Does Montclair Need Assisted Living Facility?

The Assisted Living project on Church Street is now a "done deal."

We [the township council] responded to the request of one of the developers to approve the project by June 1st in order to meet his financing needs.

We responded to the developers to meet their needs for maximum profit.

And while the project will provide needed tax revenue, did we really respond to the needs of the residents?

Did anyone contact any of Montclair's extensive connections with the non-profit caregiver community to see what Montclair's residents, not the developers, need?

Last week, the media, including Patch, reported on the United Way's "ALICE" report on the surprising number of Montclair families whose income is below that needed to barely get by day to day. The Assisted Living facility has been described as a "luxury" Assisted Living facility so that Montclair residents can "age in place."

The monthly rent, after an initial deposit, will be almost $5,000 to over $10,000 per month. I am sure there are residents within five miles of Montclair who can afford this, but remember Montclair is also the community that said it couldn't afford raising pool fees a few dollars.

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