Christie Administration Welcomes Johnson and Johnson's $1 Million Contribution to Community Redevelopment Program at DCA

Neighborhood Revitalization Tax Credit Funds to Benefit Projects in New Brunswick


 

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. – Johnson and Johnson will donate $1 million to support quality of life programs and services in New Brunswick through the New Jersey Department of Community Affair's (DCA) Neighborhood Revitalization Tax Credit Program (NRTC), the Christie Administration announced today. The contribution will help convert a former firehouse into a multi-use community center in New Brunswick's Unity Square neighborhood, and extend hours and services at a local health center.

"For decades, Johnson and Johnson has had a stellar track record in the redevelopment of New Brunswick. We are so pleased to share in today's recognition of the company by acknowledging this first contribution to the NRTC program," said DCA Commissioner Lori Grifa. "As a result of Johnson and Johnson's generous donation, revitalization efforts here in New Brunswick, particularly those committed to activities in the Unity Square neighborhood of New Brunswick, will continue."

Commissioner Grifa made the announcement at an event today where she accepted Johnson and Johnson's NRTC contribution.

NRTC offers business entities a 100 percent tax credit against various New Jersey state taxes for investing in the revitalization of low-and moderate-income neighborhoods in eligible municipalities. The program pairs community-based nonprofit groups, which have created DCA-approved neighborhood revitalization plans, with corporations that can provide funding for these projects and activities. The DCA oversees the program and process.

Johnson and Johnson, which is headquartered in New Brunswick, NJ, is one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world with products sold in over 175 countries.

The company's $1 million donation is slated to go to Catholic Charities, Diocese of Metuchen, which formed a partnership in 2004 with Sacred Heart Parish in New Brunswick to address issues of overcrowding, unsafe living conditions, underemployed residents and an underdeveloped commercial center in the City's Unity Square neighborhood.

The nonprofit group will use the majority of the funding to help convert a former firehouse on Remsen Avenue into a multi-use community center, including programs for young people, language instruction, housing information, community meetings and a kitchen available for culinary instruction. The remaining NRTC funds will be used by Catholic Charities of Metuchen to support extended hours and services at its St. John Health Center and for other neighborhood-based programs and services.

"We partner with community-based nonprofits, such as Catholic Charities, that know the needs of the neighborhoods they serve and have a proven track record of getting results," said Commissioner Grifa. "The relationship between the DCA, Catholic Charities, and Johnson & Johnson exemplifies what the NRTC program is all about and showcases the positive role that corporate and nonprofit stakeholders can play in promoting comprehensive community development."

Since NRTC was created in 2003, the DCA has approved 24 neighborhood revitalization plans in 14 cities. To date, the Department has approved 29 NRTC grants to implement these neighborhood plans, totaling over $22 million in funding.

For more information about the Neighborhood Revitalization Tax Credit Program, please log on to http://www.nj.gov/dca/divisions/dhcr/offices/nrtc.html.

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