For the first time in history, Jersey City held a Veterans Day parade to honor United States soldiers and New Jersey veterans on Sunday, November 8^th. Thankful citizens lined the sidewalks wearing red, white and blue and waving U.S. flags to show their gratitude for the men and women who have served in the armed forces.

Jersey City is hoping to make the Veterans Day parade an annual occurrence, always taking place the weekend before the holiday. While Veterans Day is always held on November 11^th, this year it fell on a Wednesday.

As a former Marine, Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop said, “It is important to get an event of this magnitude in the city and recognize all of the efforts and sacrifices veterans made in fighting for freedom.”

The Jersey City parade route began at City Hall on Grove Street and made its way around the city, ending at the Historic Jersey City and Harsimus Cemetery. Several city officials including Mayor Fulop and U.S. Senator Bob Menendez marched along with veteran organizations and New Jersey veterans. Former Marine and Jersey City Councilman Daniel Rivera even entered a float with a deejay into the Jersey City parade.

In an effort to help New Jersey veterans in Jersey City, Mayor Fulop also announced that his administration and the Hudson County Alliance to End Homelessness (HCAEH) are teaming up to eliminate veteran homelessness in the city, following First Lady Michelle Obama’s Challenge to End Veteran Homelessness in 2014.

“Anyone who has served our country should never be jobless, or worse, without a roof over their head,” said Fulop. “Providing housing and coordinated services for these veterans is a priority for our city.”

As part of this initiative, Jersey City’s Redevelopment Agency will issue a request for proposal (RFP) to construct housing for veterans. The housing development is planned for a location on Ocean Avenue in Jersey City and will contain 21 rental housing units. Responses for the proposal are due on January 8^th, 2016.

For more local NJ news and information about living in Jersey City, check out some of our other articles for details on things that are happening in the New Jersey and Jersey City community!