April 08, 2021 - DCA Awards Funds for Neighborhood Revitalization Efforts in New Jersey

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, April 8, 2021

Total of $11.4 Million Awarded to 18 Nonprofit Organizations through the Neighborhood Revitalization Tax Credit Program

TRENTON, NJ – The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) today announced $11.4 million in funding awards to 18 community-based nonprofit organizations across the state through the Neighborhood Revitalization Tax Credit (NRTC) Program. The nonprofit organizations will use the funding to implement revitalization plans that address housing and economic development, as well as complementary activities such as social services, recreation activities, and open space improvements.

“Public-private partnerships are a key mechanism for creating affordable housing opportunities and spurring economic growth," said Lt. Governor Sheila Oliver, who serves as DCA Commissioner. “The Neighborhood Revitalization Tax Credit Program is one of the best public-private partnerships in the state because everyone wins. Corporations that participate get a tax credit and contribute to neighborhood redevelopment programs of their choosing; nonprofit groups with a proven track record of helping their communities get much needed dollars; and residents get a better neighborhood.”

“We are incredibly proud of our continued investment in this innovative program, which has had such a positive impact on neighborhoods throughout New Jersey,” said Janel Winter, director of DCA’s Division of Housing and Community Resources. “Also, we’re pleased to serve as the bridge between companies and local nonprofits to foster revitalization activities that work.”

The NRTC Program, which is administered by DCA’s Division of Housing and Community Resources, is designed to spur the renewal of distressed neighborhoods through strategies developed by residents and the community-based nonprofit organizations that assist them. These local organizations prepare, submit, and receive approval from DCA for multi-year revitalization plans for the neighborhoods they serve. The approved projects are listed in a qualified projects pool from which companies choose the ones they want to financially support. The NRTC funds must be used by the nonprofit groups for projects and activities set forth in the approved neighborhood plans. 

The funds originate from corporations, which receive a 100 percent tax credit against various New Jersey state taxes for the amount of funds contributed to the NRTC Program. 

Possible uses of NRTC funds by nonprofit organizations include: 

• Construction and rehabilitation of affordable housing units;
• Creation of commercial facilities;
• Assistance to small businesses and microenterprises;
• Employment training;
• Open space improvements;
• Social and community services;
• Recreation activities;
• Crime prevention activities; and
• Community outreach activities.

The following neighborhoods are benefitting from FY 2021 NRTC funding awards:

In November 2020, DCA awarded $3.1 million in Neighborhood Revitalization Tax Credit COVID-19 Relief Grants to 12 nonprofit organizations with approved NRTC neighborhood plans for coronavirus response activities and costs. The organizations distributed at least 60 percent of the grant funding they received to small businesses with a physical location in their NRTC neighborhood boundaries. The remainder of the funding, which came from an allocation of the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, was used for COVID-19 educational materials, activities, and events not related to businesses and for community access to internet services for food shopping.

The Division of Housing and Community Resources helps to strengthen and revitalize communities through the delivery of affordable housing and supportive services, and by providing financial and technical assistance to local governments and community organizations. For more information on the Neighborhood Revitalization Tax Credit program, visit https://www.nj.gov/dca/divisions/dhcr/offices/nrtc.html.

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: