October 18, 2018 - DCA Celebrates Ribbon Cutting of Affordable Housing for Working Families

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, October 18, 2018

Apartment Building in Ewing Provides a Mix of Permanent and Transitional Housing

EWING, NJ – New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) staff today helped celebrate the ribbon cutting of a 14-unit apartment building in Ewing for working families of limited financial means and for homeless households.

The garden-style apartments are located on Sullivan Way in a residential neighborhood of multi-family rental properties and single-family homes near playgrounds, parks, and grocery stores and in close proximity to good schools and public transportation. Originally built in 1959, the two-story apartment building was renovated with updated kitchens and bathrooms; new appliances; upgraded hot water heaters, electrical wiring, pipes, and plumbing fixtures; new or repaired doors; and updated boilers.

The property has a large yard, off-street parking, and central laundry facilities. Most of the apartments can accommodate large families. The apartment mix consists of 6 four-bedroom units, 4 three-bedroom units, 3 two-bedroom units, and 1 one-bedroom unit.

All the apartments are affordable to households below 80 percent of area median income (AMI), which is $71,900 for a family of four in Mercer County. Some of the apartments are affordable to families below 50 percent and 30 percent of AMI, which is $49,450 and $29,650 respectively for a family of four. Additionally, three of the units are set aside for transitional housing to help people who are homeless move into permanent, affordable housing. 

“Decent housing in a stable neighborhood with good schools and access to green space and healthy food provides families with an opportunity to improve their lives,” said Lt. Governor Sheila Y. Oliver. DCA Commissioner. “For this reason, DCA is proud to have contributed significant funds to these affordable apartments. We consider it an investment in our most precious resource – our residents.”

DCA awarded $1.55 million in HOME Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO) funds and $100,000 in Shelter Support grants for the project. HOME funding is designed to create affordable housing for low-income households and Shelter Support grants provide money to renovate and improve existing transitional housing and homeless shelters.

The funds for this project were awarded to Homes by TLC, Inc., a non-profit agency. They partner with HomeFront, Inc., a non-profit group focused on breaking the cycle of poverty and ending homelessness in Central Jersey. HomeFront will provide an array of support including job coaching and preparedness, daycare, a food and furniture bank, as well as life skills training and case management.

"This project is such a wonderful example of what can happen when government, corporations and private citizens come together to make a real difference in the lives of working families in New Jersey," said Connie Mercer, Executive Director of HomeFront. 

"We are so proud of this 20th development. During the past 18 years, we have worked to create housing that provides a solid foundation on which families can thrive," said Celia Bernstein of Homes by TLC.

DCA offers a wide range of programs and services, including affordable housing production, fire and building safety, community planning and development, local government management and finance, and disaster recovery.

For more information about DCA, visit http://www.nj.gov/dca/ or follow the Department on social media: