Showing posts with label homeless assistance grants. Show all posts
Showing posts with label homeless assistance grants. Show all posts

Friday, August 5, 2011

NJ Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency newsletter

CHRISTIE ADMINISTRATION LAUNCHES NEW FORECLOSURE PREVENTION INITIATIVE

New Jersey HomeKeeper Program Helps Struggling Homeowners Pay Their Mortgages


The Christie Administration announced the launch of the New Jersey HomeKeeper Program on May 9, 2011. The foreclosure prevention initiative will assist New Jersey homeowners who have a track record of making their mortgage payments on time but are now at risk of losing their homes to foreclosure as a direct result of unemployment or underemployment.

"The New Jersey HomeKeeper Program is here to assist homeowners who are struggling to make their mortgage payments because they lost a job or have seen their paychecks reduced," said New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) Commissioner Lori Grifa. "We understand that New Jersey families - like households around the country - continue to face difficult economic realities, and we want to help them keep their homes as they look for work."


Read the complete press release here, or visit the program website at http://www.njhomekeeper.gov.

DCA & HMFA REMIND HOMEBUYERS ABOUT
"THE ROAD HOME NEW JERSEY" WEBSITE

New Online Tool Helps Educate Prospective Homebuyers During Busy Home Buying Season


New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) Commissioner Lori Grifa and New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (HMFA) Executive Director Anthony Marchetta urge prospective homebuyers to take advantage of The Road Home New Jersey, a new consumer education tool that will help guide them in the home buying process.

"Summer is home buying season, and as market conditions put would-be homebuyers in the driver's seat, they now have a roadmap to follow along the way to their ultimate destination of home ownership," said Commissioner Grifa, who is chair of the HMFA. "The education campaign is particularly useful for first-time homebuyers who may be unfamiliar with the paperwork, technical phrases, and costs involved with purchasing a house."

Launched by the DCA and HMFA in April, The Road Home New Jersey is a new consumer education initiative to help people navigate the home buying process, secure affordable home ownership and identify financing opportunities. The Road Home New Jersey's user-friendly website, www.TheRoadHomeNJ.com, delivers concise and valuable information to prospective homebuyers.

Read the complete press release here, or visit the program website at http://www.TheRoadHomeNJ.com.


THE 2011 GOVERNOR'S CONFERENCE ON HOUSING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
SLATED FOR SEPTEMBER 20 & 21, 2011

The 2011 Governor's Conference on Housing and Economic Development Welcomes New Partners:
The New Jersey Economic Development Authority and the New Jersey Department of State

The 2011 Governor's Conference on Housing and Economic Development is thrilled to welcome two new partners - the
New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA) and the
New Jersey Department of State.

The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA) is an independent state agency that serves as the state's "bank for business" by financing small and mid-sized businesses, administering tax incentives to retain and grow jobs, revitalizing communities through redevelopment initiatives, and supporting entrepreneurial development by providing access to training and mentoring programs.

The mission of the New Jersey Department of State is to enhance the overall quality of life for New Jersey residents by advancing and supporting our state's economic vitality, cultural and historical programs and civic engagement responsibilities.The Department of State's core mission areas include economic vitality, cultural and historical programs and civic engagement responsibilities.

Learn more about the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA) and the New Jersey Department of State and their session offerings at this year's conference by reading the track descriptions and detailed session information on the conference website: www.njhousingconference.com.





PROJECT MILESTONES - AFFORDABLE HOUSING

DCA & HMFA Celebrate the Ribbon Cutting of Oasis Housing in Camden
Project Provides 10 Affordable Housing Units in Gateway Neighborhood

New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (HMFA) representatives joined City of Camden Mayor Dana Redd and other local officials on June 3, 2011 to celebrate the completion of Oasis Housing, an affordable housing community in the Gateway neighborhood and redevelopment area of Camden. The HMFA, an affiliate of the Department of Community Affairs (DCA), committed approximately $2.3 million in pre-development, construction, and subsidy loans for the project.

"The Oasis project is a wonderful addition to the City of Camden as it will provide several residents in the community with access to safe, decent, affordable housing. It also brings stability and cohesiveness to the City's Gateway neighborhood," said DCA Commissioner Lori Grifa, who is Chair of the HMFA. "My sincere congratulations go out to the development team who successfully transformed a vision into a reality." Read the entire press release here...


DCA & HMFA Break Ground on 90-Unit Affordable Apartment Community in Newark
Baxter Park to Connect Communities to City's Broad Street Station District

New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (HMFA) Executive Director Anthony Marchetta joined City of Newark Mayor Cory Booker and local officials on July 14, 2011 to break ground on Baxter Park, an affordable apartment community to be located at 39-47 Sussex Avenue near Newark's Broad Street Station District. The HMFA, an affiliate of the Department of Community Affairs (DCA), provided construction and permanent mortgage financing in the amount of $16,350,000 for the project. Baxter Park also is expected to be awarded federal Low Income Housing Tax Credits, which will generate approximately $10.2 million in private equity.

"Baxter Park represents not just an expansion of affordable housing options in the Newark area, but it will serve as an asset to the surrounding community," said DCA Commissioner Lori Grifa, who is also Chairman of the HMFA. "The DCA and HMFA are proud to be involved in projects such as these because they create high-quality affordable housing for those New Jersey households who need it."

Read the entire press release here...



PROJECT MILESTONES - SENIOR, SPECIAL NEEDS, SUPPORTIVE AND VETERAN HOUSING

NJHMFA Presents $3.7M Grant to Supportive Housing in Allendale: Allendale Non-Profit Begins 2nd Housing Project; Apartments for Disabled to be Built

A year from now, a site that was home to a construction company will have more than a dozen apartments for disabled adults.

The 2-acre property on West Crescent Avenue will be the borough's second housing development dedicated to this under-served population, putting Allendale at the forefront of a growing number of municipalities seeking to help address a housing shortage for disabled residents.

Allendale Housing Inc., a non-profit established by the borough, is partnering with Bergen County United Way and Madeline Corp. to build Crescent Commons. Read More...

Original Article Citation Information:
Pries, Allison. "Allendale non-profit begins 2nd housing project; apartments for disabled to be built." The Record/NorthJersey.com, June 7, 2011. Retrieved July 19, 2011 from http://www.northjersey.com/news/123303698_Allendale_non-profit_begins_2nd_housing_project.html


New Social Services for Residents at Public Housing Community

At Millennium Way, a new public housing community in the South Ward, some residents will be able to tap social services for the mentally disabled with tentative plans to bring similar programs to other city properties owned by the Newark Housing Authority (NHA).
These residents who live in special designated units are benefiting from a partnership that the NHA entered into with University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) and the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (NJHMFA).

That partnership was formally recognized late last month at the NHA offices when officials from the NJHMFA handed over a symbolic $1.5 million check for the program to NHA. UMDNJ, through its University Behavioral Health Care Department, will provide the social services.
Read More...

Original Article Citation Information
Adarlo, Sharon. "New Social Services for Residents at Public Housing Community." Westward.Patch.com, July 12, 2011. Accessed July 19, 2011. http://westward.patch.com/articles/new-social-services-for-residents-at-public-housing-community#photo-6935538




JOINING FORCES TO BETTER OUR COMMUNITIES


Haddon Township Added to Live Where You Work Program
The HMFA is proud to partner with 37 municipalities across the State in the "Live Where You Work" Program (LWYW), with Haddon Township being the latest municipality to join.

Read the complete press release regarding Haddon Township here...

LWYW is a special homebuyer workforce incentive program for people who wish to buy a home in the town where they work. LWYW provides low-interest, fixed rate mortgage loans, downpayment and closing cost assistance, and flexible underwriting criteria for the loan qualification process to qualified buyers.

The Live Where You Work program strives to revitalize and build sustainable communities that will provide a greener environment, access to alternative transportation and affordable housing opportunities for residents.

Live Where You Work received the 2009 President's Award for Innovation from the Council of State Community Development Agencies, a national association that supports state efforts in community development, affordable housing, local economic development and state-local relations. The award recognizes innovative activities, policies or programs that have been implemented at the state level and have demonstrated success in solving community needs.

Incentive Program Attracts Homebuyers to Bridgeton

A recently rolled-out state program is trying to encourage more home ownership in this Cumberland County city, where median housing prices are among the lowest in the region.

The Live Where You Work homebuyer incentive program, administered by the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency, aims to entice those working in Bridgeton to buy homes here.

For more information on Live Where You Work, click here.

"Most cities have an imbalance of rental vs. homeownership. We want to change that," said Bridgeton Mayor Albert Kelly, who bought his first home in 1987.

"It gave me a sense of pride, of having the American Dream. It's all about pride and a sense of ownership," he said. Read More...

Original Article Citation Information:
Ianieri, Brian. "Incentive Program Attracts Homebuyers to Bridgeton." PressofAtlanticCity.com, June 10, 2011. Accessed July 19, 2011.
http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/business/incentive-program-attracts-homebuyers-to-bridgeton/article_ee8219bc-93c0-11e0-a704-001cc4c002e0.html




ABOUT HMFA

The New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (HMFA) is leading the way through innovative programs that are building effective relationships with developers, corporations, non-profits and for-profits to produce more affordable housing. HMFA puts people first by financing single family and multi-family housing and encouraging mixed use developments. These initiatives promote sustainable development that protect open space, curb sprawl and improve regional transportation.

We are dedicated to making investments in communities across New Jersey and building neighborhoods where people want to raise families and build businesses. Part of that vision means providing people of all walks of life with access to safe, clean and affordable housing options. Thanks to the efforts of the HMFA, we are creating homes for our State's families.



Sincerely,

Anthony L. Marchetta, Executive Director
New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

TD Bank 'Housing for Everyone' Grant Competition

TD Charitable Foundation 2011 Housing for Everyone Grant Competition Overview

The TD Charitable Foundation's 2011 Housing for Everyone grant competition focuses on "Building for the Future".
Applications must focus on any one of three areas and should highlight the ways in which funding will provide the opportunity in the future to expand the availability of and/or access to safe affordable housing. The areas of focus are:
· Energy Efficiency; which may include weatherization initiatives, HVAC improvements, or implementation of alternative or renewable energy sources;
· Capacity Building; which may include the expansion of programmatic efforts or staff development for the organization that provides affordable housing services for low- to moderate- income individuals or in low- to moderate- income communities; additionally, infrastructure investment on the part of the non profit to expand and improve its service efforts will be considered;
· New Unit Creation where organizations focus their efforts on the creation of new affordable housing units that benefit low- to moderate- income individuals or communities. To be eligible for a grant in this year's competition, the applicant must be primarily engaged in the development and or management of affordable housing.
A total of 25 grants representing $2.5 million will be awarded to applications that meet the eligibility criteria. Twenty-five grants of $100,000 will be awarded to the best applications received companywide. Funds will be allocated by TD Bank, N.A. metro market area. See the grant breakout by TD Bank, N.A. metro market area.
Applications (complete with all required attachments) will be accepted until 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, September 2, 2011.
Notification of awards will be made by late October 2011.
Find out how to apply for the 2011 Housing for Everyone Grant Competition.
Contact Us
Please direct any questions regarding this competition to CharitableGiving@TDBanknorth.com. Include "Housing for Everyone" in the subject line.

Eligibility Criteria
The TD Charitable Foundation makes available annually through its themed Housing for Everyone grant competition dedicated funds to support affordable housing. For 2011, the Housing for Everyone grant competition focuses on "Building for the Future".
Applications must focus on any one of three areas and should highlight the ways in which funding will provide the opportunity in the future to expand the availability of and/or access to safe affordable housing. The areas of focus are:

Energy Efficiency; which may include weatherization initiatives, HVAC improvements, or implementation of alternative or renewable energy sources;
Capacity Building; which may include the expansion of programmatic efforts or staff development for the organization that provides affordable housing services for low- to moderate- income individuals or in low- to moderate- income communities; additionally, infrastructure investment on the part of the non profit to expand and improve its service efforts will be considered;
New Unit Creation where organizations focus their efforts on the creation of new affordable housing units that benefit low- to moderate- income individuals or communities. To be eligible for a grant in this year's competition, the applicant must be primarily engaged in the development and or management of affordable housing.
The Foundation is interested in receiving applications from organizations that meet the following criteria:

Applicant organization must be tax-exempt under IRS Code 501(c)(3) or must be a state/local government entity. Private foundations are not eligible to apply.
Housing units or properties to be improved must be located in a TD Bank, N.A. metro market area.
Applicant organization must have a history of developing, maintaining and/or providing affordable housing for low- and moderate-income families or individuals (income may not exceed 80% of the area median income).
Applicant organization must be able to show the impact they have made to affordable housing efforts in their community.
Applicant organization must show fiscal responsibility and ongoing viability.
All housing units or properties to be improved must be for and occupied by low- and moderate- income families or individuals (income may not exceed 80% of the area median income). Improvements to market rate units will not be considered.
Applicant organization seeking funds for the creation of new units must break ground for those units sometime during the period from the receipt of the funds (October 2011) through December 2012.
Applicant organization must be current on all outstanding debt obligations, utility payments and taxes. There can be no unsatisfied judgments/liens on the property for which the applicant is liable.
Applicant organization must be able to quantify the impact of their proposed affordable housing project.
Applicant organization must not have any pending legal actions against it.
Application Process
Applications will be accepted until 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, September 2, 2011. In fairness to all applicants, late or incomplete applications will not be considered.
Eligible organizations must apply using the online TD Charitable Foundation Grant Competition Application. Paper applications will not be accepted.

The online grant application process begins with the submission of the organization's Tax Identification Number (TIN) followed by the completion of an eligibility quiz. If your organization and project are eligible to apply for a competition grant, you will be able to access the TD Charitable Foundation Grant Competition Application.

Technical assistance during the online application process is available via the "Contact Us" link found at the top of each application page.

The grant competition application consists of the following seven sections:

Acceptance of Grant Conditions, should your organization be chosen for funding
General Organization Information
(e.g., name, address, phone number, website address, etc.)
Contact Information
(e.g., top executive information and request contact information if different)
Additional Organization Information
(e.g., year founded, mission, organization type, staff and volunteer information, etc.)
Organization Financial Information
Request Information
(e.g., project title, project summary, project budget, etc.)
Required documents
In order for your funding request to be considered, seven (7) required documents (listed below) must be attached to the online grant application. All documents must be in either PDF format or Word format. Excel files will not be accepted.
A detailed project proposal (four pages maximum; 10 point font minimum)
The following items, in this order, should be included in the detailed project proposal:
A physical description of the housing units or properties to be improved including but not limited to age, location, breakdown according to the number of bedrooms, square footage of the units and population served
A description of how the proposed additions to programming or staff development efforts will directly benefit the low- to moderate- income housing services your organization provides to the community.
A description of how a capacity building grant will positively impact your organization's ability to provide services in the future.
A description of how the efforts to implement an energy efficient initiative as outlined in your proposal creates cost savings for your organization. A description of how these savings will be utilized to provide incremental affordable housing services or programs or other benefits to the community should be included.
Applicants seeking funds to create new units should include a 24-month timeline from the time of the award to the creation of those units that must include a date to break ground some time between October 2011 and December 2012. The location and ownership of the new units should be included in the application.
A description of your organization's capacity to manage the project and the resources required to accomplish the project's goals, including key roles and responsibilities
A list of other funding sources your organization has secured that will support your project (include any reserves and in-kind donations)
A description of measurement tools your organization will use to determine the success of your project (include any anticipated savings per unit)
Pictures of the properties: one of the front of the primary building and at least one related to the anticipated improvements
A detailed project budget (sources and uses); Must include line items for categories such as reserves and in-kind donations
A letter from an executive of your organization certifying that there are no pending legal actions, attachments or unsatisfied judgments/liens against your organization and/or any subject property; Must be on letterhead of your organization and manually signed by the person certifying
A list of your organization's board members, board position, employer and job title
Your organization's current operating budget; Must be for fiscal year 2011; Must include income and expenses
Last available audited financial statement including notes/comments; not to pre-date January 1, 2009
A copy of the 501(c)(3) federal tax exemption letter of determination and, if applicable, evidence of your organization's authority to operate under the 501(c)(3) of another organization; or, if applicable, a letter on official letterhead providing the nine-digit tax identification number of the applying government entity and signed by the senior officer
Review Process
All complete applications will be reviewed by a panel of judges representing TD Bank, N.A. metro markets areas. Applicants will be notified of the Foundation's decisions by late October 2011.
Read our frequently asked questions about the 2011 Housing for Everyone Grant Competition.

Contact Us
Please direct any questions regarding this competition to CharitableGiving@TDBanknorth.com. Include "Housing for Everyone" in the subject line.

Saturday, May 7, 2011

McKinney-Vento assistance grants

Congress has finally passed a budget for FY2011. McKinney-Vento homeless assistance grants received a $40 million increase. Congress chose to increase funding for the Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) by $65 million. The $65 million increase will go almost entirely to prevention and rapid re-housing. This will mean an increase of about 35 percent.
To read more and to view the potential allocations by county use this link: http://monarchhousing.org/2011/04/20/1-5-homeless-prevention-funding/
Please share this email with colleagues co-workers and associates.
Thanks.
Yours,
Richard W. Brown
Chief Executive Officer
Monarch Housing Associates
29 Alden StreetSuite 1B
Cranford, NJ 07016-2156
908-272-5363 ext. 225 908-382-6309 (Fax) mailto:rbrown@monarchhousing.org