FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, March 13, 2015

Christie Administration Awards Neighborhood Revitalization Tax Credit Grants in Camden County

Grants Totaling $2,955,000 Enables Nonprofits to Perform Activities to Benefit Neighborhood Residents

CAMDEN, NJ – New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) Commissioner Richard E. Constable, III today announced $2,955,000 million in grant awards through the Neighborhood Revitalization Tax Credit (NRTC) program to Camden Lutheran Housing, Parkside Business & Community in Partnership, and St. Joseph’s Carpenter Society, all located in Camden. Since the creation of the NRTC program, 31 corporations have contributed $78,081,000 to fund 29 neighborhood revitalization plans in 15 urban municipalities throughout the state.

"The Christie Administration continues to support the NRTC program which encourages new housing options and economic development opportunities for small businesses in New Jersey’s urban neighborhoods," said Commissioner Constable. This program continues to have positive impacts in New Jersey and has allowed the state to work with local organizations to foster revitalization in communities throughout Camden County. We will continue to invest in innovative programs such as this that will support New Jersey’s working families, seniors, and children."

Camden Lutheran Housing was awarded $985,000 for activities associated with community rehabilitation and home construction in the North Camden neighborhood of Camden, N.J. for low and moderate-income individuals and families. NRTC funds will enable Camden Lutheran Housing to rehabilitate five vacant homes in partnership with Respond, Inc. to be offered for rent to low- and moderate-income families.　 Additionally, a portion of these funds will be used to provide structured, safe recreation in public parks to children ages 4-16 administered by trained YMCA staff. Camden Lutheran Housing will also prepare Camden City high school students for future employment opportunities by providing experiences within a workplace and specialized leadership and employment training through the Respond Youth Employment Readiness Program (YERP). The city will benefit from aesthetic improvements through the planting of 26 trees, in effort to reforest the neighborhood, and with the decorative board ups of 43 abandoned residential properties.

Parkside Business & Community in Partnership (PBCIP) will use the $985,000 NRTC grant to acquire and rehabilitate vacant and blighted buildings in Camden, which includes two mixed-use commercial buildings on Haddon Avenue that are in disrepair, totaling 7,000 SF, so that they can be re-tenanted. Funds will also allow for the purchase of telecommunications, security, and state-of-the-art presentation technology for public events and meetings in the RENEW Building. The grant will also go towards maintaining the Parkside Learning Garden, a new urban agriculture venture with entrepreneurial prospects. Vacant and blighted units along Park Boulevard and contiguous streets will also be acquired for future homeownership development.

St. Joseph’s Carpenter Society’s award of $985,000 will be used to rehabilitate ten vacant houses to create new affordable homes for sale. Additionally, the St. Joseph’s Carpenter Society will include a training program for energy efficient and green jobs in partnership with Hispanic Family Center of Southern NJ and continuation of a clean and safe ambassador program via Cooper’s Ferry Partnership. This grant will also provide gateway enhancements, through signage, banners and landscaping, to emphasize East Camden positively.　

Other communities that have benefited from the NRTC program this year include Salem City, Paterson, Asbury Park, Perth Amboy, Newark, Trenton, Elizabeth, New Brunswick and Orange.

The funds for the Camden Lutheran Housing project were contributed by Campbell Soup, NJ American Water and Public Service Enterprise Group.　 Camden Lutheran/North Camden Collaborative has had an approved NRTC plan since 2009, for the North Camden neighborhood of Camden. Camden Lutheran Housing is a nonprofit, community-based organization whose mission is to rehabilitate and newly construct housing in the City of Camden for low and moderate-income individuals and families. Additional information Camden Lutheran Housing can be found at: http://www.clhi.org/index_ie.html.

PBCIP’s project received contributions from Campbell Soup, PSEG, and Wells Fargo Bank.　 PBCIP has had an approved NRTC plan since 2006, for the Parkside neighborhood of Camden. PBCIP takes a holistic approach by integrating commercial revitalization, housing and quality-of-life initiatives in order to restore, rather than replace, the neighborhood. Additional information on the Parkside Business & Community in Partnership can be found at: http://www.pbcip.org/index.html.

The funds for St. Joseph’s Carpenter Society were contributed by Campbell Soup, NJM Insurance Group and Wells Fargo Bank.　 St. Joseph’s Carpenter Society has had an approved NRTC plan since 2013, for the East Camden neighborhood of Camden. SJCS promotes successful homeownership through homeowner education, housing development, and community organizing. Additional information on St. Joseph’s Carpenter Society can be found at: http://www.sjcscamden.org/.

The NRTC program is administered by the Division of Housing and Community Resources and provides community based non-profit groups with corporate funding for implementing neighborhood revitalization plans.　 The nonprofit organizations agree to allot at least 60 percent of the funds to housing and/or economic development activities.　 The remainder may be used for complementary activities such as supportive services, improvements to streetscape and public open space, and community outreach activities. NRTC has approved 96 grants to date to implement these neighborhood plans totaling $77 million in funding.

More information on the Neighborhood Revitalization Tax Credit program, visit http://www.nj.gov/dca/divisions/dhcr/offices/nrtc.html