Press Releases
Date: June 28, 2004
Release Date: Immediately
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Reba V. Hicks
Public Information Officer
(856) 968-2748
(609) 685-8255 - cell
rhicks@camdenhousing.org
"THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF CAMDEN CELEBRATES
HOMEOWNERSHIP MONTH AND THE TRANSFERRING OF AUTHORITY FROM HUD'S
OVERSIGHT TO A LOCAL BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS"
The Housing Authority of the City of Camden (HACC) will host a
"Homeownership Celebration" for the Baldwin's Run
Community on Wednesday, June 30, 2004. The ceremony will take place at
3165 Westfield Avenue (the former Westfield Acres site) and begin at
10:00 a.m.
The HACC is celebrating the full completion of 219 homeownership units
as a part of the Westfield Acres HOPE VI Plan. The plan consisted of
the 219 homeownership units of which 100 were rehabbed offsite and 119
were built brand new on the site. The units that were originally
thought to sell for around $40,000 were sold for $74,000 due to the
miraculous change in the market for the East Camden section of the
City. Dr. Maria Marquez, Executive Director, of the HACC stated,
"We are very proud to join with HUD in celebrating National
Homeownership Month and honored to offer residents of Camden
homeownership opportunities." The combination of state funds with
HUD's HOPE VI Grant of $35 million dollars made this development
possible. The confirmed speakers at the event include the Honorable
Angel Fuentes, President, of Camden City Council and Monsignor Robert
McDermott, Chairperson of St. Joseph's Carpenter Society.
The Westfield Acres HOPE VI development consists of ten (10)
construction phases. Nine of the construction phases will create 516
units of affordable housing in East Camden. The remaining phase will
be for the construction of a Community Center with plans for
groundbreaking within the next 30 days.
A Symbolic Swearing-In Ceremony and Transition of Power to the Local
Board of Commissioners will take place at 11:15 a.m. in the Camden
City Council Chambers, City Hall, 2nd Floor, Camden, NJ. HUD
Secretary's Designee, Mirza Negron Morales, will perform the
ceremony and introduce the HACC's newly elected Board of
Commissioners.
The consistent and steady building of internal capacity has moved the
HACC from a "troubled status" to a
"standard performer". The change of status
has allowed HUD to remove the oversight that it has maintained for the
past seven years.
Dr. Maria Marquez, Executive Director, stated, "We have
accomplished much during the past seven years under the guidance of
Mirza Negron Morales. She will be greatly missed and her commitment
and dedication to the HACC will not be forgotten. I look forward to
continuing to move the HACC forward with our newly elected Board of
Commissioners".
The HACC Board of Commissioners consist of:
Dana L. Redd, Councilwoman of the City of Camden,
Andres Camacho, City of Camden,
Marilyn Torres, City of Camden,
Arijit De, Executive Director of the Camden Redevelopment
Agency,
Curtis Jenkins, City of Camden,
Marge Della Vecchia, Appointed by the Department of Community Affairs,
and
Deborah Keys, Resident of the City of Camden.