HUD ADMINISTRATOR AMPRY-SAMUEL, REP. PAYNE, JR., JERSEY CITY HOUSING AUTHORITY, ADVOCATES TOUR HOLLAND GARDENS, DISCUSS HOUSING SUPPLY

HUD Regional Administrator Alicka Ampry-Samuel Launches “Our Way Home” Initiative to Increase Affordable Housing Supply in New York and New Jersey

Participants attended a roundtable discussion and toured Holland Gardens, a public housing development in need of repairs and upgrades to undergo renovations and expansion 

Jersey City, New Jersey  – U.S. Housing and Urban Development Regional Administrator Alicka Ampry-Samuel launched Our Way Home, a new effort to boost the affordable housing supply in New York and New Jersey. U.S. Representative Donald Payne, Jr., Vivian Brady-Phillips, Executive Director, Jersey City Housing Authority; James Williams, Director of Racial Justice Policy, Fair Share Housing Center; Dan Antonellis, Treasurer, Board of Directors, Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey and Region Nine Housing Corporation President; and Stephen Cea, Director of Development and In-House Counsel, Jersey City Housing Authority participated in a roundtable discussion on expanding affordable housing options in New Jersey. The group also toured Holland Gardens, a 192-unit public housing development soon to undergo renovations and expansion.

HUD Assistant Deputy Secretary for Field Policy and Management, Michele Perez, traveled to Jersey City to join New Jersey’s Our Way Home launch and events.

Our Way Home is a national initiative that builds on HUD’s commitment to state and local leaders to help them utilize federal resources and funding to meet their affordable housing supply needs and create new and preserve existing units of affordable housing – rental and homeownership – into their pipelines. To celebrate June, Homeownership Month, Secretary Fudge called for a Day of Action. HUD Regional Administrators will hold events throughout the country on Wednesday and Thursday to recognize the launch and directly engage with local and state leadership.

“I am proud to launch Our Way Home in New Jersey, an effort to increase affordable housing and lower housing costs,” said Alicka Ampry-Samuel, HUD Regional Administrator for New York and New Jersey. “There is a shortage of affordable rental homes available to extremely low-income households that live severely cost-burdened, spending more than half of their income on housing and sacrificing other necessities like healthy food and healthcare to pay the rent. Our nation and our region need to create more affordable units. The unique timing of the $130.8 million in American Rescue Plan HOME Program funding can boost affordable housing numbers in the State. I look forward to working with our stakeholders to expand housing for low and moderate-income residents in New Jersey.”

“Easing the burden of housing costs for families is a top economic priority for this Administration,” said Secretary Fudge. “For too long and in too many communities, housing supply has not kept up with the growing demand. It’s going to take government working at all levels to help close the housing supply gap. I am excited to launch Our Way Home, an initiative that will not only build on the momentum that’s already begun at the federal level but will also put into focus the unique challenges and successes in communities when it comes to making sure we all find our way home.”

“I applaud the Biden Administration for taking the issue of affordable housing seriously with the Our Way Home agenda,” said Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr.  “The continued increase in prices and rents are pushing too many American families out of quality and safe housing.  That is why I supported $130 in federal housing funding for New Jersey in the American Rescue Plan and why I support increasing funding for the HOME Investment Partnership Program to $2 billion.  I was honored to have HUD Secretary Fudge in Newark last week to discuss the affordable housing crisis and I am proud that she chose to announce this new agenda in another district city, Jersey City.  I look forward to working with HUD and all my communities to get them the federal funding and resources necessary to increase the supply of affordable housing.”

Holland Gardens 

Built in 1944, close to the Holland Tunnel, Holland Gardens is a public housing site operated and maintained by the Jersey City Housing Authority that consists of 5 low-rise apartment buildings containing 192 public housing units. Holland Gardens residents are families, seniors, and residents with disabilities.

Jersey City is exploring expanding the number of housing units on the property. The Jersey City Housing Authority is in the process of selecting a developer for the renovations.

The Jersey City Housing Authority has been holding meetings with residents since 2019. The Planning/Visioning process allows the housing authority and the residents to work together to identify a common set of goals and produce a shared vision to guide the future revitalization of the property. Find more information about the Visioning Process here: Jersey City Housing Authority Holland Gardens Visioning Process 

“Jersey City is reimagining and preserving public housing and at the same time, creating new opportunities for residents through homeownership and placed-based community programs that offer vital resources and support self-sufficiency.  As the City continues to expand affordable and public housing, we are grateful that our work to revitalize Holland Gardens is being recognized by HUD and can hopefully serve as a model for others to follow,” said  Vivian Brady-Phillips, Director of the Jersey City Housing Authority. 

Last month, the Biden-Harris Administration announced its Housing Supply Action Plan, which included over a dozen legislative and administrative steps aimed at closing the housing supply gap within the next five years. For a summary, please see HUD’s press release:  Secretary Fudge Highlights Biden-Harris Administration Actions to Increase Affordable Housing Supply and Lower Housing Costs.

HUD HOME Investment Partnerships Programs – The HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) provides formula grants to states and localities that communities use – often in partnership with local nonprofit groups – to fund a wide range of activities including building, buying, and/or rehabilitating affordable housing for rent or homeownership or providing direct rental assistance to low-income people. HOME is the largest federal block grant to state and local governments designed exclusively to create affordable housing for low-income households. For more information about HUD’s HOME Investment Partnerships Program, visit: https://www.hudexchange.info/programs/home-arp/

Through the American Rescue Plan, communities now have historic levels of housing resources, including $5 billion in HOME grants and significant investments to preserve and protect housing to help more Americans obtain stable housing.

In New Jersey, HUD awarded $130.8 million. Click here to find a complete list of local funding amounts.

To learn more about the Our Way Home initiative, visit: Our Way Home | HUD.gov / U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

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