Rehabbing Hoboken's Public Housing: Massive Plan Proposed

HOBOKEN, NJ — The Hoboken Housing Authority Board — seven volunteers who help oversee the more than 1,300 units of subsidized public housing in southwestern Hoboken — released a draft of a rehabilitation plan for the buildings last week.

The draft can be found here.

Hoboken includes 21 federally funded senior and low-income housing buildings, mostly in the southwest part of town.

The day-to-day operations are managed by a paid executive director and staff. The volunteer HHA board helps oversee the site, along with the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development.

'Development, Relocation, Demolition'

Over the years, HUD has pulled back from closely managing public housing across the country. Still, it has recommended rehabbing older buildings.

Among other changes, the Hoboken Housing Authority wants to build a new six-story residential building at Fourth and Harrison streets, then move residents into it from other buildings.

As the project continues, residents will be relocated among buildings until their units are ready.

The plan will be a "systematic process of new development, relocation, and demolition," the report says.

HHA Chairman and former Councilman David Mello Tweeted last week, "Delighted to share the preliminary draft of the Hoboken Housing Forward strategic plan for the redevelopment & rehabilitation of our ENTIRE @HousingHoboken campus."

Cities across the country have rehabilitated public housing neighborhoods, but residents often fear that they won't be able to return to their units.

Mello said there will be no displacement and "no loss of units."

"A great plan for our residents and for all of Hoboken-at-large," he said.

The plan was presented at Wednesday night's Board of Commissioners meeting, seen here:

One resident asked in the comments section of Facebook if her family will be able to return to their old unit after the construction.

The plan may come up for final approval by the HHA Board in April.

Residents who moved into the HHA units had to meet income requirements. In Hoboken, where rents have passed $3,000 and $4,000, there have always been long waiting lists for the units.

Mello wrote, "Please click on this link, download the plan, & let me know what you think."

See the plan here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/15YqqOsltYNZm_UF27RQl8Pc0uGbcxdRj/vie

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