On Tuesday, April 8th we had a Skype phone call with a man who works at a non-profit organization in New Jersey. This organization was founded in 1983 and they build affordable housing in multiple cities in New Jersey. This organization has gown tremendously, they have created shelters, transitional housing, and apartments. Eighty percent of their donations come from private donations, which has given them the opportunity to create some options for those who are in need of affordable housing.
One of their shelters is a renovated nursing home and it has 85 beds in it. They have a senior women’s shelter that actually started in the 1920’s. They have 57 apartments spread throughout four different towns. They also have transitional housing; the houses are built in several different locations as well. The rent of the apartments and houses depends on the income of the family and the size of the family.
Most people think that affordable housing means a house that is barely standing in a bad area, but not this organization’s affordable housing. This organization does an outstanding job of building houses that include all amenities for a low utilities bill. Some of the features include solar panels, bamboo flooring, heat pumps, and water efficient sinks, toilets and showers. The outside of these houses also matches the theme of the surrounding houses often with the same height of the actual house.
I was surprised to hear that the neighbors were not upset about these affordable houses coming into their neighborhood. This is because the members of this organization reach out to the neighbors and engage with the community. This organization seems as if it is benefiting those who would otherwise be homeless in New Jersey by providing a place for them to stay and to get back on their own.