Plans are underway for an affordable 40-unit housing community dubbed Southside View in Newarks’ South Ward neighborhood, New Jersey. Adenah Bayoh, a New Jersey developer and entrepreneur, will collaborate with community organizer Octavia Frazier-Porter on the development. According to Bayoh, the project would help the state attain its five-year plan of creating 6,600 new affordable housing units.

The joint venture partners have already submitted an application for the state’s  9% Low Income Housing Tax Credit funding. If all goes as planned, Southside View will be the first project from a female and Black-owned firm to receive the award. Therefore, the developers are eagerly awaiting approval from the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency.

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Development plans for the Southside View housing project

The proposed Southside View development has been designed as a five-story, 100% affordable housing community. The developers are working towards transforming an underutilized parcel situated at 654-668 South 11th Street, into homes for 40 families. In addition to providing low-income housing, the project will also advance the ongoing revitalization of the Kent-Brenner-Springfield Redevelopment Area.

Southside View will consist of 6 one-bedroom, 24 Two-bedroom, and 10 three-bedroom apartments. However, there will be 34 apartments available for households earning 60% of Area’s Median Income or less.  Meanwhile, five apartments will be made available for homeless households, and one superintendent’s unit will be reserved as non-income restricted. 

Residents of Southside View will have access to on-site parking and laundry facilities.  Additional on-site amenities include an elegantly designed community center for planned activities and an on-site management/leasing office. On top of that, residents will also have access to on-site supportive services. Several such services include job training, financial management, and credit counseling, as well as health, wellness, and counseling programs.

The developers are hoping to earn a green building certification for Southside View through the New Jersey Energy Star program. Therefore, several energy-saving energy amenities have been incorporated into the building’s design, which includes refrigerators, stovetops, ovens, and dishwashers. These measures will help foster a healthy living environment for residents, while also lowering operational costs and maintenance needs.