Murphy Administration Invests More Than $26 Million in Affordable Housing Projects Across the State

• Posted on: 03/5/2024

Funding Will Help Develop 87 Affordable Rental and Homeownership Housing Units

TRENTON, NJ – The Murphy Administration today announced the award of more than $26 million to organizations across the state 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 affordable housing for New Jersey residents in a variety of communities around the state.

“At the start of our Administration, I made a pledge, along with the late Lt. Governor Sheila Y. Oliver, to retool the state’s affordable housing system to make living in New Jersey more affordable for our hardworking residents. The award of more than $26 million through the Affordable Housing Trust Fund is the most recent example of that pledge in action,” said Governor Phillip Murphy. “We will continue to prioritize our efforts on this front until all working people and families in our state can find a safe and affordable place to call home.”

“The Murphy Administration has empowered the Department of Community Affairs with both the commitment and the funding to address the shortage of affordable housing in New Jersey,” said DCA Acting Commissioner Jacquelyn A. Suárez, who also serves as the DCA Director of the Division of Local Government Services. “Each of these development projects represents a contemporary, safe, accessible, and affordable home where families can live and children can thrive. Through this transformative investment, we will strengthen neighborhoods, create more diverse communities, and promote economic growth.”

All 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 framework, 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.

AHTF grants are awarded 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-approved 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 creatively advance the State of New Jersey’s housing goals.

Affordable Housing Trust Fund assistance was also provided to the Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey (the Network) in support of the Jumpstart Program. The Jumpstart Program offers comprehensive developer training and certification for those interested in quality, affordable housing production. Available to nonprofit community developers with a focus on Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) developers, the Jumpstart Program focuses on homeownership development to help close New Jersey’s racial wealth gap.

Affordable Housing Trust Fund Awards

 

Funding Pool: Neighborhood Partnership Fund

Award Recipient	Project	Program Description	County	Units	Award Amount
Branch Village V Homeownership	Branch Village Homeownership	New construction of ten (10) 3-bedroom affordable homeownership units in Camden City.	Camden	10	$3,824,021
Urban League of Essex County Opportunity Corporation	The Heights at Fairmount Phase II	For the acquisition and new construction of eight (8) affordable homeowner-ship units and eight (8) affordable rental units located at Fairmount and Camden Streets in the City of Newark.	Essex	16	$2,800,108
Tri-County Community Action Partnership	Southeast Gateway	For the acquisition and new construction of five (5) 3-bedroom affordable homeownership units located in the Southeast Gateway neighborhood in Bridgeton City.	Cumberland	5	$1,761,251
BCUW/Madeline CHM I, LLC	Townsend Street	For the acquisition and new construction of six (6) affordable, permanent supportive housing rental units located at 293 Townsend Street in the City of New Brunswick.	Middlesex	6	$2,108,780
MAR Acquisition	Ridgewood Avenue Homes Phase I	For acquisition and new construction of four (4) affordable homeownership units located on Ridgewood Avenue in the City of Newark.	Essex	4	$1,795,487

 

Funding Pool – Municipal Settlement Fund

Award Recipient	Project	Program Description	County	Units	Award Amount
Morris Habitat For Humanity	Laurence Parkway Homeowner-ship	For the new construction of twelve (12) 1-, 2-, 3- and 4-bedroom affordable homeownership units located at 200 Laurence Parkway in Old Bridge Township.	Middlesex	12	$1,008,916
Home By TLC, Inc.	Lower Ferry Road	For the acquisition and new construction of six (6) 3-bedroom affordable, permanent supportive housing rental units located on Lower Ferry Road in Ewing Township.	Mercer	6	$3,003,887
Pillar Wharton, Inc.	Wharton Housing	For the acquisition and new construction of eleven (11) 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom affordable rental units located at 57 S. Main Street in Wharton Borough.	Morris	11	$3,655,360
BCUW/Madeline Housing Partners, LLC	61 South Ward	For the acquisition and new construction two (2) 3-bedroom affordable rental units located at 61 S. Ward Avenue in the Borough of Rumson.	Monmouth	2	$1,253,405
BCUW/Madeline Housing Partners, LLC	Island Road Apartments	For the acquisition and new construction of fifteen (15) 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom affordable, permanent supportive housing rental units located on Island Road in Mahwah Township.	Bergen	15	$5,038,331

 

Funding Pool: Innovation Fund

Award Recipient	Project	Program Description	County	Units	Award Amount
Housing Community Development Network of NJ	JUMPSTART Program	For nonprofit homeownership developer training.	Statewide	0	$725,000
				Total Units: 87	Total Investment: $26,974,546

 

The Affordable Housing Trust Fund is administered by the DCA Division of Housing and Community Resources. The mission of the Division is to strengthen and revitalize communities through the delivery of affordable housing, supportive services, and financial and technical assistance to local governments and community-based organizations.

DCA offers a wide range of programs and services, including local government management and finance, affordable housing production, rental assistance, fire safety, building safety, disaster recovery and mitigation, historic preservation, community planning and development, and information privacy.

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