LifeTies Inc. 2205 Pennington Rd Ewing NJ 08638 609-771-1600 609-530-1648 fax www.lifetiesinc.org For the past 3 years, LifeTies has gone before the Ewing Township Zoning Board for the approval to build Mary\'s Place. Mary\'s Place is a 15-bed permanent housing unit that provides housing for youth that are aging-out of the Child Welfare System. The young adults participating in Mary\'s Place are motivated, educated, individuals who deserve a chance to improve their life circumstances. There has been tremendous opposition by the community; such that, inflammatory fliers have been placed throughout the neighborhood warning residents to \"beware of young people who may break in to your home, threaten personal safety, and commit crime.\" Other harassing practices have included the violation of LifeTies\' privacy by residents who take photographs without permission. Since the inception of LifeTies, there has never been any criminal activity by LifeTies youth in the neighborhood. According to data reported by the Mercer Alliance to End Homelessness, \"In order to afford a 2-bedroom apartment in Mercer County, one would need to earn $44,800.00 per year to pay the $1120.00 Fair Market Rent for a two bedroom apartment.\" By providing youth with 1 to 2 years of housing, LifeTies is helping to bridge the gap between youth homelessness, and ultimately empowering youth to become productive and successful members within the community. LifeTies responded to the neighbors concern regarding scale and design of the building by redesigning the architectural plans. We, the supporters of LifeTies, are asking that the Ewing Township Zoning Board approve LifeTies\' request for a variance to construct Mary\'s Place.