About JCECDC

Board of Directors
Peter Van Brunt, President	Brian McGovern, Vice President
Rev. Joseph Harmon, Vice President	Sidney King, Treasurer
Edith Gallimore, Secretary	Carol Harrison-Arnold, Trustee
Carol DeJesus, Trustee	Roger E. Williams, Trustee
Tomas Porturas, Trustee	Rev. John Negrotto, Trustee
Andrew Hubsch, Trustee	Archie Colander, Jr, Trustee
Gerald Haizel, Trustee

The Episcopal Diocese of Newark, which covers the northern and northwestern portions of New Jersey (covering six counties), has been engaged in the development of affordable housing for several decades, within its faith-based commitment to meet the housing and social service needs of the impoverished and marginalized.  In 1986, Jersey City Episcopal Community Development Corporation (JCECDC) was incorporated to help serve the housing needs of underprivileged populations in Jersey City and Hudson County.   In the late 1980s, Church of the Incarnation, a local Episcopal Church located across the street from an abandoned, boarded-up elementary school, which had become a dangerous neighborhood eyesore and center for drug dealing, prostitution and other illegal activity called upon JCECDC to undertake the revitalization of this building to help stabilize the block.  Completed in 1993 and renamed Resurrection House, the erstwhile School #18 was rehabilitated and converted into 28 low income apartments.

Between 1994 and 1997, JCECDC undertook the Mid City Project, a scattered site low income rental housing development that utilized over $11.4 million in Tax Credits to redevelop 44 scattered site vacant lots in a 10 block radius for 88 rental units of low income housing in the Greenville area of Jersey City.  This scattered site effort was a major force in stabilizing the neighborhood and encouraging new development.   These first 2 projects were developed by a volunteer board from the Episcopal Diocese of Newark.

By 1997, the need for full time staff was recognized and JCECDC’s first Executive Director was hired. Operating from offices located at Christ Hospital, JCECDC began its ministry with an operating budget of $100,000.

In July 1998, JCECDC acquired Corpus Christi Ministries Housing, Inc., a Jersey City-based nonprofit housing and social service provider for individuals living with HIV/AIDS.

By the end of the following year, JCECDC rehabilitated a six-unit apartment building in the Heights section of Jersey City, enabling CCMH to serve families living with HIV/AIDS.

In 1999, with funds provided via the 21st Century Cities Demonstration Welfare-to-Work grant, JCECDC was able to institute Opportunity Partners, an intensive and holistic job readiness and training program that moved TANF and General Assistance recipients from dependence to self-sufficiency. In 2004 these services were transferred to the County’s One-Stop Career Centers. JCECDC remained committed to work force initiatives and was the lead agency in the development of the Jersey City Customer Service Skills Center that opened in September 2004. This Center is designed to recruit; train and place individuals in long term sustainable customer contact careers based upon employer needs and are part of the National Retail Federation skills center network.

From 2002-2005, JCECDC launched several programs under the Division of Supportive Housing and Social Services to increase services to the homeless and people with special needs.  In 2002, JCECDC implemented the Division of Mental Health Services (DMHS) Housing Initiative, which houses formerly homeless individuals with mental illness in permanent supportive housing scattered throughout Jersey City with intensive supportive services.  In 2003, JCECDC initiated the Shelter Plus Care Program that provides rental assistance and services for individuals living in market rate scattered site apartments throughout Jersey City.  In 2003, JCECDC initiated a new Program to address the problem of homelessness in our community. The Hudson Creating Alliances to Shelter All (Hudson CASA) targets homeless and recently-homeless individuals and/or families residing in Jersey City’s transitional housing facilities to secure permanent homes through a comprehensive and integrated program of home-finding services, rental assistance, supportive services and workforce development opportunities.  In January of 2005, JCECDC began administering the Mainstream Housing Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities Program for tenant-based housing vouchers to persons with disabilities with a priority for homeless persons and persons with ties to Hudson and Essex County.

In 2009, JCECDC began the Residential Intensive Support Team (RIST) Program, funded by the NJ Division of Mental Health Services. This new initiative will serve 25 consumers who are homeless and living with serious mental illness by providing lease-based rental subsidies combined with comprehensive supportive services.
JCECDC is now the City’s largest provider of permanent supportive housing for people with disabilities with a total of 95 vouchers that make market rate housing affordable to our clients with a combination of services to help them reach self-sufficiency.  On top of the leased based housing approach, there are 16 units in our Corpus Christies Ministries Program that provide permanent supportive rental housing to over 40 individuals annually. An additional 20 units of housing are being constructed in 2009 and by the end of the year, this program will more than double in size.   

By the end of 2009, JCECDC will have 131 units of permanent supportive housing for special needs populations. JCECDC is amongst the largest providers of social services for the homeless and other at risk populations in Hudson County.  JCECDC effectively moves people through a seamless continuum of care and progress into permanent supportive housing and self-sufficiency.  JCECDC‘s supportive housing establishes the foundation for long-term stability and promotion of wellness and recovery.

To date, JCECDC built 172 units of affordable housing including low income rentals, home ownership opportunities for first time home buyers, and special needs housing through rehab and new construction activities.  Since 2005, we created a new pipeline of 153 units of housing with over $34 million in development costs.  Of this pipeline, 34 units have been completed, 13 units are under construction, 36 in preconstruction to break ground in 2010-2011 and 70 units in planning to break ground in 2011-2013.

1. Eugenia Suthern Homes- located at 80-82 Storms Avenue with 4 units of affordable housing completed in 2005.
2. Grant/Myrtle Homes- located at 29, 121 Grant Avenue and 123-125 Myrtle Avenue with 8 units of affordable housing completed in 2008.
3. Greenville Homes- located at 21-23 Orient Avenue, 94 Wegman Parkway, and 119 Rutgers Avenue with 8 units of affordable housing completed in 2009.
4. All Saints Supportive Housing Development- located at 155-157 Bergen Avenue with 8 units of permanent supportive rental housing completed in 2009.
5. Old Bergen Road- located at 109-11 Old Bergen Road with 6 units of permanent supportive rental housing to be completed in August 2009.
6. Houses of Hope- located at 177 Clerks Street with 6 units of permanent supportive rental housing to be completed in July 2009.
7. 167-169 Monticello Avenue- 7 affordable condominiums with 2,000 square feet of commercial space to start construction in August 2009.
8. 120-122 Monticello Avenue- 6 affordable rental units with 7,000 square feet of commercial space to start construction in September 2009.
9. The Van Brunt Homes- located at 15-17 Oak Street, 34-40 Van Nostrand Avenue with 10 units of affordable housing to commence construction by December 2009.
10. Neighborhood Stabilization Program 1(For Sale) – Between 2010-2011, JCECDC will acquire 10-15 two family homes (20-30 units) rehab them and sell them to moderate and middle income buyers.
11. Neighborhood Stabilization Program 2 (For Rent)- Between 2010-2011 JCECDC will acquire 15-20 two family homes (30-40 units) rehab them and rent them to low and moderate income families.

JCECDC is now the premier non-profit affordable housing developer in Jersey City.  JCECDC has experienced and continues to experience rapid growth. The staff of one has grown to exceed 30 full-time staff, and the $100,000 budget now exceeds $3 million. JCECDC now serves an estimated 2,500 persons each year.