Building Faith Into Foundations: Developer Anthony Talley Helps Churches Create New Housing Across the Region
Photo courtesy of Anthony Talley.
AE Talley Construction partners with congregations to turn unused land into affordable housing and long-term revenue streams.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is part of Front Runner New Jersey.com’s series of stories celebrating National Black Business Month by highlighting various business owners of color, their success and work.
BY CLYDE HUGHES | AC JosepH Media
SEWELL — Anthony Talley speaks about construction the way some people speak about ministry — with conviction, purpose and a clear sense of calling.
As owner of AE Talley Construction, the South Jersey developer has quietly become a behind-the-scenes force helping churches across the Delaware Valley turn unused land into new housing, new revenue streams, and new community impact. For Talley, this work is not just business. It is faith in action.
Talley and his team have created a process that allows churches — many of which own land but lack capital — to partner on development projects that benefit both the congregation and the surrounding community.
“A lot of churches have land or space they’re not utilizing, but they have trouble funding anything,” Talley told Front Runner New Jersey.com. “We come alongside them and bring opportunities they wouldn’t otherwise have.”
That model is already taking shape at The Perfecting Church in Sewell, where AE Talley Construction is building eight townhouses on church-owned land. The units will become a rental community, providing affordable housing options and a new revenue source for the congregation.
“It’s exciting,” Talley said. “We’re increasing housing, and we’re creating opportunities for churches that are typically stagnant because they don’t have other revenue sources.”
Projects Across the Region
The Sewell development is just one of several church-based projects Talley is leading:
- Manalapan: Ten new townhomes in partnership with a local church, nearing full approvals.
- Philadelphia: A similar housing initiative with another congregation.
- Camden: A new project in its early stages, with more churches waiting to join the pipeline.
In a case study, the Perfecting Church and its community development corporation Loving Our Cities, said its affordable housing would serve families, seniors and veterans. The church said the housing would address limited housing at a time of difficult economic challenges.
“The Perfecting Housing initiative directly addresses these challenges by creating eight high-quality, affordable townhouse units specially designed to meet the needs of these vulnerable populations while maintaining dignity and modern living standards,” the church said in its document.
The project’s timetable said it expects occupancy sometime in the first or second quarter of 2027.
The Manalapan project with St. James AME Church in Monmouth County will create 10 affordable housing units for “essential workers and families.” According to documents address the St. James project said the housing can have a huge impact throughout the community.
“Each dollar invested in affordable housing generates approximately $1.80 in total economic activity through construction spending, local retail support, and ongoing property services,” the project said.
“Educational Continuity Children in stable housing show improved academic performance, higher graduation rates, and increased likelihood of pursuing higher education.”
Talley said the interest is growing quickly.
“We have a long list of churches that want to get into our circle,” he said. “We’re being strategic — we don’t want to put too many resources out at one time — but the demand is real.”
Faith, Purpose, and the Black Church
Talley’s motivation is deeply personal.
“I’m a man of faith,” he said. “And as a man of color, we’re put out of opportunities in so many areas — access to capital, development, you name it.”
He and his colleagues saw an opening to help churches, especially Black churches, leverage their assets to strengthen their communities.
“The Black church is such an intricate part of the community,” Talley said. “But we’re not only doing Black churches. We’ll work with any church. It just happens that the ones we’re working with now are Black churches.”
The funding for these projects often comes from federal or state sources, making the partnerships especially valuable for congregations that have struggled to access development capital.
“It’s really a win-win situation,” Talley said.
A Complex Process, A Growing Team
The work is not simple. Talley’s team includes attorneys, development specialists, engineers, architects, and geotechnical experts. AE Talley Construction handles the construction and assembles the full project team.
There is also financial risk.
“Oftentimes I’m putting out money out of pocket to fund these projects in the initial stages,” Talley said. “There’s a great bit of risk involved.”
To ease that burden, he is developing relationships with entities willing to provide interim funding until permanent financing is secured. The company currently employs six people but expects to grow.
“We just had a staff meeting about the need for more folks,” he said. “There will be temporary employment when construction starts, and permanent employment once the buildings are up — maintenance, management, everything.”
Creating Without Waiting for Permission
For Talley, the work reflects a larger philosophy.
“Everyone has a certain purpose in life. One of mine is creating — creating through the building process,” he said.
And he is determined to create without waiting for traditional gatekeepers.
“We’re not waiting for the federal government or the majority folks to say we can approve you for such-and-such,” Talley said. “We’re building our own opportunities.”
A Vision That’s Catching On
With multiple projects underway and more churches lining up, Talley believes this model will spread.
“This is going to catch on,” he said. “We’re helping churches start and finish projects that create opportunities for their communities. That’s what it’s all about.”
Talley lauded his wife Kimberly for giving him stability, personally and professionally. Calling her his “rock.”
“There is no story without my wife,” Talley said. “She makes everything possible. She is my moral compass and the one that binds us together. As a developer and builder, sometimes finances are not stable.
“Because my wife is a hospital administrator and has been working for the entire time of our marriage, she makes things stable for us on those times of ups and downs. Sometimes as a developer, you have big wins but sometimes you have months without getting any money. This is how her stability makes a great team.”
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