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OUT OF THE SHADOWS
After school programs, new housing, recreational opportunities for seniors Jersey City Episcopal Community
Development Corporation creates an immediate, positive impact on the life of Jersey City residents.
The tremendous growth of Jersey City Episcopal Community Development Corporation (JCECDC) in the 18 short months
since its reorganization clearly demonstrates the vital role that faith-based CDCs have in improving their communities.
Due to strong, generous support from the local congregations, the Diocese of Newark, and Christ Hospital, Jersey
City Episcopal CDC became a staffed organization in June of 1997, and quickly expanded from a volunteer not-for-profit
board overseeing two affordable housing projects to a vibrant corporation with a comprehensive array of social
service and housing programs.
As JCECDC enters its third year of operation, it operates a housing program for individuals and families living
with HIV/AIDS, three after school programs, and a seniors educational and recreational program. In addition to
administering three affordable housing projects, the CDC is in the process of the renovating and building houses
for sale to low- and moderate-income families. In all, JCECDC assists more than 800 individuals annually through
175 units of housing, with an annual budget in excess of $500,000 and a staff of 23.
This recent success is driven by a commitment to our mission, which is to empower Hudson County residents, businesses,
and other institutions in revitalizing their local communities and neighborhoods. To achieve our mission, we are
guided by the principles of promoting independence and self-sufficiency, teaching individual and community stewardship,
and improving the quality of life for all residents. As a result, we offer outreach opportunities to and through
the local congregations and work to foster housing, social service, and economic development to address issues
of poverty and to assist Jersey City¹s most vulnerable residents.
Highlights from 1998 include:
 Merger with Corpus Christi Ministries,
Inc. (CCMI), a not-for-profit provider of supportive permanent housing for persons living with HIV/AIDS. By combining
our operations, JCECDC and CCMI were able to ensure the continued provision of this critically needed housing program.
The CCMI initiative provides housing to ten individuals and five families with HIV/AIDS. In October, we celebrated
the opening of the family residence, the first of its kind in Hudson County.
Expansion of our model community action
oriented after school program Grace Kids operating at Grace Church Van Vorst to a second site at Church of the
Incarnation and a third site in the Mid City Housing Development. These three programs will reach more than 200
children and their families in 1999.
Broadening our affordable housing program
to include the renovation and construction of homes for sale. In partnership with Episcopal Community Development,
Inc., we renovated a vacant and abandoned two-family home for sale to a moderate-income family. At a recent auction
of city owned vacant land, we purchased property to build two new homes for sale, as well as to create a community
garden for the neighborhood.
Fostering and participating in multi-agency
collaborative projects with successful outcomes. We developed support, alliances and broad-based respect from governmental
agencies, corporations, foundations, religious organizations and individuals focusing on revitalizing neighborhoods,
welfare to work initiatives, and capacity building in communities served by our programs. Our tenant organizing
and community development activities are important social service components to the affordable housing programs.
We encouraged efforts that created jobs, improved security, improved the existing housing stock, and increased
the overall organization of the residents and community.
Strengthening community input by including
consumers on our Board of Trustees and forming program advisory committee.
1999 and Beyond - Becoming a Full Service Organization
1999 promises to be an exciting and challenging year for Jersey City Episcopal CDC. Already planned to happen are
two new housing initiatives, the opening of a recreational program for seniors, and the expansion of Corpus Christi
Ministries' services and our model after school programs. In addition, we will continue to involve ourselves with
collaborative efforts to revitalize key areas of the city, including the McGinley Square and Journal Square initiatives.
We also look forward to becoming more involved in the Jersey City Area Ministry efforts, particularly as they relate
to youth programs.
Our new housing ventures will include the building for sale of two two-family houses across the street from the
Resurrection House project and the complete renovation of a vacant multi-family building into rental apartments.
The for-sale homes will be available to low and moderate income families who are first time homebuyers. We are
building these houses on a vacant lot purchased from the City at an auction. The renovation of the multi-family
building will create six units for persons with disabilities, two units for families with mobility impairments
and four units for families with a member living with HIV/AIDS. The rents will be capped at a third of the family's
income.
As we fully integrate the Corpus Christi Ministries program, we will ensure the provision of additional resources
to increase the number of housing units for persons with HIV/AIDS and the types of supportive services offered
to the individuals and families in the program. We expect to increase our counseling, outreach, and referral services
to assist the residents become more independent and self-sufficient. Part of this initiative is to create a tiered-system
of housing where residents can move to more independent living situations as their health improves.
In continuing our work with area congregations, the CDC has opened a seniors program at Grace Church, in addition
to the after school program, and has started an after school program at Church of the Incarnation. We are constantly
looking for appropriate outreach opportunities for the churches to assist them in making their facilities available
to the community seven days a week.
The CDC¹s success and rapid grow stems from its leadership and the strong support of the area congregations.
We have shown a willingness to learn and change. We are patient as we reach out to different groups to develop
collaboratives and partnerships. We have grown by doing - planning, community organizing, and by working as partners
with public officials, residents, and not-for-profit organizations. We have found that there are no quick solutions
to address issues of poverty, especially concerning housing and economic development. The revitalization of a community
is a continual process involving a delicate balance of trust in the goodwill of others combined with a pragmatic
approach to problem solving. We welcome this challenge and look forward to serving Jersey City and Hudson County
well into the new millenium.
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