center servicing 52 units. How many kids under school-age can people have? If there’s 3 kids under the age of 5 per family in campus, 3×52=156 meaning 244 kids are not from the campus and are being driven in. That’s alot of cars driving down a small street that’s already quite busy.
The wives will most likely have to drive to wherever they drive till now. At most they’re eliminating 52 cars (the kollel yungeleit) while adding 150-200 cars to the road (child care, wives)
The reducing traffic claim is a myth.
One the mortgagee is paid off will the apartments be free? Most landlords in town are barely covering their mortgage.
The guy is running a business for his kollel this won’t help all the other thousands of ppl in town
A business for his kollel?
So you mean he’s raising money for his yingerleit and setting an extraordinary example for other mosdos too? How is that anything but laudable?
We go from supporting yungeleit with beautiful Adirei Tayreh ads to this— treating yungeleit no differently than untermenschen, in Lakewood no less.
Disgusting!!!
They’re up to code. This is unjustified.
Shame on these ballei batim for treating our yungeleit this way. This is an excellent concept that can and should be replicated by every mosad to ensure the success of their yungerleit and help the roshei mosdos. Couple that and genuinely high level learning and we all gain!
Why do you think it is up to code? And how this code served to help with Lakewood development?
This is a brilliant model that should be embraced by all mosdos—enabling all yungerleit to learn without any distraction, ditto for roshei mosdos, and help us all because they would be self-funded. It’s also a great kiddush Hashem that everything was done up to code, of course.
In Lakewood especially, where everyone wants to help, this is a beautiful idea.
I’m mamish pumped by this idea! What a kiddush Hashem! Let’s all join this cause and help others mimic it too!
This is an example of thinking big. I love it and I hope this extraordinary Kollel — and all the other mosdos here — flourish.
Money money
It’s not going to work.. the rich neighbors are going to stop it they don’t want to see this type of people they treat them like lowlifes
Rav Appel is doing some amazing work for Kollel families, creating not just affordable homes but a financially responsible, supportive ecosystem for Yungerleit. This project is more than just low rent; it’s about building a community that takes care of its families. It’s really great to see such big plans coming to life. Hats off to everyone involved in making this dream a reality! Tizku L’mitzvos.
Verdi impressive concept. When this takes off, there will be communities duplicating it all over the world!
I’m a TOMS river resident close to the Lakewood border. No more new housing in Lakewood. It’s overcrowded now. Look at all the new housing on Rt 70. You won’t be able to move around anywhere shortly. ENOUGH!!!!!!
This will not worsen the traffic issues but rather lessen them.
Everyone who is saying this is not explaining how.
Ashreichem Yisroel!
Why is it that being against this development means you’re against Torah Institutions or lower income families buying houses they could afford. The issue is that we’re stuffing 50 large families into a 3 acre lot of a street that has its traffic issues already. Many of those opposing are special people that already help Yeshivos and the needy and would be delighted with neighbors that are Bnei Torah with the benefits that they bring to the community. They just don’t want traffic safety issues and building in a way that destroys the
infrastructure of the neighbourhood.
Why would you Paint them in a way that they’re not Machshiv Torah etc. I think we have to think twice before we attack good people.
Why can’t this campus be built further out, on a bigger lot that doesn’t require a ton of variances, and most importantly without stepping on the neighbors?
This is a great idea but why does it have to come on others cheshbon? Maken campuses where there is room and where it won’t destroy the neighborhood
How does bringing in yungerleit destroy the neighborhood? The vast majority of traffic is entering through New Egypt, and is ALREADY entering through there even without a campus, because that’s where they learn every day.
The vast majority of traffic will not be the kollel yungeleit. It will be the child care center parents who will mostly not be from the campus. This project will remove 52 cars from the neighborhood while adding 150-225 cars to the area. That’s in addition to opening the floodgates to overdevelopment in an area that cannot accommodate it. If you want to open a campus don’t do it on other people’s cheshbon.