On July 10th, an excited crowd celebrated the opening of Paterson's newest affordable housing development—Barclay Place Apartments—with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Barclay Place is an innovative program that recognizes the importance of safe and stable housing on overall health.

In 2018, the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (HMFA) announced its program partnering with hospitals to provide affordable housing for individuals with chronic health conditions as a means of improving their lives. At the same time, Paterson's anchor health institution—St. Joseph's Health—was looking for a way to use a vacant lot they owned on nearby Barclay Street to help vulnerable members of the community in furtherance of their mission.

"[Barclay Place] addresses critical issues here in Paterson–affordable housing, housing to residents without addresses, increasing access to public services," said St. Joseph's Health President and CEO Kevin Slavin. "And it continues our commitment to redevelop the neighborhood." In 2019, St. Joseph's and HMFA announced the first project under the state's new Hospital Partnership Subsidy Program; St. Joseph's Health chose NJCDC as the developer for this project based on our experience providing affordable and supportive housing to vulnerable residents in Paterson. Construction on the building began in 2021 and was completed in January of this year, with the first tenants moving into the building in March.

"Fifty six lives will be transformed as a result of this partnership between St. Joseph's Health and NJCDC," said Mayor Andre Sayegh, who spoke at the event. "I've heard stories of unsheltered individuals seeking shelter in St. Joseph's Health's emergency room. We can't stand for that. What we have to stand for is that we can provide high quality housing stock for people that just need somewhere safe and stable to live. This is an encouraging day for the City of Paterson."

One of these new residents is NJCDC's own Cristina Tone, who spoke at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. In 2021, during his senior year at the University of Pennsylvania, Cristina's son became sick with a rare form of encephalitis—also known as Brain on Fire disease—and had to move back in with his family. Cristina, who lived in a one-bedroom apartment at the time and had recently gotten married, was left trying to find an apartment that could accommodate a family of five—as well as getting medical care for her son. She said, "I thought I had no choice but to leave because we couldn't afford anything here," referring to Paterson's lack of affordable apartments that can accommodate families. But at Barclay Place, Cristina was able to find a three-bedroom apartment that she could afford. In addition, Barclay Place offers on-site supportive services and is very close to the hospital, making it much easier for her son to access the ongoing care he needs.

Cristina said, "Barclay was the only affordable housing option we had available that could give us peace of mind and also save my son's life." She continued, "My life changed on July 1st when I received the approval of the apartment, on the same week that my son was discharged from the hospital because of another crisis. Coming home to this new place for him was an amazing surprise and a wonderful blessing for our family."

After Cristina's heartfelt remarks, guests officially cut the ribbon on Barclay Place before embarking on tours of the building. Located just a few hundred feet from St. Joseph's Hospital, Barclay Place provides 56 units of affordable "healthy home" housing for hard-working Paterson residents. The building was designed to promote residents' health and features toxin-free finishes, accessible units, and more features that make the building accessible and safe for all residents. Barclay Place has a mixture of one-, two-, and three-bedroom units, providing vital affordable housing options to Paterson families. Priority is given to tenants with chronic health conditions, and 10 of the 56 units are set aside for tenants with special needs. The ground floor of Barclay Place will serve as a wellness hub that provides access to on-site health, wellness, and social services for tenants. The hub includes spaces for residents to receive these services, including workshops and referrals to healthcare providers, as well as a demonstration kitchen, where residents can learn about nutrition and healthy eating habits.

"Housing is healthcare. We at NJCDC believe that addressing social determinants of health for our residents is vital to ensuring the success and revitalization of our neighborhood," said Bob Guarasci, NJCDC's Founder & CEO. "Barclay Place is an innovative project that provides two of the most important elements in improving quality of life: safe and affordable housing and access to health services. We will always be grateful to St. Joseph's for making this project possible by providing the land and funding, and for asking us to be their partner on such an innovative and vital initiative."

Barclay Place could not have been possible without a large network of partners who worked with us, St. Joseph's Health, and New Jersey Community Capital to ensure the project was a success, including HMFA, Arc Building Partners, Enterprise Community Partners, the New Jersey Hospital Association, TD Bank, Thriven Design, and partners at all levels of government—Congressman Bill Pascrell, Mayor Andre Sayegh, Assembly members Shavonda Sumter and Benjie Wimberly, and so many others who care about making Paterson a better, brighter, and healthier place to live.

View our Ribbon-Cutting Video Here:

View our video about Cristina Tone, a new Barclay resident: