FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, April 24, 2014

Christie Administration Marks Grand Opening of
Integrity Recovery House For Men in Newark

Multifamily Development Provides 40 Affordable Housing Opportunities for Individuals with Special Needs



Newark, N.J. – New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (HMFA) Executive Director Anthony L. Marchetta joined local officials and representatives of Integrity, Inc. to celebrate the grand opening of the Integrity Recovery House For Men, a 40-bed transitional housing community in Newark, Essex County. The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) awarded the rehabilitation project $325,000 in funding through the Shelter Support and Emergency Housing Grant, and the HMFA, an affiliate of the DCA, provided the project $159,600 in construction and permanent financing through the Transitional Housing Revolving Loan Program.

The Integrity Recovery House for Men provides transitional housing and intensive, medically-managed drug and alcohol rehabilitation services to 40 homeless men who are in recovery from substance abuse. The property, which has 11 shared bedrooms, offers a place to live while also providing the skills needed to enable the residents to become responsible and independent adults. With services such as housing and career counseling, financial education, GED preparation, case management and peer support, the men living at Integrity Recovery House will be better prepared to secure their future and the future of their community.

"Integrity Recovery House not only provides supportive transitional housing for individuals who are homeless, but also helps reduce recidivism and increase public safety in the neighborhood,” said DCA Commissioner Richard E. Constable, III, who also serves as Chairman of the HMFA. “We are proud to support Integrity House, which provides a safe and supportive rehabilitative environment to help integrate these residents back into society.”

The development involved the rehabilitation of two pre-1900s buildings in the Lincoln Park Historic District of Newark into transitional housing. The three-story main building includes a living room, dining area, and reception area on the first floor. As for the remainder of the building, there is a full sprinkler system and compliant fire detection alarm system, as well as a large basement with a laundry room, staff office, and storage space. The two-story building behind the main building consists of a living room, office, handicapped bathroom and one sleeping area on the first floor, and two additional sleeping areas and a bathroom on the second floor.

All of the units are set aside for homeless men. The social services for the residents include at least five hours of substance abuse counseling per week and structured activities such as psycho-social education, employment, mental health, recovery support services, and recreational programs that promote sustained sobriety, employment attainment, community reintegration, and family stability. All tenants are also provided three meals a day in the Rose Garden, the main cafeteria on the same campus. These services are provided by project developer Integrity, Inc.

The project, which cost approximately $800,000 to develop, not only provides affordable housing opportunities for New Jersey residents, but also has a positive economic impact on the greater Essex County community. HMFA estimates that the project has generated about $1.3 million in one-time economic output and approximately $46,400 in one-time state and local taxes during construction. Now completed, the project will continue to add value to the community by providing approximately $141,600 in ongoing economic output and approximately $8,000 in ongoing state and local taxes annually.

Other funding sources for the development of the Integrity Recovery House included the City of Newark, the New Jersey Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services, Victoria Foundation, Hyde and Watson Foundation, Community Foundation of NJ, and Edison Properties Charitable Trust.

“All of our New Jersey residents deserve the opportunity to live in safe, decent, and affordable homes that offer an independent lifestyle, access to various support services, and the ability to become part of the community,” said HMFA Executive Director Marchetta. “We are thrilled to have provided the capital financing that enabled the development of this project, which presents a better living experience for our deserving New Jersey residents in need.”

The HMFA’s Transitional Housing Revolving Loan Program provides loans to organizations that offer service-enriched transitional housing opportunities for homeless individuals. The DCA’s Shelter Support and Emergency Housing Grant provides funds to renovate and improve existing homeless shelters and transitional housing, and pay for certain social services and operating costs.

Integrity, Inc., the project developer, is a non-profit substance abuse treatment provider licensed by the Division of Mental Health and Addictions Services (DMHAS) and accredited by the Commission of Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) with more than 45 years of service in providing substance abuse treatment and support services for over 2,000 people with addiction annually. Integrity, Inc. has already developed and currently manages eight other residential facilities in Newark with the goal of stabilizing the lives of individuals and families to bring about positive, long-term lifestyle change.

For more information on HMFA programs, please visit www.njhousing.gov.

CONTACT:
Lisa Ryan
Sean Conner
(609) 292-6055