FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, May 19, 2021

 

More Than $3 Million Awarded to Develop 17 Affordable Homeownership and Rental Housing Units

TRENTON, NJ – The Murphy Administration today announced the award of $3.29 million to community organizations in Camden and Paterson through the Affordable Housing Trust Fund (AHTF). The fund is administered by the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) and provides financial assistance for the development of different types of affordable housing projects to create stronger, fairer communities in which people can afford to live.

“These awards demonstrate my Administration’s continued commitment to affordable housing and to moving New Jersey’s economy forward,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “It is my pledge to secure quality, safe, and affordable housing options for as many families as possible. We will continue to partner with organizations throughout the state to address New Jersey’s affordable housing shortages and we look forward to additional projects that will be created through the Affordable Housing Trust Fund.”

“DCA is getting Affordable Housing Trust Fund monies out to nonprofit organizations across the state to develop housing projects throughout New Jersey that will help strengthen and energize neighborhoods,” said Lt. Governor Sheila Oliver, who serves as DCA Commissioner. “We are particularly focused on utilizing the Trust Fund to create more affordable housing units for low-income households. As the COVID-19 pandemic has shown us, stable housing is critical to the overall health and well-being of people in our communities.”

The projects selected for awards demonstrated strong municipal support, participation in other state-funded community development initiatives, partnerships with private sector investors, sustainability/resilience, walkability, mixed-use, accessibility, and thoughtfulness in addressing gentrification.

The awards were given to smaller rental and homeownership housing projects sized at 25 or fewer units, which often have difficulty obtaining financing. These projects will fill the gaps within the existing affordable housing ecosystem, build on current assets and investments, and add value to neighborhoods. The projects are also being developed by community-based organizations that have a strong connection to the housing equity issues in their communities.

All housing units receiving AHTF funding must be deed-restricted for a minimum of 20 years.

The AHTF is allocated through three funds:

  • Municipal Settlement Fund, which helps municipalities create smaller-scale projects that fit into the landscapes of their neighborhoods and assists them in fulfilling their court-sanctioned affordable housing settlements;
  • Neighborhood Partnerships Fund, which supports the development of affordable housing in Qualified Urban Aid Towns, particularly projects that leverage other existing resources to strengthen their neighborhoods; and
  • Innovation Fund, which assists inventive projects that may not fit under the umbrella of the other two funds but that creatively advance the State of New Jersey’s housing goals.

The following AHTF awards announced today were funded through the Neighborhood Partnerships Fund:

Affordable Housing Trust Fund Awards

Award Recipient

Project

Funding Pool

Program Description

County

Units

Award Amount

Parkside Business & Community In Partnership, Inc.

Parkside 10 Unit Homes

Neighborhood Partnerships Fund

Rehabilitation of one and construction of nine single family homeownership units located at various sites along Haddon, Kenwood, Wildwood and Princess avenues in the City of Camden.

Camden

10

$2,020,934

New Jersey Community Development Corporation

Wayne Avenue

Neighborhood Partnerships Fund

Construction of a 4-unit affordable rental apartment building located at 157 Wayne Street in Paterson.

Passaic

4

$376,750

New Jersey Community Development Corporation

Mill Street Apartments

Neighborhood Partnerships Fund

Construction of a 3-unit affordable rental apartment building located at 105 Mill Street in Paterson.

Passaic

3

$896,750

DCA offers a wide range of programs and services, including local government management and finance, affordable housing production, fire safety, building safety, community planning and development, and disaster recovery and mitigation.For more information about DCA, visit https://nj.gov/dca/ or follow the Department on social media:

 

   DCa on Twitter

DCA CONTACT:
Tammori Petty
Gina Trish
Lisa Ryan
(609) 292-6055

BPU CONTACT:
Peter Peretzman
PHONE: 609-900-5626