Northfield Veterans Village Breaks Ground, Bringing 121 Planned Homes and Support Services to South Jersey Veterans

Atlantic County Commissioner June Byrnes praises Northfield officials and the Tunnel to Towers Foundation as a major housing initiative for veterans moves forward.

NORTHFIELD, N.J. — A major initiative to provide housing and support services for homeless veterans in South Jersey has reached a significant milestone, with the Tunnel to Towers Foundation breaking ground on a planned 121-unit Veterans Village in Northfield.

The groundbreaking ceremony took place Wednesday, October 28, at the Wabash Avenue property near Mill Road, marking the beginning of a project designed to provide stable, affordable housing and comprehensive assistance to veterans facing homelessness and other challenges.

The development will include 99 single-occupancy housing units and 22 larger homes, known as Comfort Homes, along with on-site services intended to help veterans achieve greater independence and long-term stability.

Atlantic County Commissioner June Byrnes, who attended the ceremony, praised the foundation and Northfield officials during an appearance Friday on The Lorry Young Show on News Talk 1400 & 92.3 WOND.

Assemblyman Don Guardian, who was guest hosting the program, asked Byrnes about the project and her work supporting Atlantic County veterans.

"I was at the groundbreaking for the Northfield Veterans Village the other day," Byrnes said.

"I was so proud of our Northfield governing body. The speakers from Tunnel to Towers, who were doing this project, could not have said enough nice things about how easy the governing body in Northfield made it for them."

Byrnes said foundation representatives specifically recognized the city's willingness to help the project move through the local approval process.

"They said they don't see that everywhere," she said.

"They can try and start a project in another community, and all the hurdles they have to get through to for zoning or permits, they said that Northfield opened their arms and helped them to start this project."

Housing and Services for Veterans

The Northfield Veterans Village is part of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation's national effort to address veteran homelessness by combining affordable housing with services that help residents overcome the challenges that contributed to their housing instability.

According to the foundation's October 28 announcement, the Northfield development will provide nearly 125 housing units, including 99 single-occupancy rooms and 22 Comfort Homes.

The project's planned total of 121 units is also reflected in Northfield's affordable housing planning documents.

The larger homes are intended to accommodate veterans whose housing needs differ from those of residents in the main building.

Earlier descriptions of the project from foundation representatives indicated that the single-occupancy units would be studio-style apartments, while the Comfort Homes would provide additional space for veterans who may require a different long-term housing arrangement.

The development is expected to include support services addressing employment, financial stability, health and other obstacles that can contribute to homelessness.

Foundation representatives have described services such as case management, job training and employment assistance, legal advocacy and financial education as central elements of the Veterans Village model.

The goal is not simply to provide a roof over someone's head, but to help veterans rebuild their lives.

Byrnes emphasized the importance of providing both housing and assistance.

"There are going to be homes for disabled vets where they'll have services," she said.

The foundation's broader program serves veterans experiencing homelessness and housing instability. Its announcement does not indicate that every Northfield resident must have a service-connected disability.

Northfield Praised for Helping Project Advance

The Veterans Village is planned for property on Wabash Avenue near Mill Road, adjacent to Northfield's bike path.

The site was previously used by a construction business and has been incorporated into the city's affordable housing planning.

Northfield's 2026 amended Housing Element and Fair Share Plan identifies the Tunnel to Towers development as a proposed veterans supportive housing project with up to 121 units.

The city has also entered into a developer's agreement involving the foundation and the property owner.

Byrnes said cooperation between municipalities and organizations such as Tunnel to Towers is essential to getting projects completed.

"We all partner with our municipalities in working to get projects like this through, so not only for our veterans, but then for local jobs," she said.

She also praised the location.

"It's right on Wabash Avenue in Northfield, and the location will be perfect. It's right on the bike path," Byrnes said.

The groundbreaking attracted a substantial crowd, according to Byrnes, who said organizers arranged transportation from a nearby church to accommodate attendees.

"We had a few hundred people at this groundbreaking the other day," she said. "It was a beautiful day."

Although the ceremony marks an important milestone, construction remains ahead.

Gavin Naples, executive vice president of the foundation's Homeless Veteran Program, previously estimated that construction could take approximately 16 months once work begins.

The foundation's October 28 announcement did not provide a firm completion or opening date.

Part of a National Mission

The Tunnel to Towers Foundation was established following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in memory of New York City firefighter Stephen Siller.

Siller had finished his shift when he learned of the attack on the World Trade Center. After discovering that the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel had been closed to vehicles, he carried his firefighting equipment through the tunnel on foot to reach the scene.

He died while responding to the attacks.

His family subsequently established the foundation to honor his sacrifice and support military members, first responders and their families.

The organization provides mortgage-free homes to families of fallen first responders and Gold Star families, builds specially adapted homes for severely injured veterans and first responders, and operates programs addressing veteran homelessness.

Its Homeless Veteran Program began in 2022.

According to the foundation, it has since provided housing assistance and access to supportive services to more than 20,000 veterans and their families nationwide.

The Northfield development will be the foundation's second Veterans Village in New Jersey.

Another project is under construction in Bayville, Ocean County, where the foundation plans to provide 98 affordable housing units and 24 Comfort Homes.

That development is expected to be completed in early 2027.

The foundation says its Veterans Villages are designed to provide veterans with more than temporary shelter by connecting housing with services intended to promote long-term stability.

A Personal Commitment to Veterans

For Byrnes, the Northfield project has particular significance because of her family's military history.

During Friday's interview, Guardian asked about her experience as an Atlantic County commissioner and the responsibilities she finds most rewarding.

Byrnes, a former Linwood City Council member, said serving as the county's liaison to veterans' organizations is among the most meaningful parts of her job.

"As I said, I love our veterans. My father was a World War II vet," she said.

"That is so rewarding to me as a county commissioner."

Byrnes also said she and her husband supported Tunnel to Towers before learning that the organization planned to build a Veterans Village in Atlantic County.

"Tunnel to Towers, prior to me even knowing that they were coming to Atlantic County, my husband and I have been donors to their organization," she said.

She recalled the foundation's origins following September 11 and its commitment to helping military families and first responders.

"It all started after 9-11, and it is to support the families and first responders," Byrnes said.

"The country came together, and this organization is amazing."

Guardian, a former Atlantic City mayor who now represents the region in the New Jersey Assembly, also praised the foundation's work during the interview.

The groundbreaking represents a significant step toward expanding housing options for veterans in Atlantic County, where organizations serving former military personnel have long identified housing instability as a continuing concern.

For Byrnes, the importance of the Northfield project extends beyond the buildings themselves.

It represents an opportunity for local government, charitable organizations and residents to work together to provide veterans with the support they need.

"I'm so proud of, like I said, Northfield for doing that," she said.

Veterans seeking information about the Tunnel to Towers Foundation's housing assistance and supportive services can visit T2T.org. Applications for the Northfield Veterans Village are expected to become available closer to the project's completion.

Atlantic County Commissioner June Byrnes discussed the Northfield Veterans Village during an interview with Assemblyman Don Guardian, who was guest hosting The Lorry Young Show, heard weekdays from 1–2 p.m. on News Talk 1400 & 92.3 WOND.