The Trenton Housing Authority was awarded a $1.3 million 2019 Choice Neighborhood Planning and Action grant from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development last week.
The grant, one of four given by the department, is used to fund planning efforts for the revitalization and redevelopment of neighborhoods and distressed housing. Donnelly Homes and the North Trenton area up to the city’s Battle Monument Park are the target areas included in the plan.
“We are thrilled to be selected for this prestigious grant, but the real winners are the residents of our communities” said Jelani Garrett, executive director of the Trenton Housing Authority. “We would not have been successful without the collaboration of a myriad of community partners who are committed to improving the quality of life in Trenton. We are determined to be actively engaged in the revitalization of Trenton’s neighborhoods.
"This grant will help make it happen.”
Garrett explained that the Donnelly Homes area was selected because it has "compact walkable blocks, commercial corridors and an anchor institution and a number of parks, schools and churches,” Garrett said.
“THA and our own Housing and Economic Development Department deserve a round of applause for what they’ve achieved here,” Mayor Reed Gusciora said in a statement to NJ Advance Media. “We’re building the fed’s faith in us. Time and time again we have been able to prove that investing in Trenton is the right decision. I cannot wait to see how this transforms not only Donnelly Homes, but the neighborhood at-large.”
The housing authority hasn’t decided what changes will be made to Donnelly Homes. “It could range anywhere from a gut rehabilitation all the way to a total redevelopment, including demolition and building of new housing,” said Garrett.
The housing authority has two years to submit a transformation plan. Garrett explained a portion of the grants goes toward planning, and nearly $1 million covers “early action items in the neighborhood that aren’t housing related,” including improvements to parks and lighting.
Garrett said the next step is to conduct a community survey to determine community needs, including education and employment opportunities. After the three-year grant term ends, the housing authority will be considered for the department’s implementation grant, which is used to fund the proposed changes to the community and housing site. Last year, implementation grants averaged between $25 and $30 million.
India Duke can be reached at iduke@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @Inja_NJ.
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