Brick City Conversations recently hosted a lively discussion titled the Newark Housing Roundtable, where New Community’s Director of Special Projects, Richard Cammarieri, was a panelist who discussed the importance of affordable housing in planning the city’s future, especially as Newark’s central business district is experiencing visible economic investment and growth. The event’s goal was to discuss “policies to promote quality housing in healthy neighborhoods across the income spectrum.” Cammarieri showed different examples of NCC’s housing in Newark, with Manor Family townhomes at 72 Hayes St., Manor mid-rise complex at 225 Hunterdon St., and Manor Senior at 545 Orange St. He reminded the packed room at New Jersey Institute of Technology’s College of Architecture and Design gallery that New Community is committed to serving “very, very low income residents,” a service that is increasingly harder to find.
Alle Ries, La Casa de Don Pedro’s Director of Community and Economic Development, also represented the voice of community development corporations on the panel. Other panelists included: Ron Beit, CEO of RBH Group; Julio Colon, Director of Real Estate and Housing for the City of Newark; Keith Kinard, Executive Director of the Newark Housing Authority; and Ed Martoglio, President of RPM Development. Alan Mallach, Senior Fellow at the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Community Progress gave closing remarks and Diane Sterner of New Jersey Community Capital moderated the discussion.