Newark, NJ –- June 26, 2024 —Mayor Ras J. Baraka announced today that Newark has been awarded $4 million in grant funding by the Biden-Harris administration for the Pathways to Removing Obstacles to Housing (PRO Housing) program. PRO Housing is a new federal program providing grant funding to communities demonstrating progress in removing needless barriers to affordable housing production and preservation and in lowering housing costs.
Located in one of the least affordable regions of the country, Newark will use its PRO Housing grant to continue the implementation of its updated local land-use regulations (NZLUR), which will significantly increase the speed at which affordable housing can be generated.
“Creating affordable rentals and putting homeownership within the reach of residents is a top priority in Newark, born from the insight that no one can have the necessary stability for personal growth and freedom without the foundation and comfort of safe, affordable housing,” said Mayor Baraka. “We are grateful to the Biden-Harris Administration for this grant, which marks a shift in federal attention that reflects critical needs in our city, and cities across the country.”
The City will also use the funding to expand its Live Newark homeowner assistance program of forgivable down payment loans to first time homebuyers and for home repairs. In addition, the grant will help further the Equitable Investments in Newark Communities (EINC) Program, which enables the development or rehabilitation of homes, while simultaneously expanding opportunities for minority/women-owned business enterprise developers and contractors.
“President Biden and I believe that every American deserves affordable housing, so they have a roof over their head and a place to call home. That is why we have a plan to build millions of new units of affordable housing in communities all across our nation, which will bring down the cost of housing for renters and help more Americans buy a home,” said Vice President Kamala Harris. “Today, I am proud to announce that we are taking a critical step forward by investing $85million to help more than 20 communities remove barriers to building more affordable housing.”
“Mayor Baraka’s equitable growth strategy is making a big difference in Newark while providing a national model for how to reimagine long ignored cities,” said Allison Ladd, Deputy Mayor and Director of the Newark Department of Economic and Housing Development. “I give special thanks for pursuing this competitive grant to EHD’s Office of Affordability and Sustainable Housing.”
Among Newark’s housing affordability strategies are:
- The Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance with first dibs to residents for affordable units.
- $1 home sales to residents with low-cost mortgages for construction and renovations.
- The Live Newark Programs of forgivable loans to first time homebuyers and for essential repairs.
- Use of Section 8 vouchers to enable renters to become homeowners.
- The Newark Land Bank and EINC programs that use City-owned properties to create affordable housing.
- Revised Land use and zoning regulations (NZLUR) to prioritize housing affordability.
- A $30 million dedicated affordable housing fund.
