Our county is taking bold steps to address a growing housing crisis affecting military personnel and first responders. Cape May County has formally requested that the Delaware River & Bay Authority submit a Change of Land Request to the Federal Aviation Administration, seeking approval to develop rental housing on a small portion of Cape May County Airport property.
The proposal would dedicate 18 acres—just 1.8 percent of the nearly 1,000-acre airport site—for permanently leased townhomes. These units would be reserved exclusively for U.S. Coast Guard personnel, military members supporting airport operations, airport maintenance workers, police, fire and EMS personnel, and other essential personnel tied to national security, disaster response and emergency operations.
Addressing a Critical Need
The timing of this initiative reflects urgent realities facing our community. Cape May was designated a Critical Housing Area by the Coast Guard in June 2025, highlighting the severe shortage of affordable housing options for military families and essential workers. Without on-site workforce housing, these personnel face lengthy commutes that could compromise rapid response capabilities during national security incidents, natural disasters, civil unrest or other crises.
"Cape May County is proud to be the home of Coast Guard's training center," said Director Leonard C. Desiderio. "This is an innovative plan the County has been actively developing and working towards for the better part of a year in anticipation of the Coast Guard's expanding mission and growing needs for proximate workforce housing."
Supporting Coast Guard Expansion
The housing proposal directly supports anticipated growth at U.S. Coast Guard Training Center Cape May, which serves as the sole enlisted accession point for the Coast Guard and the birthplace of the enlisted corps. According to county officials, the Trump Administration's Force Design 2028 plan calls for a substantial increase in enlisted USCG members by 2028, making the need for nearby housing even more pressing.
This expansion underscores the strategic importance of TRACEN Cape May to national defense operations and highlights our community's role in supporting military readiness.
Building Broad Support
County leaders are working to secure backing from key stakeholders across multiple levels of government. The effort includes outreach to Congressman Jeff Van Drew, Senator Michael Testa, Assemblymen Antwan McClellan and Erik Simonsen, and the mayors of all 16 county municipalities.
"This is a positive, forward-looking solution that benefits all the federal, state and local entities invested in our national security," Desiderio said. "This initiative creates affordable housing opportunities for enlisted Coast Guard, our military partners, first responders (including police, fire, medical and EMS personnel) and airport operations."
The Board of Commissioners has urged the Delaware River & Bay Authority, identified as the airport sponsor, to advance the request to the FAA and work diligently to secure approval. The success of this initiative could serve as a model for other communities facing similar challenges in housing essential personnel while maintaining operational readiness for emergency response.
