My son and his fiance had been staying in a bed and breakfast inn in Ocean Grove. They were evacuated and are now living in my den. Will they be eligible for this "lottery" at Fort Monmouth? Even though they didn't go to a shelter, they are still displaced by Hurricane Sandy. They lost all their belongings and their car. FEMA directed them to a few motels, but they were too far from their jobs (and the trains haven't been running!). I've been transporting them every day for the past week. How can they apply?

This housing is a start, but hundreds of more fort housing units are available at Howard Commons on Pinebrook Road. Excuses of firewalls between units and code updating can be easily remedied and creative solutions worked out. Survivors from Katrina were turned away from these units with these excuses when many people were still living there. Many wonderful volunteers like Habitat for Humanity would be willing to help. Millions of dollars were used to upgrade these units years ago. If the government and military pooled their resources and made housing a priority and a national security issue this can be done. Together we can do it. Attend the next Fort Monmouth FMERA meeting December 12. 7:00pm at Eatontown Municipal Building, 47 Broad Street and let your voice be heard.
Tom Mahedy

Will any priority be given to displaced Oceanport residents?

The housing off of PineBrook is a disaster itself. Windows broken and most boarded up, hanging gutters, doors gone. God only knows what is living in there. It's falling apart. Every once in a while the grass, only facing PineBrook, is mowed. It's been like that for the past few years, long before Sandy or even Irene. Now, with Sandy, what more damage has occured. Parts of a roof came off, trees down. There needs to be SO much done before it can be habitable. Will something be done there? Or, should I say WHEN will something be done. This is a perfect opportunity!

Hooorayyyyyyyyyyyyy! It's about time. (This has been a pet peeve of mine and many other caring citizens in Monmouth County.) American Citizens should not be sleeping in motels or tents when there's over 600 unused housing units located right here in Eatontown! (Howard Commons, & Fort Monmouth facilities,) They have a building for a daycare and unused gas pumps, and not long ago the facility was good enough to house well paid military families at a low rent cost why not than why not help local American citizens whose paid taxes, fought in wars, and raise families? We are NJ and we care about our neighbors. The fact of the matter is that Sandy blew open this door so that we can can have this conversation and act it. Point blank. Whether because of extreme weather conditions or extreme cost of living conditions. As a advanced society we should provide shelter to citizens who need it. WWJD? I look forward to attending the next Fort Monmouth FMERA meeting December 12. 7:00pm at Eatontown Municipal Building, 47 Broad Street . Thank you President Obama & Gov Christie for caring. (FYI: This makes jobs and helps others keep their jobs.)
Karen Edmond

I have been asking for over 3 years why these units at Howard Commons are not being used for our TAX paying citizens, veterans, police etc to have affordable housing. I lived at the Howard Commons housing from 1993-1998. The government was just completing their remodel when I moved in. They were very nice, not luxury but well equipped. I lived in a 4 bedroom all hardwood floors, 2 1/2 bath, living room, dining room, family room, kitchen, laundry room with central air and a fenced back yard with a private storage shed attached.
Since the closing of Fort Monmouth, they have done "training" in these houses with military and local fire rescue departments where they smashed windows, kicked in doors and hatched the roofs of some of the housing. You can see footage of this on Youtube. This training could have been performed in the Charles Wood housing section which had been scheduled for demolishing.
Some of the units in Howard Commons that were involved in the so called "training" may be beyond repair. I agree 150% with Tom (see pref post) the other units would take minimal repair i.e. windows, gutters,doors, fire wall. If the local and federal governments combined resources with Habitat for Humanity and other organizations these houses could be restored and become permanent homes for HOMEOWNERS which in turn would then become revenue as real estate paying citizens.

The howard commons units are slated for demolishing very soon. They were used recently for local fire dept training. Not inhabitable at this time.

A couple of years prior to the Fort closing, the housing units on Pinebrook were renovated. I don't know why that would not be an option. There are so many people who are homeless and need a semi-permanent roof over their heads. I hope they reconsider.

How do we register to get into the lottery?

Yes how can we register? I went to FEMA center in Belmar today to ask. They didn't even know what I was talking about. They said FEMa was not involved at all. I showed them the Patch article and they were all surprised. Then I met a local real estate agent who told me people are already being picked from this "lottery" and being told they will get spots at the Fort. How is this happening? What is going on??

I had a call from FEMA Housing this morning to check on my family's housing needs. Very nice but knew nothing about Fort Monmouth. Just sounded odd to me that FM was government and she was government. Anyway, I can't found anything on getting in the lottery either. Only that there will be one. Ugh!!! Would love to move back into the county for my daughter's school and my job. And to be able to clean up/out my house.

At Mischa. Your right. ^_^ And as far as what Mr. Ryan mentioned -_- I have seen plenty of carpenters build beautiful homes starting off with simple stick frame work. These building, (not to mention grounds,) have so much to offer. Thankfully because of technology we can repair or replace, broken walls, roofs, and floors in a efficient manner. And as far as getting the job done...well every carpenter knows the more workers completing the renovation or building the quicker the job is done. Someone said that we have a whole slew of American young men both black & white, just itching for a job that could provide training plus resources for his family. No more excuses lets get this housing for the people. We have a caring administration, the manpower and need. Have a sunshine day! : p

Why is no one covering this story? What is going on here? Asbury park press? Hello? Why isn't anyone discussing this?

Interesting....I'll reach out to 7 on my side to see if they know about this story or not. I don't think I'll be doing any harm in asking.

The best part? It has a roomy interior but is still small enough to be brought on a plane as a carry on.
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(Karen) If we were to make it accessible to everyone it should not be a tax burden to any form of government. It must be home ownership and responsibility. Since it was military housing and since our service men and women have given up so much for their country and us with very low pay; I think it only right that they be given first option.

As for "Itchy Foot Moe".. these unit had more than a new roof put on them. Some two bedroom units were expanded into 4 bedroom units. The two bedroom units were extended out in the front to make the living rooms larger, hardwood floors were refinished in the upstairs, new 1/2 baths in all the first floors and new baths in the upstairs and all the kitchens updated as well. I haven't even touched on the new air conditioning units and hot water heaters that I watched being hauled into the units for installation. I lived here while the renovations were still going on and watched it all.
This is just another form of government spending waste! It makes no sense to have "trained" on these units. Plenty of men and women looking for work that could work along side of future tax paying homeowners to restore these units!