DCA Continues Brisk Pace of Affordable Housing Trust Fund Awards with More Than $17.1 Million in Awards Made Since October 2024

• Posted on: 04/29/2025

More Than $126 Million in Total Funding Awarded Since Start of Murphy Administration

TRENTON, NJ – The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) continues its brisk pace of awarding Affordable Housing Trust Fund (AHTF) dollars with $17.106 million in awards made since October 2024. The funding went to seven projects across the state to create affordable homeownership and rental opportunities for New Jersey families. The recent funding brings the total AHTF awards to $126.036 million since the start of the Murphy Administration.

In addition to the AHTF funding, DCA also awarded more than $46.52 million in National Housing Trust Fund (NHTF) dollars since last October. The NHTF funding went to 19 projects statewide, primarily to provide permanent housing opportunities for people with special needs. The recent funding brings the total NHTF awards to $81.881 million since the start of 2018. 

With both state and federal housing trust fund dollars, the Murphy Administration has awarded more than $207 million in trust funds for the creation of affordable housing.

“DCA is committed to providing municipalities with the resources they need to increase the number of affordable housing options in their communities,” said DCA Commissioner Jacquelyn A. Suárez. “Whether it’s offering technical expertise on planning and development, in-depth data analysis, or actual funding assistance, the Department stands ready to help cities and towns develop housing that ensures all New Jerseyans can continue calling the Garden State home.”

The funding awards can help municipalities meet their responsibilities under the State Constitution to provide their fair share of affordable housing for low- and moderate-income families. On October 18, 2024, DCA released calculations to assist municipalities in planning for affordable housing development over the next decade. While the calculations are nonbinding, they provide well-founded guidance for municipalities to use as they work to create lifecycle housing – options like townhouses, duplexes, and multi-family units that bridge the gap between single-family homes and large apartment complexes – for residents at all life stages and income levels from young professionals to seniors and caregivers.

“DCA has incredible expertise and resources to help communities find creative ways to expand housing opportunities for current and prospective residents,” said DCA Assistant Commissioner Janel Winter, who also serves as director of the Division of Housing and Community Resources. “We’re happy to have financially assisted these worthwhile projects that make it possible for people to settle and remain in communities they know and love.”

“Our members in the nonprofit community development sector are utilizing the Affordable Housing Trust Fund to build strong, healthy, affordable neighborhoods all over the state,” said Staci Berger, president and chief executive officer of the Housing and Community Development Network of NJ. “Under the Murphy Administration, the Department of Community Affairs has distributed over $200 million to help municipalities address vacant abandoned properties, chip away at the racial wealth gap, and create opportunities for countless New Jerseyans to have a safe place they can afford to call home. The return on investment has been great for New Jersey, and our members look forward to continuing to use the trust funds as a resource in their efforts to build the homes our residents need and deserve.”

“The Affordable Housing Trust Fund and the National Housing Trust Fund are helping ensure that everyone, regardless of their abilities or specific needs, can find affordable housing in communities across the state,” said Kate Kelly, executive director of the Supportive Housing Association of New Jersey. “We also know that providing support for individuals with special needs often involves offering rental assistance. By combining the National Housing Trust Fund with rental vouchers, the State is creating an enduring foundation of affordable housing that allows all individuals and families—regardless of their needs—to thrive.”

“Over the past few years, the Affordable Housing Trust Fund and the National Housing Trust Fund have added such support to our projects that we will see 19 families gain truly affordable homes. These families include children with cancer, parents now able to return to the workforce, and grandparents who are entering a second parenthood with the grandchildren they are now guardians for,” said Celia Bernstein, executive director of Homes by TLC, Inc. “Building new housing is a tough business in New Jersey, and these important funds make it possible to move the needle on creating affordable homes for working low-income parents. We are most grateful to the administration for their support.” 

The projects selected for AHTF 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.

AHTF awards are largely given to smaller rental and homeownership housing projects sized at 25 or fewer units, which often have difficulty obtaining financing. 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 dollars are 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 Partnership 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 is the list of projects awarded AHTF funds since October 2024.

Affordable Housing Trust Fund Awards

Award Recipient	Project	Fund Pool	County	Units	Award Amount
Foya Group	N. South Carolina Ave Homes	Neighborhood Partnership Fund	Atlantic	6	$2,700,821
BCUW/ Madeline Housing Partners, LLC	Bowers Court	Municipal Settlement Fund	Morris	15	$5,071,498
Morris County Habitat for Humanity	400-404 West Dewey	Municipal Settlement Fund	Morris	3	$888,147
Morris County Habitat for Humanity	Stonewald Court Mt Olive Affordable Homeownership Project	Municipal Settlement Fund	Morris	7	$1,646,480
Passaic County Habitat for Humanity	Auburn Road	Neighborhood Partnership Fund	Passaic	1	$504,564
Restrepo Development Group	Linden Infill Homes	Neighborhood Partnership Fund	Salem	6	$4,090,028
Warren County Habitat for Humanity	Franklin Phase II	Municipal Settlement Fund	Warren	6	$2,204,572

The National Housing Trust Fund was established in 2008 after Congress passed the Housing and Economic Recovery Act. DCA receives, distributes, and administers NHTF dollars for the State of New Jersey. The program provides zero-interest loans to eligible housing developers to create affordable rental units through either new construction, rehabilitation, or redevelopment for people with the clearest, most acute housing needs.

The following is the list of projects awarded NHTF funds since October 2024.

National Housing Trust Fund Awards

Award Recipient	Project	County	Units	Award Amount
Nouvelle Main Street, LLC	Montvale Disabled Veterans	Bergen	6	$2,341,240
Nouvelle Main Street, LLC	Mahwah Disabled Veterans	Bergen	6	$1,778,102
Salt & Light Company, LLC	Summerhill Affordable	Burlington	2	$386,489
Bes Homes, LLC	65 Winthrop	Essex	2	$999,633
Newark Apartment Holdings	Chadwick Supportive Housing	Essex	2	$948,755
Domus Corporation	Residence of St. Martin of Tours	Essex	25	$8,873,407
Sierra House	Sierra House Maplewood Gardens	Essex	2	$920,500
Gloucester County Housing Development Corporation	Rowan College Special Needs Housing	Gloucester	24	$7,365,746
Wheatsworth Properties, LLC	Liberty Village Disabled Veterans Housing	Hunterdon	6	$1,875,260
Home By TLC, Inc.	Lower Ferry Road	Mercer	2	$956,965
GSH, Inc.	Laurel Place	Middlesex	2	$1,000,000
Macedonia Roosevelt 1	Macedonia Roosevelt Homes	Middlesex	4	$2,280,000
Triple C Housing, Inc.	Cedar Ave	Middlesex	4	$1,623,011
Triple C Housing Inc.	Cricket Lane	Middlesex	3	$1,104,486
Triple C Housing Inc.	Pennsylvania Way	Middlesex	1	$349,895
HQM Properties, Inc	30 Central Ave Affordable Housing	Morris	6	$2,345,726
Pillar Care Properties Hardyston LLC	Hardyston Disabled Veterans Housing	Sussex	4	$1,682,429
170-178 First Street Urban Renewal Corporation	170-176 First Street Senior Housing	Union	24	$8,400,000
Elizabeth Coalition to House the Homeless	Jacques St. Condominiums	Union	3	$1,288,925

The Division of Housing and Community Resources is committed to strengthening neighborhoods through the delivery of affordable housing and supportive services and to providing financial and technical assistance to municipalities, community action agencies, and other nonprofit organizations for community and economic development projects that improve the quality of life for residents, especially those who are vulnerable and disadvantaged.

DCA offers a wide range of programs and services, including affordable housing production, building safety, community planning and development, fire safety, disaster recovery and mitigation, and information privacy.

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