DCA FUN FACTS                                                                                  
 

DCA's "Ashby Building" was named after William M. Ashby; a fighter for civil rights for more than nine decades and New Jersey's first African American social worker.  He also founded the State's first Urban League office in Newark.
   
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There is a hidden tribute within the artwork of the NJ Division of Fire Safety logo…can you find it?

In the top left-hand corner there is a row of 3 stars, a row of 4 stars, and another row of 3 stars. This was designed intentionally as a tribute to the 343 FDNY firefighters who were lost on September 11, 2001.

     

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For Super Bowl XLVIII, held at the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, over 30 Division of Fire Safety personnel were on hand in and around MetLife Stadium. They were responsible mainly for coordinating mutual aid resources in case of emergency and inspecting the pyrotechnics for the NFL’s pregame ceremonies, postgame ceremonies, and halftime show featuring Bruno Mars and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
With 112.2 million viewers, this event was the most watched television broadcast in American history at the time. (It is now the second-most.) It was also viewed in 198 countries worldwide. 

 MetLife Stadium 
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The law that established the Department of Community Affairs transferred the powers previously belonging to the Public Housing and Development Authority, to the Commissioner. By statute, the rent that may be charged in PHDA projects is limited to $10.00 in cities of the first class and $8.00 everywhere else.　     

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Shaquille O'Neal visited the Department of Community Affairs in March of 2013 after he stopped in at the State House to talk to Gov. Christie about his ideas for a cash-for-guns program in New Jersey.  Shaq at DCA
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The Division of Housing and Community Resources once employed 3 athletes as the Director of the State's Council of Recreation and Special Olympics.  Former World Champion "Jersey Joe" Walcott, Former tennis great Althea Gibson and former All-Pro football player, Harry Carson were all DCA employees.   
   
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The Division of Fire Safety has the only two K-9 employees in the Department of Community Affairs. Originally trained as seeing-eye dogs, "Ashes" and "Titan" perform accelerant detection throughout New Jersey for the New Jersey Division of Fire Safety’s Arson Investigations Unit.

 Titan 
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2017 marks the 40th anniversary of the adoption of the State Uniform Construction Code (UCC). Prior to adoption of the UCC, each town adopted its own construction requirements. Some were outdated; some were nonexistent. Applicants went to the local fire prevention bureau for approval to install or to replace oil burners or tanks; the plumbing inspectors were under the local board of health and electrical inspectors worked through a third party agency under the jurisdiction of the Board of Public Utility Commissioners (now the Board of Public Utilities.)

     Shaq at DCA

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As a result of the riots in 1967 in both Newark and Plainfield, the Department  of Community Affairs (then in its infancy) formed a community relations service for inner cities and worked closely with the Federal Government to assess both short-term and long-term relief for the cities' residents.  The Department, with Paul Ylvisaker as its first Commissioner, carried out food distribution and worked with the cities to release many of the people in custody who may have been arrested indiscriminately.    
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DCA has spent approximately $2.3 billion in Sandy recovery funds to help New Jersey recover from Superstorm Sandy. The funds are being used for programs that help rebuild owner-occupied homes and rental units; invest in storm-impacted small businesses; spur revitalization efforts in affected communities; assist families in moving out of flood prone areas; protect critical infrastructure; drive innovation and planning; and support resiliency efforts for future disasters.

 Sandy damage 

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The Bureau of Housing Inspection became the first code enforcement program in the newly-created Department of Community Affairs in 1967. The former Bureau of Tenement House Supervision was part of the State Police and the inspectors wore police uniforms.

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DCA's Division of Housing and Community Resources once administered one of the oldest and longest funded comprehensive community and economic development programs in the entire country. The New Jersey Neighborhood Preservation Program was continuously funded by the State of New Jersey for 34 years (from 1975 - 2009), awarding more than 92 million dollars to 171 neighborhoods in 105 different towns throughout the state.   
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The first New Jersey Urban Enterprise Zones (UEZ's) became effective on January 1, 1986 and consisted of the 5 cities of: Bridgeton, Camden, Newark, Plainfield and Trenton.  Over the past 30 years, 32 more municipalities have been added to the program and more than 36,000 certifications have been granted to businesses and companies who reside in the UEZ areas. In turn, these firms have invested $48.5 billion dollars in their communities.  
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DCA has allocated Sandy recovery funds to develop affordable rental housing in the nine counties the federal government designated as the most impacted by Superstorm Sandy. The State’s largest affordable rental housing recovery initiative is the Fund for Restoration of Multifamily Housing (FRM) Program. Through this program, 37 projects have been completed, creating approximately 2,600 units. Also, another 32 projects have been awarded funds and, once completed, will create approximately 2,600 units. 

  The Atrium Apartments, Egg Harbor, NJ