A catalyst for change

La Casa de Don Pedro takes a comprehensive approach to community engagement and neighborhood revitalization. Our short term initiatives and long term strategies are driven by comprehensive community planning and community organizing. These efforts fall within the Community & Economic Development division with the overarching goal to improve the community’s social, economic and physical infrastructure.

In response to a need for comprehensive commercial revitalization and affordable housing, La Casa created Don Pedro Development Corporation (DPDC), a separate, 501(c)3, to serve as the development arm of the organization. DPDC is charged with promoting the planning and implementation of housing and economic initiatives within a context of community building. Through DPDC, La Casa advances the physical revitalization of the community through planning, development and rehabilitation efforts, and supports the continued growth of the agency through the development of the community and program facilities.

Since 1988, La Casa has invested more than $23 million into theNewark Community. Our projects include community centers, educational facilities, early childhood centers, open space, and over 100 new and rehabilitated affordable housing units. La Casa’s current projects total more than $18 million and include Neighborhood Stabilization Program I & II efforts, a state of the art community center, and commercial storefront. These projects will positively impact our communities by increasing the amount of affordable housing available, stabilizing the foreclosure crisis, and providing access to valuable goods and services that will improve the quality of life for the families we serve.

Community & Economic Development’s primary target neighborhood: Lower Broadway, with target properties highlighted.

Community Planning Community driven Lower Broadway

Community Plan (3rd update in progress)

Comprehensive plan guides La Casa’s initiatives

Community Organizing Engages the community to advocate

for their needs

Builds social infrastructure

A Comprehensive, Grassroots Approach

In the past decade, La Casa completed two comprehensive community plans for Lower Broadway, a blueprint for the community’s physical and social development

Recipient of Wachovia Regional Foundation Comprehensive Community Implementation Grant

LISC is critical supporter through its national Sustainable Communities” initiative, implemented locally by La Casa as “Greater Newark Neighborhoods.” see www.broadwaynewark.com.

A community driven “Quality of Life” planning process commenced in April 2010 with over 200 residents to lay out a needs assessment that will guide future planning and advocacy.

Community Planning

A Comprehensive, Grassroots Approach

La Casa’s team of organizers are dedicated to empowering residents wishing to improve the quality of life of their community

Initiatives include:

Technical assistance to block associations

Advocacy for pedestrian safety

Neighborhood beautification and tree planting projects

Community Organizing

A Comprehensive, Grassroots Approach

Affordable Housing 120 units complete, 41 in the pipeline

All homeownership, majority 2-family

Both new construction & rehabilitation

Utilizes urban design standards La Casa created and recently embraced by the City’s new guidelines

High energy efficiency standards

Implementation

Commercial Revitalization Over $8M invested in new construction,

$10M in the pipeline

Balances community use with commercial opportunity

Collaborations with City of Newark on façade & street improvements

Since 2004, all projects have been built by

La Casa affiliate LC Homebuilder.

Implementation

Open Space Initiatives Strategy is to create public & private open

spaces & enhance access & use

Proposed connective pathway from school campus to Branch Brook park

Collaborations with Project for Public Spaces Alliance to restore southwest section of park

Successful projects include the transformation of 3 unsightly lots into the Ramon Rivera Community Garden & Coretta Scott King Community Playground. Partners include City of Newark, Greater Newark Conservancy, KaBoom!, Wachovia Foundation, & the Home Depot.

Defined school and community recreational space planned for Benjamin Franklin & Barringer Prep campus

Implementation

Foreclosure Prevention & Intervention HUD Certified Unit consists of 2 counselors

and an assistant Bilingual Services include:

Crisis budgeting Counseling & preparation for foreclosure

mediation services through State of NJ Foreclosure Mediation Program

Referrals to attorneys Education & outreach around mortgage

modification scams Results:

Caseload of 12-16 families counseled per week

Over 45 families received mortgage modifications as direct result of mediation services.

Over 300 families seen since January, 2009

Homebuyer Education HUD-certified first time homebuyer education for La

Casa’s affordable housing applicants Upon completion, families may be eligible for $10k in

downpayment assistance from City of Newark Extensive assistance throughout homebuyer process La Casa homes are marketed to participants

Housing Counseling

Implementation

Merchant Mobilization Strategy is to engage with Lower Broadway

merchants to connect them with resources and tools to improve the viability of their businesses

Projects include:

Lower Broadway Parking Study

Commercial Corridor Retail Scan

Graffiti Removal

Holiday Window Display Initiative

Implementation

Active Affordable Housing Projects

Lower Broadway Stabilization Project & NSP I and II

• Removes blight and creates affordable housing for low-and moderate-income families by addressing foreclosed properties and infill lots.

• Uses HOME, NSP and HUD subsidies• Total construction of 41 units of affordable housing;

• Scattered sites• 5 new 2 family homes (to start this fall)• 6 rehabilitated 2 family homes (in production)• 19 Additional units to be purchased via NSP II

• TOTAL PROJECT COST: $8 Million• START DATE: FALL 2010

Ivy Hill Senior Community

Seven acre site that will provide senior housing units, an adult medical day care center and a nursing home

460 units of senior housing are planned DPDC is a partner in the joint venture with for profit interests for the overall development Ivy Hill Phase I—Senior Community Building B will provide 65 units Total Development Cost: $15 Million Current Status: Volunteers of America is re-designated developer Start date: Winter 2011

Active Affordable Housing Projects

39-47 Broadway/Broad Retail & Commercial Center

Three derelict Lower Broadway commercial buildings will be replaced with 20,000 SF program office space and 4,000 SF new retail space

Targets neighborhood retail or service-oriented businesses

Renovates 39 Broadway Center by adding additional early childhood classrooms

Innovative use of Neighborhood Revitalization Tax Credit (NRTC) and New Market Tax Credit

PROJECT COST: $10.2 Million START DATE: Spring 2011 COMPLETION DATE: Spring 2012

Before

After

Active Commercial Revitalization Projects

Mount Prospect TownhomesProject Cost: $2.7 million

Number of Units: 28, homeownership & rentalCompletion Date: 2004

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. HomesProject Cost: $3.8 Million

Number of Units: 19, homeownership & rentalCompletion Date: June 2009

Affordable Housing Projects

Commercial Revitalization Projects

First Street Early Childhood Center

•Rehab of former industrial commercial building into 14,000 SF preschool center• Eight classrooms, 120 preschoolers•Houses central commercial kitchen for La Casa PROJECT COST: $3.4 MillionCOMPLETION DATE: 2004

39 Broadway Community Center

Home of La Casa’s Personal Development Division, La Casa preschool center, and North Jersey Federal Credit UnionPROJECT COST: $2.8 MillionCOMPLETION DATE: 2001

Open Space Projects

Before

After

Before

After

Coretta Scott King Community PlaygroundRamon Rivera Community Garden

Completed Real Estate Development Projects

Project Cost

1988 Mt. Prospect Gardens Condominiums Project- Rehabilitation/conversion of a vacant industrial manufacturing building on Mt. Prospect Avenue and Garside Street into 7 residential units sold to moderate income families.-Average per unit subsidy: $20,000-Sale Price: One BR Unit: $37,000, Three BR Unit: $53,000

$500,000

1990 Villa Santa Maria Condominiums ProjectNew construction of 39 attached townhomes on Broadway & Kearny Streets for low-income families.-Average per unit subsidy: $44,000-Sale Price: 3 BR Units: $28,100, Four BR Units: $41,000

$3,000,000

1996 Davenport Avenue Two-Fer Family Housing ProjectNew construction of 6 two-family detached homes, three bedrooms each with a one-bedroom rental unit for low/moderate income families.Average per unit subsidy: $40,000- Sale Price: $105,000

$1,171,000

1998 Webster/North 6th Street Two-Fer Family Housing ProjectNew construction of 7 two-family detached homes on Webster Street and N. 6th Street, three bedrooms each with one-bedroom rental unit for low/moderate income families.

$1,232,000

1999 206-208 Garside Avenue Rehabilitation ProjectRehabilitation of two one-family homes

$200,000

2001 Mt. Prospect Heights TownhomesNew construction of 14 two family homes on Mt. Prospect Avenue designated for moderate-income households. Homeowner unit: 3 BR with 1 BR rental unit.Average per unit subsidy: $50,000Sale Price: $141,000

$2,677,000

Project Cost

2001 39 Broadway Community CenterHome of La Casa’s Personal Development Division. Facility includes computer lab, Hispanic Women’s Resource Center, Credit Union, Early Childhood Development Classrooms, and community space for ESL and other class offerings.

$2,800,000

2001 95 Mt. Prospect Avenue Rehabilitation ProjectRehabilitation of one two-family home.

$202,987

2002 Stone Street HomesNew construction of 9 detached two-family homes. Two and Three bedrooms on Stone Street and Summer Avenue.Sale Price: $147,000

$1,792,000

2004 First Street Early Childhood Education Center14,000 square foot flagship community facility for La Casa and model for the evolving early childhood educational community within Newark and throughout New Jersey.

$3,350,000

2008 80-82 Stone Street17 one-bedroom apartment rehabilitation for moderateincome individuals.Average per-unit subsidy: $8,800Rental Price: $725-800/month

$1,800,000

2009 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. HomesNew construction of eleven homes, 3 single family and 8 two-family on MLK Blvd. and Summer Avenue in Lower Broadway. Total of 19 units sold to low & moderate income families.Average per home subsidy: $192,000, by HMFA CHOICE, City of Newark HOME, Federal Home Loan Bank of NY AHP.Sales Prices: $106,025 one family – $194,000 two family.

$3,800,000

In recognition and in support of this work, La Casa is a HUD Approved Housing Counseling Agency and a

Partners

AmeriCorps Bank of America Capital One Chase CitiBank City of Newark, Department of Housing & Economic Development,

Neighborhood Stabilization Program & CDBG Garfield Foundation HSBC Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) NeighborWorks America New Jersey Housing & Mortgage Finance Agency PNC Bank TD Bank North U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Wachovia, A Wells Fargo Company